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28 March 2001
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Commission on Human Rights
57th Session
Introductory Statement by
Mary Robinson,
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Item 4 of the provisional agenda – Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and follow-up to the World Conference on Human Rights
And
Item 8 of the provisional agenda
Question of the Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Arab Territories
Mr. Chairman,
I address the Commission today to present my report on the mission that I undertook to the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, Egypt and Jordan, 8-16 November 2000.
As members of the Commission are aware, since my mission the situation on the ground has worsened. I have followed with deep dismay and growing concern the escalating violence. It is truly tragic that babies and young children on both sides have been killed and seriously wounded, the latest terrible examples being the shooting dead two days ago of a 10 month old Israeli baby girl, and yesterday of an eleven year old Palestinian boy, and now, today, news of the killing and wounding of Israeli teenagers waiting for a ride to school.
When in the name of humanity is it going to end? Who is going to have the moral courage to break this terrible cycle of violence? That is the fundamental question this Commission must address.
Yesterday, in Amman, Secretary-General Kofi Annan made a strong plea as follows:
“… The current cycle of violence between Palestinians and Israelis has seen hundreds killed and thousands wounded, the great majority of them Palestinians. Poverty and unemployment have skyrocketed. Blockades and closures have paralyzed the Palestinian economy, isolated the West Bank and Gaza, and prevented the delivery of medicine, food and fuel. Collective punishment has cast a pall of anger and despair over the already tense Occupied Territories. Israelis, too, have seen high hopes turn to fear.
The crisis is of grave concern to us all, especially given the historic gains that had been made and the hopes that had been raised. I am also concerned that, amid the tensions and the rhetoric, a key point is often lost. The international community and the Arab world have every right to criticize Israel for its continued occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory, and for its excessively harsh response to the intifada. But these points could be made more effectively if many Israelis did not believe that their existence was under threat. Israel has a right, enshrined in numerous United Nations resolutions, to exist in safety within internationally-recognized borders.
So I again urge both sides to return to the path of peace. There is no solution to be found in violence, and no sense in postponing the day when the parties return to the table. Now more than ever, what we need is movement towards an agreement that responds both to the legitimate desire of the Palestinians for national independence, and to the legitimate claims of the Israelis to recognition and security -- a comprehensive, just and lasting agreement on the basis set out so long ago in Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, and on the principle of land for peace. …”
I add my own urgent plea to that of the Secretary-General.
Let me turn now to the report of my mission, which was issued on 27 November last year and has been available for discussion and comment since that time. The Commission also has before it the report of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission, which became available on 16 March 2001, and the report of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Giacomelli. I will, therefore, keep my present remarks brief.
As indicated in the introductory portion of my report, the mission I conducted to the occupied Palestinian territories was undertaken at the urgent request of the Commission on Human Rights at its fifth special session and because of the seriousness of the human rights situation there. The visit to Israel was one that had been scheduled at an earlier stage but postponed. It focused on general cooperation on human rights issues but, necessarily, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories emerged as the principal concern of all those with whom I met, both Arabs and Israelis. The brief visits to Cairo and Jordan afforded me a regional perspective on the situation, which is also reflected in the report.
I was conscious of the inherent difficulty of the mission, the complexity and political sensitivity of the issues to be addressed, and the importance of maintaining at all times a human rights perspective. In preparing my report I strove to reflect fairly the different views that were put to me, and my own direct observations during the mission. I appreciate that not everyone will agree with the conclusions I have reached. But I was guided, first and foremost, by the integrity of my mandate as High Commissioner and it was in this spirit of conscience that the report was drafted.
The report before you details what I describe as a bleak human rights situation. It expresses concern at what I judged to be excessive use of force by the Israeli authorities, particularly against youthful protestors. In discussing the violence, the report sets it in the broader context of the occupation of the Palestinian territories and the physical and psychological affect that this has on the Palestinian population. Whilst acknowledging the insecurity felt by many ordinary Israelis, and noting a worrying increase in drive-by shootings and other violence on the Palestinian side, the report identifies the steady expansion of the settlements, the destruction without compensation of Palestinian property, and the devastating economic effect of the closures and travel restrictions, as major factors underpinning the present situation. In my report I also express concern at the high incidence of hate speech on both sides, which I believe contributes directly to the situation we currently face.
In its final section, “Conclusions and Recommendations”, the report details a number of steps which I felt could help improve the present human rights situation. Reflecting again on this section of the report, I am convinced that these recommendations remain valid and that the need for their implementation is more urgent than ever. I am pleased to note that one of the measures referred to in the report, the visits of the International Fact Finding Committee, led by Senator George Mitchell, took place from 15th to 20th December 2000 and again last week.
I believe that, however troubling the present situation, it remains within the power of the main parties to take steps which would begin to reduce the tension and the hardship, and address urgently the current unacceptable level of violence.
On the Israeli side, the Israeli Defense Force should reduce its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories. The closures, restrictions on movement, and other economic measures affecting the lives of ordinary Palestinians, which Secretary-General Kofi Annan has characterized as “collective punishment”, should be eased immediately. On the part of the Palestinians, their leadership should immediately make concerted efforts to end all violence from their side.
These measures ought to clear the way for a return to negotiations so urgently needed, the aim of which should be a just and durable settlement, in conformity with the fundamental standards of human rights.
I hope the deliberations of the Commission might assist to bring this objective within reach.
