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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
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Ref: 120/2005
Date: 09 October 2005
PCHR Welcomes and Meets Key Delegations
In the past few days PCHR staff have met and briefed key delegations from Christian Aid, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders.
PCHR continues to welcome key delegations to the Gaza Strip and to brief key decision makers in the UN system on the current situation faced by Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
On Tuesday the 4th of October until Satuday the 8th of October PCHR hosted a delegation from the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) Palestine Working group. The deleagtion have been tasked with examining the effect of the unilateral Israeli redeployment from the Gaza Strip. The delegation spent four days in the Gaza Strip during which time they met with key actors from civil society, the business community, the Palestinian National Authority and some of the Palestinian political factions. The delegation consisted of:
– Marita Roos, Coordinator of the EMHRN Palestine Working Group
– Per Stadig, International Commission of Jurists (Sweden)
– Stefan Lütgenau, EMHRN
During the course of their meetings, and a tour of the southern and northern parts of the Gaza Strip, the delegation witnessed the continuation of the Israeli occupation, despite the implementation of the internationally acclaimed Israeli unilateral redeployment plan.
On Wednesday the 5th of October PCHR Director Raji Sourani briefed a delegation from the UNOCHA office in Gaza and the UNOCHA Director, David Shearer from Jerusalem. The discussions revolved around the negative impact of the unilateral Israeli redeployment on the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
On Thursday the 6th of October PCHR Director, Raji Sourani, and staff from PCHR’s International Unit, welcomed a delegation from Christian Aid. The delegation included Ramani Leathard, the Regional Communications Manager of Christian Aid’s Asia and Middle East Division, Christian Aid’s Director for Church and Community, Matthew Reed, Christian Aid’s National Secretary for Scotland Gavin McLellan and Dr. Mark Gray from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. The delegation discussed key challenges facing the OPT in the context of the unilateral Israeli redeployment in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the continuation of Israel’s 38 year old occupation.
Later on that Thursday the 6th of October PCHR Director Raji Sourani conducted a briefing with Hina Jilani the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. During the briefing Raji Sourani raised key issues surrounding the ongoing work of Human Rights Defenders in relation to the Israeli occupation and the challenges posed for Defenders working under the Palestinian National Authority. Raji raised issues including:
– the role of women human rights defenders
– the problems resulting from closures which prevent human rights defenders from carrying out their work
– the impunity granted by the Israeli military and political establishment for those responsible for causing harm to human rights defenders
– the challenges faced by Human Rights Defenders, including international Human Rights Defenders, in trying to operate inside the OPT given the current state of security chaos.
Despite the continuation of the belligerent Israeli occupation, the human rights violations across the west Bank, occupied East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip – as well as the internal security turmoil, PCHR continues to welcome influential delegations in order to continue out the Centre’s own mission of Defending Universal Human Rights Values on behalf of the Palestinian civilian population.
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For more information please call: +972 (0)- 8 – 2824776 – 2825893.*
*Office Hours are between 0800 – 1600 hours (0500 GMT – 1300 GMT) Sun – Thurs.
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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip tel/fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893
email: [email protected] website: www.pchrgaza.org
