Explanation of Vote (EOV) by Benin before the General Assembly 64th Session

Vote on Report of Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Conflict

New York( 

5 November 2009

BENINIAN REPRESENTATIVE:  Mr. President, Benin voted in favor of the resolution in order to sh
ow its systematic rejection of human rights violations wherever they come from.  Benin's vote comes in the wake of its ongoing foreign policy and it is directed against no country.  
No one in no circumstance should rid itself of its obligation to uphold human rights meticulously and to ensure protection of civilians.  The principals of humanity are unfading and they should stay thus in all circumstances.   
Benin considers that the authority of the Geneva Convention should prevail in all conflict situations, and these were violated in Gaza.  The military operations that were conducted in December and January 2009 led to intolerable abused and a serious breach of international standards and the very principal of humanity.  These actions are a form of radicalism that we cannot support, and therefore there should be in-depth investigations held to identify the perpetrators of human rights violations over and beyond all political parties.  These people should be punished and so impunity would thus be tackled and the spiral of violence would be curbed.
Both sides must conduct these investigations with complete transparency.  Thus said, Benin does not approve any use of force to settle international differences without prejudice to the rights of people to use all recognized measures in international law to exercise their right to self determination.  Benin pleads in favor of dialogue and negotiation in order to find peace.  It calls upon states that are able to influence the situation in the Middle East to do all they can to ensure that there is a rapid settlement of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has gone on for far too long.
We call upon everybody -- for the Israeli/Palestinian peace process to be restarted in order as soon as possible to implement the two-state solution that will be established in internationally recognized, safe borders with people living in peace, both amongst themselves and with their neighbors.  Here we urge -- we launch an urgent appeal to the parties of the conflict to start up negotiations once again in good faith to ensure that peace be established as soon as possible.  Thank you very much.