Human Rights Concern Israel/Palestine: UN Human Rights Council adopts a resolution to investigate grave Human Rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Cameroon voted against
4 min read
Israel and Palestine’s problem started long ago following the creation of the State of Israel in the 1940s and the Six-Day War of 1967, which saw the occupation of some Arab territories by Israel known today as “the Israeli-Occupied Territories”.
However, the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 demanded the end of Israeli occupation after the Six-Day War, Israel still controls some of these occupied territories.
following an upsurge of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants which started on 11 May 2021 and claimed at least 240 live with large destruction of properties, calls for the end to human rights violations have continued while the international community have been condemning the atrocious acts of killings in Gaza by Israeli airstrikes and the killing of people in Israel by the indiscriminate firing of rockets
Recently on 27 May 2021, the Human Right Council opened its special session on “the grave human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” following the increasing violence between Israel the Palestinian militia under the command of Hamas. The aim of the special session was to heard calls from speakers for the Council to establish an independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021.
On the same day, at the end of the session, the members of the Human Rights Council adopted the resolution to “Ensuring respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel”
Among the countries that did not vote for the investigations into the alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law was Cameroon. It is worthy to note that several calls have been going that the Commission of Inquiry should be sent to investigate the alleged Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in North West and South West Regions of the Country. Grave Human Rights Violations have been committed in Cameroon. The Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in African had noted since 2019 War crimes and crimes against Humanity in Cameroon, CHRDA Relaunched its Human Rights Report amid 2019 Human Rights Day Commemoration | Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (hrlrc.org)
The results of the vote were as follows;
In favour (24): Argentina, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Gabon, Indonesia, Libya, Mauritania, Mexico, Namibia, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.
Against (9): Austria, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Germany, Malawi, Marshall Islands, United Kingdom and Uruguay.
Abstentions (14): Bahamas, Brazil, Denmark, Fiji, France, India, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Korea, Togo and Ukraine.
With the overwhelming majority vote, the Human Rights Council adopted the resolution and concluded to urgently establish an ongoing independent International Commission of Inquiry to e appointed by the President of Human Rights Council to investigate the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021, and all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.
During the session, the leaders suggested that all parties concern, that is Israel, Gaza and the West Bank should pathways to peace and that the indiscriminate barrage of rockets fired by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad into Israel and the indiscriminate air strike by Israel were unacceptable.
By the resolution, the Council calls upon all relevant parties to cooperate fully with the commission of inquiry and to facilitate its access. It urges all States to refrain from transferring arms when they assess, in accordance with applicable national procedures and international obligations and standards, that there is a clear risk that such arms might be used in the commission or facilitation of serious violations or abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law
Read details through the link below: OHCHR | Human Rights Council Establishes International Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel
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Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
