Calls for Urgent International Action to End Gross Violationsof Palestinians in Occupied Territory
15 November 2006
"The third special session of the Human Rights Council concluded its work this afternoon after adopting a resolution in which it expressed its shock at the horror of Israeli killing of Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun and called for bringing the perpetrators thereof to justice; expressed its alarm at the gross and systematic violations of human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by the occupying power, Israel, and called for urgent international action to put an immediate end to these violations; and decided to dispatch urgently a high-level fact-finding mission to be appointed by the President of the Council to travel to Beit Hanoun.
In a resolution adopted by a roll call vote of 32 in favour, eight against and six abstentions, the Human Rights Council called for immediate protection of the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in compliance with human rights law and international humanitarian law. It also urged all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, to refrain from violence against civilian populations and to treat under all circumstances all detained combatants and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949.
The Council said the high-level fact-finding mission would assess the situation of victims, address the needs of survivors, and make recommendations on ways and means to protect Palestinian civilians against further Israeli assaults. The mission was requested to report to the Council no later than the middle of December 2006 on progress made towards the fulfilment of its mandate.
The Representatives of Syria, Australia, Lebanon, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Yemen, Colombia, Organization of Islamic Conference, Holy See, African Union and Norway took the floor this afternoon in the general debate as did representatives of the following non-governmental organizations: World Union for Progressive Judaism, International Humanist and Ethical Union, Amnesty International, B’nai B’rith International, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, United Nations Watch, Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru”, Human Rights Watch and International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
Speaking in general comments and explanations of the vote before and after the vote were Canada, Israel, Palestine, Mexico, Guatemala, Finland on behalf of the European Union, Ecuador, Algeria, Canada, Japan, Uruguay, Argentina, France, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Peru and Brazil.
The resumed second session of the Human Rights Council will start on Monday, 27 November and will be immediately followed by the third session.
Resolution
The resolution, while taking note of the sense of shock expressed by the Secretary-General on the Israeli military operations carried out in Beit Hanoun on November 8, expresses its shock at the horror of Israeli killing of Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun while asleep and other civilians fleeing earlier Israeli bombardment; condemns the Israeli killing of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, as well as medics in Beit Hanoun and other Palestinian towns and villages, and calls for bringing the perpetrators thereof to justice; denounces the Israeli massive destruction of Palestinian homes, property and infrastructure in Beit Hanoun; expresses its alarm at the gross and systematic violations of human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory by the occupying power, Israel, and calls for urgent international action to put an immediate end to these violations including those emanating from the series of incessant and repeated Israeli military incursions therein.
The resolution calls for immediate protection of the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in compliance with human rights law and international humanitarian law; and urges all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, to refrain from violence against civilian population and to treat under all circumstances all detained combatants and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949.
It further decides to dispatch urgently a high-level fact-finding mission to be appointed by the President to travel to Beit Hanoun to, inter alia, assess the situation of victims, address the needs of survivors, and make recommendations on ways and means to protect Palestinian civilians against further Israeli assaults; and requests the fact-finding mission to report to the Council no later than the middle of December 2006 on progress made towards the fulfilment of its mandate.
The resolution was adopted by a roll call vote of 32 in favour, eight against and six abstentions. Cameroon was absent.
The result of the vote was as follows:
In favour (32): Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Zambia.
Against (8): Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and United Kingdom.
Abstentions (6): France, Guatemala, Japan, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Ukraine,
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