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PAKTSTAN
PERMAI\EI\T MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
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Statementby AmbassadorFarukh Amil Depufy PermanentRepresentative Pakistan of in the SpecialPolitical and Decolonization Committee on the Report of the Special Committee Investigate to Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rightsof the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied Territories

Itiew York 4 I{ovember 2008

political and Decolonizationcommittee on the Report of Statementin the special practicesAffecting the Human Rights the Specialcommittee to InvestigateIsraeri of the occupied Territories of the parestinianpeopte and other Arabs 4 November2008' special pakistan fully supports and commends the important work of the l. the hu-an rights of the Palestinian committee to investigateIsraeli practicesaffecting I would like to thank the chairman people and other Arabs of the occupied rerritories. ilt report, which describes the serious of the Special committee for piesenting Territory and in occupied Palestinian of deterioration the human rights situationln the merit serious and recommendations the occupied syrian Golan. it, report's findings and consideration supportby this committee. palestinianpeople and the worsening humanitarian The continuing plight of the 2. of scores committee, corroborates and humanrights situation,as reportedby the special international bodies which have other reports by the LIN and other indep.rdent prevailing in the -occupied documented somber accounts of the circumstances of fundamental human rights of the Territories. The ruthless denial and suppression international palestinianpeople reveal the true face of ttt. occupation,to which the entire community has been a witness for long' collectively called on Israel,the the And for decades internationalcommunityhas 3. for policies which are responsible this occupyingpower, to halt its iilegal practicesand Israel continuesto defy these gravesituationin the occupiedierritories. unfortunately, both for the situation on ground are calls with impunity. The consequences disastrous, by the day, and for the peace which is becoming increasingly dire and unbearable communityhas investedso much' in process, which the international by the Annapolis conference Mr. chairman, the hope for lastingpeacegenerated 4. It required immediate and credible last year needed to be nurtured and str"engthened. conducive for good faith and confidence building measuresto create an environment actions Israel's incessant this hasnot happenedRegreffably, resultorientednegotiations. disciimination, social and economic involving use oifor.., humari rights violations, the Palestinian people have severely strangulation and collective punishment of of the undermined prospects peace' Israeli military attacks and confidence cannot be built in the face of repeated 5. d palestinianTerritory, particularly in the occupie Gaza strip' incursionsiqrthe occupied and injuries including among women and resultingin considerubl"loss of innocentlife infrastructure.serious concernsremain children, and widespreaddamageto property and arbitraryand and disappearances, over the continuing extra-judicialkillinls, abductions in of detainees Israeli prisons'we illegal detention,and torture and inhumanetreatment

call upon all sides to shun violence and respecttheir respectiveobligationsunder internationalhuman rights law and internationalhumanitarianlaw, in particularthe 4th GenevaConvention. 6. The constructionof the illegal separation wall has continuedin defianceof the advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. The settlement activity has increased, contraventionof the road ffi&p,the commitmentsmade in Annapolis, and in Article 49 of the Geneva Convention. Bypass roads have continued to expand and restrictions on the right to freedom of movement have further intensified, severely affecting the enjoyment of virtually all human rights of the Palestinianpopulation,and further fragmentingthe OccupiedPalestinianTerritory. The continuing blockadeof the Gaza Strip has turned it into a big prison inflicting collectivepunishmenton the besieged population,half of which constitutes children,while 80% of that population lives under the poverty line and is dependent food aid. on Israeli policies and practices in fact trigger a whole range of human rights 7. violations and hardshipsfor the people of the OccupiedTerritories.Theseincludedenial of right to life, liberty, property, freedom of movement,adequatestandardof living, work, education, health, as well as depriving the Palestinian people of their scarce water resources. The damagesresulting from these and other aspectsof occupationmust be justly in accordance compensated with the principlesof internationallaw. Mr. Chairman, a fundamentalhuman right, whose denial and violation is at the 8. core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is the right to self-determinationof the Palestinian people. We agreewith the Special Committeethat the failure to realize this right will compromisethe possibility for full respect, protectionand fulfiflment of the rights of the Palestinian people. This year marks the 60thanniversary the dispossession the Palestinian 9. of of people in the Al-Nakba. It is a stark reminder to the internationalcommunity to live up to its moral, legal and political obligation towardsa just and lasting settlement the question of of Palestine, and bringing an end to the untold misery and suffering of the Palestinian people. 10. Resolutionof the Palestine issueis the key to a comprehensive lastingpeace and in the Middle E,ast, wnicn must also include parallelprogi.rs in addressing Syriathe Israel and Lebanon-Israelconflicts. This is the shared objective of the international community. To realize this objective, it is essentialto bring an end to the Israeli occupationof all the Arab territories,which is the root causeof the Arab-Israeliconflict. A durablesolution, we believe, cannotbe imposedby force or unilateral actions.It can only be achieved through dialogue and negotiations in accordancewith the relevant united Natibns resolutionsand the norms of international law.

I 1. Pakistanhas a natural and strongaffiliation with the issueof Palestine and a deep commitment to its just and peaceful settlement.The framework for such a solution alreadyexists - in the relevant SecurityCouncil and GeneralAssembly resolutions, the principle of land for peace, the Madrid Peace Conferenceterms of reference,the road map and the Arab PeaceInitiative. The Annapolisprocessalso flows from Quartet's this framework. The promise of Annapolis, a peacetreaty to be realizedby the end of 2008, is unfortunately fading. It is incumbent upon the international community to reinvigorateefforts to revive that promise.We cannotafford anotherfailure. 12. This debateshould therefore signal strong support for the peace efforts. This is also an occasionto reiterateour commitment for the establishment an independent, of sovereignand viable stateof Palestine with pre-1967bordersand A[-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.Pakistanwill fully back the Palestinian peoplein their legitimatestrugglefor self-determination the questfor peaceand freedom.Thank you. and