PRESS RELEASE
Ref: 39/99
Date: 10 April 1999
Thursday, Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), met the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson, at her UN office in Geneva. Mrs. Francesca Morata, the official for UN High Commissioner matters pertaining to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, was present at the meeting. Sourani presented to Mrs. Robinson the PCHR position paper regarding implementation of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Legal implementation of the Convention is required by five recent UN resolutions.
PCHR representatives were in Geneva at the time for meetings from April 6-7 that they had organized with other Arab and international human rights organizations to discuss implementation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The participants in the meetings asked Sourani to present the position paper to Mrs. Robinson on their behalf. Sourani also mentioned the overall human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the expectations regarding 4 May 1999 when the Oslo Accords expire and the Final Status Negotiations should be complete.
Sourani assured Mrs. Robinson that when the Oslo Accords expire on May 4 there is no legal reason for the Palestinians to extend this deadline, especially as Israel is not respecting its legal obligations. Palestinian self-determination is an inalienable right and should not be subjected to Israeli approval. Instead, international and Palestinian law should hold sway over the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. Sourani also criticized Mr. Hannu Halinen, the UN Special Rapporteur to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, for his recent report on human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. His report pursued Palestinian Authority (and Israeli) human rights violations rather than being exclusively devoted to the human rights violations related to the Israeli occupation as required by the mandate given him by the United Nations.
Sourani stressed the importance of the UN High Commission for Human Rights in the Gaza Strip. The Commission, he said, has done an excellent job with its project of training Palestinian police officers. He asserted that it is a worthwhile strategic investment for the Palestinian people.
Sourani also praised the good relationship between the office of the High Commissioner in Gaza with Palestinian civil society institutions, especially those working on human rights issues.
Sourani thanked Mrs. Robinson again for her solid stand at the November conference on the Fourth Geneva Convention. The strong position of Mrs. Robinson refuted the position of the Swiss government which was going against the relevant UN resolutions.
The Fourth Geneva Convention is particularly relevant at this time as we will mark its 50th anniversary on 12 August 1999.
Sourani invited Mrs. Robinson to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories to evaluate the human rights situation here. Mrs. Robinson asserted that she is very worried about the bad human rights conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and assured Sourani that she would work for the implementation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. She further stated that she is seriously considering a visit to the region in the near future.
For More Information Contact:
Palestinian Center for Human Right
Tel/Fax (+) 9727 2824776/2823725
E-mail: [email protected]
