Ref: 04/2009

Date: 10 May 2009

Thanking PCHR for Its Efforts to Facilitate the Mission’s Work, the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers Endorse the Report of the Fact-Finding Mission Mandated by the League of Arab States and Form a Team of Lawyers to Consider Options to Prosecute Israeli War Criminals

On 7 May 2009, the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers endorsed the report prepared by the international fact-finding mission mandated by the League of Arab States to investigate Israeli crimes and human rights violations during the latest military offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The Council’s decision authorized the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of the Doha Summit with regard to holding Israel legally accountable for war crimes committed by Israeli Occupation Forces in Gaza, and the formation of a team of lawyers and legal experts to consider various options to prosecute Israelis accused of committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. The decision also instructed the Arab group in the United Nations in New York to refer to the UN General Assembly a demand to establish an inquiry to investigate allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide arising from the recent military offensive. The decision further called for intensifying efforts to document such crimes, supporting legal steps and efforts made by NGOs in the field and calling upon those NGOs to coordinate their efforts with the League of Arab States.

The fact-finding mission, which included 6 international experts headed by Professor John Dugard, Former UN Raporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, was formed in accordance with a decision of the Council of the League of Arab States at the level of Permanent Delegates in its exceptional meeting on 26 January 2009.

The mission visited the Gaza Strip from 22 to 27 February 2009, where it conducted numerous field visits. During these visits, member of the mission held dozens of meetings with victims of Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Victims explained in detail the crimes that were committed against them. Additionally, the mission held meetings with representatives of a number of relevant local and international institutions. PCHR prepared the agenda for the mission and coordinated its meetings and field visits. It also provided technical assistance for the mission.

In its decision, the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers thanked Professor John Dugard, head of the mission, and other members of the mission, for their efforts and their report. It also thanked PCHR for its efforts in facilitating the mission’s work.

It is worth noting that the fact-finding mission submitted its report in English to the Secretariat General of the League of Arab States. The report will be translated and published in Arabic in the coming days.