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

Vote on Report of Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Conflict

New York( 

5 November 2009

IRISH REPRESENTATIVE:  Thank you Mr. President.  My delegation wishes to make clear our posi
tion on the resolution we have adopted here today.  Ireland has supported the resolution because of our support for the fact-finding mission led by Judge Goldstone and for their report.
This report is a serious and very important contribution to our understanding of what took place in Gaza and southern Israel.  It forms part of the pursuit of appropriate accountability for actions which occurred and is supportive of the efforts to ensure that these tragedies are not repeated. 
In voting for the resolution, Ireland wishes to make clear that this does not mean that we necessarily support each and every recommendation contained in the Goldstone report.  Ireland shares the concern of a number of delegations that it was not helpful or appropriate for the General Assembly to be requested at this time to endorse the report and its recommendations in their entirety.
The report is a complex and detailed document and its recommendations cover extremely wide-ranging actions in many national and international fora with wide and far-reaching political and legal implications.  Like many delegations, we will need time to consider carefully these implications before agreeing on the best way forward on these crucial issues.   
We do fully support the recommendations which call, in the first instance, on the parties to the conflict in Gaza to respond seriously and comprehensively to the findings of the report by launching appropriate investigations into all the allegations of possible breaches of international law that are independent and in conformity with international standards.  For this reason, we decided to vote in favor of the resolution just adopted.  Thank you Mr. President.