57th Session
Introductory Statement by
Mary Robinson,
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Item 4 of the provisional agenda – Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and follow-up to the World Conference on Human Rights
And
Item 8 of the provisional agenda
Question of the Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Arab Territories
Mr. Chairman,
I address the Commission today to present my report on the mission that I undertook to the occupied Palestinian territories, Israel, Egypt and Jordan, 8-16 November 2000.
As members of the Commission are aware, since my mission the situation on the ground has worsened. I have followed with deep dismay and growing concern the escalating violence. It is truly tragic that babies and young children on both sides have been killed and seriously wounded, the latest terrible examples being the shooting dead two days ago of a 10 month old Israeli baby girl, and yesterday of an eleven year old Palestinian boy, and now, today, news of the killing and wounding of Israeli teenagers waiting for a ride to school.
When in the name of humanity is it going to end? Who is going to have the moral courage to break this terrible cycle of violence? That is the fundamental question this Commission must address.
Yesterday, in Amman, Secretary-General Kofi Annan made a strong plea as follows:
“… The current cycle of violence between Palestinians and Israelis has seen hundreds killed and thousands wounded, the great majority of them Palestinians. Poverty and unemployment have skyrocketed. Blockades and closures have paralyzed the Palestinian economy, isolated the West Bank and Gaza, and prevented the delivery of medicine, food and fuel. Collective punishment has cast a pall of anger and despair over the already tense Occupied Territories. Israelis, too, have seen high hopes turn to fear.
The crisis is of grave concern to us all, especially given the historic gains that had been made and the hopes that had been raised. I am also concerned that, amid the tensions and the rhetoric, a key point is often lost. The international community and the Arab world have every right to criticize Israel for its continued occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory, and for its excessively harsh response to the intifada. But these points could be made more effectively if many Israelis did not believe that their existence was under threat. Israel has a right, enshrined in numerous United Nations resolutions, to exist in safety within internationally-recognized borders.
So I again urge both sides to return to the path of peace. There is no solution to be found in violence, and no sense in postponing the day when the parties return to the table. Now more than ever, what we need is movement towards an agreement that responds both to the legitimate desire of the Palestinians for national independence, and to the legitimate claims of the Israelis to recognition and security -- a comprehensive, just and lasting agreement on the basis set out so long ago in Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, and on the principle of land for peace. …”
I add my own urgent plea to that of the Secretary-General.
Let me turn now to the report of my mission, which was issued on 27 November last year and has been available for discussion and comment since that time. The Commission also has before it the report of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission, which became available on 16 March 2001, and the report of the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Giacomelli. I will, therefore, keep my present remarks brief.
As indicated in the introductory portion of my report, the mission I conducted to the occupied Palestinian territories was undertaken at the urgent request of the Commission on Human Rights at its fifth special session and because of the seriousness of the human rights situation there. The visit to Israel was one that had been scheduled at an earlier stage but postponed. It focused on general cooperation on human rights issues but, necessarily, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories emerged as the principal concern of all those with whom I met, both Arabs and Israelis. The brief visits to Cairo and Jordan afforded me a regional perspective on the situation, which is also reflected in the report.
I was conscious of the inherent difficulty of the mission, the complexity and political sensitivity of the issues to be addressed, and the importance of maintaining at all times a human rights perspective. In preparing my report I strove to reflect fairly the different views that were put to me, and my own direct observations during the mission. I appreciate that not everyone will agree with the conclusions I have reached. But I was guided, first and foremost, by the integrity of my mandate as High Commissioner and it was in this spirit of conscience that the report was drafted.
The report before you details what I describe as a bleak human rights situation. It expresses concern at what I judged to be excessive use of force by the Israeli authorities, particularly against youthful protestors. In discussing the violence, the report sets it in the broader context of the occupation of the Palestinian territories and the physical and psychological affect that this has on the Palestinian population. Whilst acknowledging the insecurity felt by many ordinary Israelis, and noting a worrying increase in drive-by shootings and other violence on the Palestinian side, the report identifies the steady expansion of the settlements, the destruction without compensation of Palestinian property, and the devastating economic effect of the closures and travel restrictions, as major factors underpinning the present situation. In my report I also express concern at the high incidence of hate speech on both sides, which I believe contributes directly to the situation we currently face.
In its final section, “Conclusions and Recommendations”, the report details a number of steps which I felt could help improve the present human rights situation. Reflecting again on this section of the report, I am convinced that these recommendations remain valid and that the need for their implementation is more urgent than ever. I am pleased to note that one of the measures referred to in the report, the visits of the International Fact Finding Committee, led by Senator George Mitchell, took place from 15th to 20th December 2000 and again last week.
I believe that, however troubling the present situation, it remains within the power of the main parties to take steps which would begin to reduce the tension and the hardship, and address urgently the current unacceptable level of violence.
On the Israeli side, the Israeli Defense Force should reduce its presence in the occupied Palestinian territories. The closures, restrictions on movement, and other economic measures affecting the lives of ordinary Palestinians, which Secretary-General Kofi Annan has characterized as “collective punishment”, should be eased immediately. On the part of the Palestinians, their leadership should immediately make concerted efforts to end all violence from their side.
These measures ought to clear the way for a return to negotiations so urgently needed, the aim of which should be a just and durable settlement, in conformity with the fundamental standards of human rights.
I hope the deliberations of the Commission might assist to bring this objective within reach.