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100 NGOs Appeal to Endorse and Implement The UN-Fact Finding Mission Report on the Gaza Conflict

The Twelfth Special Session of the Human Rights Council The human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and East Jerusalem"

15-16 October-2009

Joint written statement by

100 NGOs Appeal to Endorse and Implement

The UN-Fact Finding Mission Report on the Gaza Conflict

(The Goldstone Report)

Geneva- October-2009

“The prolonged situation of impunity has created a justice crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory that warrants action, Judge Richard Goldstone”

 

The UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict led by Justice Richard Goldstone submitted its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 29 September 2009. It concluded that there is evidence of serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by Israel during the Gaza conflict and that Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, and possibly crimes against humanity.

 

The Mission found that, in the lead up to the Israeli military assault on Gaza, Israel imposed a blockade amounting to collective punishment and carried out a systematic policy of isolation and deprivation of the Gaza Strip. It has documented grave and systematic violations during the Gaza war by examining the evidence surrounding the attacks on civilians and non-military targets. 

 

The Report concludes that the Israeli military operation was directed at the people of Gaza as a whole, in furtherance of an overall and continuing policy aimed at punishing the Gaza population, and in a deliberate policy of disproportionate force aimed at the civilian population. The destruction of food supply installations, water sanitation systems, concrete factories and residential houses was the result of a deliberate and systematic policy which has made the daily living, and dignified basic survival, more difficult for the civilian population.

 

Despite  the impartiality of the Report in identifying also violations committed by Palestinian rockets attacks, the Report has nevertheless not been accepted by those who have always insisted on addressing violations by all sides of the conflict.

 

It is alarming that the Human Rights Council has failed so far to take the appropriate action toward the endorsement of the Report’s recommendations.


We, the NGOs who sign this Appeal, fully endorse and support the implementation of the Report, and believe that the time for accountability has come. It is now the duty of every state and the international community to stop condoning impunity, and prepare the ground for prosecution of all those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

 

We call upon all UN member states to endorse the recommendations of the Report, and to take the necessary measures to ensure that all those who committed crimes against the Palestinian people be prosecuted. In this regard we call on all UN members to be on guard against any attempts to prevent the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly and the Security Council from fulfilling their mandate and promptly taking action on the Report.

 

We believe that ending the state of impunity will better serve peace and security in the region and the world.

The new USA administration and EU should take this opportunity to prove their commitment to human rights by fully endorsing the report and to act to bring all those who committed war crimes and crime against humanity to justice.

 

We call upon all NGOs to mobilize efforts in this direction by organizing meetings and conferences to discuss and devise the most effective means to implement the Goldstone Report.

 

And as the Goldstone Report states:  “... ending occupation is a prerequisite for the return of a dignified life for Palestinians, as well as development and a peaceful solution to the conflict”. In this regard we reiterate that our solidarity with the Palestinian people who are resisting an illegal and atrocious occupation will remain firm and alive until they have achieved their own independent state.

 

