Statement of the Arab Group on the Report of the Special Rapporteur John Dugard on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian territory

September 29, 2006
Original Source: http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/conferences/hrc2006/two/hrc060929pm-eng.rm?start=00:41:27&end=00:45:35

I endorse the statement by Pakistan on behalf of the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.  President, I welcome the decision of the High Commissioner to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  We welcome this visit and we would have wished for this visit to take place as soon as possible.  President, when references are made to violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories before this august Council, then we should remember that we have a report that is very transparent and objective and it’s based on the principles of international law and international conventions, which are fundamental criteria and which never vary.  Whenever we attempt to evaluate the human rights situation, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, occupied since 1967, and I thank Mr Jean Dugard, the Special Rapporteur, for this report.  President, the Israeli authorities didn’t authorize the Commission of Inquiry to visit the Palestinian territories in compliance with the resolution of your Council, during its first session and as contained in A/HRC/S1/L1 of the fifth of July, 2006.  Now, this is similar to its refusal of preceding resolutions of the Human Rights Commissions and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. The Israelis are continuing—deliberately—to kill civilians, unarmed Palestinian citizens; they detain them, confiscate their land, build colonies, banish them from their country and take away their property, especially in East Jerusalem.   Israel’s continuing to build the wall, and is imposing collective sanctions and isolating the Palestinian Territories within and from the world outside.  There is also a stifling blockade which is counter to the 1907 Hague convention and the 49 Geneva Convention and the declaration on human rights.  The occupation in itself is gross violation of human rights.  President, we think it is important to implement the resolution of our Council which was taken during its first extraordinary session.  The very credibility of the Council is at stake here. The international community through this Council is called upon to shoulder its responsibilities in light of the deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory so that international protection can be afforded to the Palestinian people so that they can enjoy their legitimate right to build an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.  The international community should adopt the Arab peace initiatives recently submitted to the Security Council to bring an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict so that peace and stability can return to the region.