Archives for 2013

Statement by Ms. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, before the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4^th Committee),

Agenda Item 51: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), 6 November 2013:

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 Mr. Chair,

On behalf of the delegation of the State of Palestine, I wish to reaffirm our appreciation to you and your country, El Salvador, on chairing this important Committee, and our confidence in your ability and that of the esteemed Bureau Members from the countries of Lesotho, Cyprus, Italy and Slovakia – to successfully steer the Committee’s work this session.

Mr. Chair,

I thank the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Mr. Filippo Grandi, for presenting UNRWA’s annual report and briefing the Committee on the challenges faced by the Agency in the past year and the ongoing plight of the Palestine refugees.

I reaffirm the gratitude of the Palestinian people and the Government of the State of Palestine to UNRWA for all efforts upholding its humanitarian mission in service of the Palestine refugees, despite a most difficult operational environment and severe funding shortfalls that are undermining the Agency’s work. We renew our deep appreciation to Commissioner-General Grandi, Deputy Commissioner-General Margot Ellis, the Directors of Field Operations and the Agency’s entire staff, international and local, for their dedication to providing education, health care, relief, protection and emergency assistance to the Palestine refugees.  We also recognize the courage of the Agency’s staff, who often serve in conditions endangering their safety and yet remain the only UN staff in the area not entitled to hazard pay, an issue which must be rectified. [Read more…]

Statement by Ms. Nadya Rasheed, First Counsellor, before the Third Committee, Agenda item 68: Right of Peoples to Self-Determination,

68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 5 November 2013

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The right to self-determination is enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Article 1 of those two Covenants also obliges States parties, including those having responsibility for the administration of Non-Self-Governing and Trust Territories, to promote the realization of the right to self-determination and to respect it, in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

Even though, the ICCPR and ICESCR are part of the universally recognized International Bill of Human Rights, these Covenants along with all aspects of international law and humanitarian law, which are all applicable to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, have been deliberately ignored for more than four decades by Israel, the occupying Power. To take it a step further and to be more factual, not only have they been ignored by the occupying Power, but they have been violated, trampled on and violently withheld from the Palestinian people under its occupation. [Read more…]

Statement by Ms. Nadya Rasheed, First Counsellor, before the Third Committee, 68^th session, on Agenda Item 69(c): Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, 30 October 2013:

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 At the outset, allow me on behalf of the Palestinian people to express our sincere appreciation to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Professor Richard Falk, for the outstanding manner in which he has carried out his mandate. The Palestinian people will forever be grateful to Professor Falk for his determination to address the historic injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people by an occupying Power who has day in and day out violated nearly every single one of their inherent human rights. We continue to place on record our deep regret that the occupying Power obstructed the efforts of the Special Rapporteur to fulfill his mandate by denying him entry into Occupied Palestine despite the fact that such cooperation is a fundamental legal obligation incident to membership in the organization. In this regard, we also wish to express our sheer disappointment that no real action was taken by the UN to remedy this grievous situation and bring Israel into compliance.  [Read more…]

 Mr. President,

At the outset, I congratulate Azerbaijan on its Presidency of the Security Council this month under your able leadership. We also express appreciation for Australia’s skilled leadership of the Council in September.

I thank Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for his briefing.

Mr. President,

When we addressed the Security Council at the last open debate in July, we appealed to the international community to act upon its political, legal and moral obligations towards the question of Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli peace.  We stressed the need for meaningful steps to support the peace process towards fulfillment of the decades-long promise to assist the Palestinian people to realize their rights and justice, including a just solution for the plight of the Palestine refugees, and to realize their freedom in their independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security on the basis of the 4 June 1967 borders, the foundation of peace in the Middle East. [Read more…]

Statement by Ms. Reem Julia Mansour, Esq., Legal Adviser, before the Third Committee, agenda item 65: Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children,

68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, 18 October 2013

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Mr. Chairman,

             In recent years progressive strides have been made in advancing children’s rights and increasing children’s protection through laws, partnerships, programs and the cooperation of the international community of this common goal. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the primary international instrument for the protection and promotion of children’s rights outlining the necessities for the full and harmonious development of children, all while ensuring their safety and well-being. Additionally, international law, and specifically humanitarian law and human rights law, govern the protection and promote the rights of children around the world. These international legal tools apply to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; unfortunately they are being blatantly violated by Israel, the occupying Power. [Read more…]