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  1. International Youth and Student Movement for  the United Nations (ISMUN),
  1. Union of Arab Jurists (UAJ)
  1. The International Organization for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD)
  1. North-South XX1
  1. International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL)
  1. Union of Arab Community Based Associations (Ittijah )
  1. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
  1. Arab Lawyers Union (ALU)
  1. CETIM- Centre Europe –Tiers Monde
  1. General Arab Women Federation (GAWF)
  1. The General Federation of Iraqi women (GFIW)
  1. International Educational Development Inc (IED)
  1. Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR)
  1. The Indian Movement “Tupaj Amaru”
  1. The United Towns Agency for the North-South Cooperation
  1. International Action for Peace and Development in the Great Lakes Region (IAPD-GL),
  1. Indian Council of South America (CISA),
  1. International Committee For the Respect and Application of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights,
  1. Association of Humanitarian Lawyers
  1. Arab Association of Human Rights (AAHR)
  1. International Human Rights Association of American Minorities (IHRAAM),
  1. Arab Commission for Human Rights (ACHR)
  1. The Arab Lawyers Net Work in the UK
  1. DROIT POUR TOUS –Geneva
  1. The Spanish Society for Human Rights
  1. The International Action Center- New York
  1. International Coalition against War Criminals (ICAWC)
  1. Women Solidarity for an Independent and Unified Iraq
  1. American Association of Juristes
  1. The Italian Association of Democratic Lawyers
  1. The European-Palestinian Council, Vienna
  1. Women Will Association (WWA)
  1. The Palestinian Rights Foundation – Ireland
  1. Al-Basa’er Media Association
  1. National Committee for The Defence of the Rights of internally Displaced Palestinians
  1. The Palestinian Forum – Denmark
  1. Palestine Now Association – Denmark
  1. Canadian Arab Federation (CAF)
  1. The Charitable Council in Support of Palestine – France
  1. The Iraqi Independent Press Association (IIPA)
  1. The Identity Institution- Norway
  1. The Association of Social and Cultural Foundations – Moscow
  1. Het Palestijns Platform voor Mensenrechten en Solidariteit(PPMS)- Holland
  1. De Palestijnse Raad- Amsterdam
  1. Monitoring Net of Human Rights in Iraq (MHRI)
  1. Steun Palestina-Amsterdam
  1. Palästinensische Gemeinde Berlin-Germany                        
  1. The African Association of Human Rights (AAHR)
  1. Pal. Bund Deutschland für Rückkehrrecht -Germany
  1. Palästinensische Gemeinschaft in Deutschland-Germany                    
  1. Arab Forum Germany    
  1. Rättvisecenter för palestinska folket-Sweden                           
  1. Palestinagrupperna Sverige-Sweden              
  1. The Islamic Council – Copenhagen
  1. ABSPP ONLUS-Italy
  1. Comitato  Gaza Vivrà – Milano
  1. InfoPal- Italy
  1. Damascus Center for Theoretical Studies and Civil Rights
  1. Association of Iraqi Diplomats
  1. The Association for Aid to the Palestinian People – Italy
  1. Greece-Palestinian Friendship Association- Greece                                
  1. Palestinian Cultural Organization – Poland
  1. The Indian Movement for Peace and Justice (IMPJ)
  1. National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
  1. The United Prisoners in Iraq 
  1. Protection of Human Rights Defenders in the Arab World
  1. Association of Victims of American Occupation Prisons,
  1. Association of Iraqi intellectual and Academics,
  1. Conservation Centre of Environmental & Reserves in Iraq (CCERF),
  1. Le Franco Palestinien – France
  1. The European Campaign to end the siege on Gaza
  1. Organisation of the Solidarity of the People of Africa, Asia and Latin America
  1. Association  Culture  Syria-Spain
  1. Japan Lawyers International Solidarity Association (JLISA)

75.  Malaysia Jurists for Justice (MJfJ) 
  1. Palästinensischer Bund Deutschland für das-Berlin
  1. Indigenes World Association (IWA)
  1. The Palestinian Forum for Rights and Solidarity – Holland
  1. Organization for Widows and Orphans (OWO)
  1. The Cuban Jurists Centre
  1. Koordination Forum Zur Unnterstützung Palästina-Austria
  1. The Palestinian Women’s Forum – Denmark
  1. Association of Human Rights Defenders in Iraq (AHRDI)
  1. Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People, Beit Sahour, Palestine
  1. The Palestinian Community in Norway
  1. Millennium Solidarity
  1. The Association of Jordanian Civil Society Coalition for the trial of War Criminals
  1. Spanish Charity For Palestine – Spain
  1. Organization for Justice and Democracy in Iraq (OJDI)
  1. The African Center for Human Rights (ACHR)
  1. Migrant Defenders association (MDA)
  1. Arabian Women Media Centre (AWMC)
  1. Arab Council for Education and Culture (ACEC)
  1. Adala Association -Palestine
  1. Women Association for Al-Quds -Amman
  1. Women Hope Association (WHA)
  1. El Taller International, Tunisia,
  1. Asian Women’s Human Rights Council, Philippines - India ,
  1. Centre for Development Studies- India ,

100.  Courts of Women Network

101.  The Iraqi Commission on Human Rights

102.  The Palestinian Return Centre, UK

103.  Ikraam Center for Human Rights

104.  The Network of Oxford Women for Justice and Peace ( NOW).

105.  International Council For Human Rights (ICHR),

106.  The Young Women's Christian Association of Jordan,

107.  Justice for Palestine- Scotland

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UPDATED Oct 22, 2009 10:40 AM
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