UN body votes to send human rights experts to occupied Palestinian territories
20 October -- The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has adopted a resolution condemning "grave and massive violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel," and establishing a "human rights inquiry commission" to gather information with the aim of preventing similar occurrences in the future.
The Commission passed the resolution yesterday evening by a vote of 19 in favour to 16 against, with 17 abstentions. Citing what it termed Israel's "disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force" in the course of recent confrontations, the resolution asked the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the occupied Palestinian territories to take stock of the situation.
Following the measure's adoption, High Commissioner Mary Robinson pledged to determine in the coming days how to implement its provisions. She also repeated a call made by the UN Secretary-General that all parties refrain from any words or actions which could exacerbate the already tense situation.
Other provisions of the resolution requested the Commission's experts to carry out immediate missions to the occupied Palestinian territories. Specifically, it requested visits by the Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial executions, torture, violence against women, religious intolerance, racial discrimination, and the right to housing, as well as members of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Secretary-General's Representative for internally displaced persons.
Representing Palestine at the meeting, Nabil Ramlawi said passage of the resolution had "saved the reputation of human rights," which had been "repressed, suppressed, trampled upon, even killed, in Palestine."
Speaking for Israel, Yaakov Levy called the resolution inflammatory, saying it could aggravate the violence and threaten future peace talks.
Those voting in favour of the resolution were Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Tunisia and Venezuela. The measure was opposed by Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Abstaining on the vote were Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Rwanda, and Zambia.
The session, which was requested by Algeria on behalf of the League of Arab States, was convened after a majority of the Commission's 53 members agreed to hold it.
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