Report from the International Service for Human Rights
Edited for Today’s Insight News by Carolyn Bennett
UN continues to probe Gaza massacre despite super-powered opposition.
Last month the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 64/254 requesting the Secretary-General to report in five months on the investigations by Israel and the 'Palestinian side' into serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law as documented in the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (also known as the Goldstone report). The resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 98 in favor, 7 against (Canada, Israel, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Panama, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United States) with 31 abstentions.
The vote revealed that since the Assembly's first resolution (Resolution 64/10) responding to the Goldstone report late last year, several Western and European States have reconsidered their opposition to the Goldstone report. That resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 114 in favor, 18 against; with 44 abstentions. A number of States voting against the first resolution chose to abstain from this year's text (Australia, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia) but indicated their readiness to give the parties to the conflict a chance to conduct credible, independent investigations into the serious human rights violations of which they are accused. …
The UN Human Rights Council’s 12th special session asked the UN Secretary-General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to report to the 13th session on the implementation of recommendations contained in the ‘Goldstone report.’ The 13th session will hold follow-up discussions on the ‘Goldstone report’ endorsed by the October 2009 12th special session. The four-week long Human Rights Council meeting, March 1- 26, 2010, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, is expected to adopt an estimated 30 resolutions.
Note in women’s history month ─ Human rights defenders are targeted while carrying out human rights work. Women human rights defenders are at even greater risk: risks that are gender-specific, risks with gendered consequences because of women's identities and because of the issues for which they are advocates.
Sources and notes
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) publishes its vision as “a world where the UN and regional human rights systems effectively promote and protect the human rights of all and where everyone defending human rights enjoys protection of their rights.” ISHR’s headquarters is in Geneva: Office Rue de Varembé 1 - P.O. Box 16 CH-1211 Geneva 20 CIC Switzerland; its smaller office is in New York: International Service for Human Rights, New York Office777 UN Plaza, 8th floor New York NY 10017 USA, http://www.ishr.ch/about-us; www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org.
“General Assembly adopts new resolution to follow-up on Goldstone report on Gaza conflict,” February 26 2010, report, latest update March 2, 2010, at http://www.ishr.ch/homepage
“Women Human Rights Defenders,” September 4, 2008, International Service for Human Rights, http://www.ishr.ch/women-human-rights-defenders
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