UN Panel of Inquiry on Gaza flotilla incident – SecGen letter to SecCo President

 Letter dated 2 August 2010 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council 

 In the light of the statement of the President of the Security Council dated 1 June 2010 (S/PRST/2010/9), I have the honour to inform you that I have today decided to establish a Panel of Inquiry on the flotilla incident that occurred on 31 May 2010. I have taken this step after intensive consultations with the leaders of Turkey and Israel and with their concurrence. I thank them both for their spirit of compromise and forward-looking cooperation. 

 As publicly announced today, the Panel will be led by the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. Geoffrey Palmer, as Chair, and the outgoing President of Colombia, Mr. Álvaro Uribe, as Vice-Chair. Two additional members, one each from Turkey and Israel, will join them. 

 I trust that the Panel will discharge its responsibilities with the fullest cooperation of the relevant national authorities of the two countries. It will also give me recommendations on the prevention of similar incidents in the future. I trust, further, that this will have a positive impact on the overall Turkey-Israel relationship and the situation in the Middle East. 

 I anticipate that the Panel will begin its work on 10 August 2010, and submit its first progress report by mid-September. 

 I should be grateful if you would bring the present letter to the attention of the members of the Security Council. 

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