RAMALLAH 17 November 2009] - DCI-Palestine commends and welcomes a recent statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, calling on the Security Council to step up efforts to protect civilians in armed conflict, citing, among other examples, the need to end impunity for war crimes committed during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza last December – January.
“To be effective in the protection of civilians, the Council must consistently work to ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other gross violations of human rights,” Pillay said in a statement delivered at the 11 November open debate of the Security Council on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.
Pillay emphasized that “the corrosive effect of impunity on both human rights and peace” was clearly documented in the report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, known as the Goldstone Report.
“Collective punishment, as evidenced by the crippling Israeli blockade and the devastating military offensive, is a violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, as are the forcible evictions of Arabs, the demolition of homes, and the expropriation of occupied East Jerusalem lands for Israeli settlements,” she stressed.
“Until meaningful steps are taken to end impunity for these violations and assert the applicability of international law, peace and security will remain illusive for all the people of the region,” she added, as she urged the Council to fully embrace the recommendations of the Goldstone Report to ensure accountability for all perpetrators, and to incorporate human rights guarantees into peacemaking initiatives.
Palestinian human rights NGOs including DCI-Palestine recently sent a letter to Ms. Pillay inviting her to visit the OPT to witness the human rights situation on the ground first-hand.