Human rights situation in the OPT – Summary record (excerpts)

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

SUB-COMMISSION ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Fifty-third session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 17th MEETING

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

on Friday, 10 August 2001, at 3 p.m.

Chair: Mr. WEISSBRODT

later: Mr. OGURTSOV

(Vice-Chair)

CONTENTS

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PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION:

 (a)   RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND XENOPHOBIA

 (b)   PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 

 (c)   PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORITIES (continued) 

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m.

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PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION: 

 (a)   RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND XENOPHOBIA

(b)   PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

(c)   PREVENTION OF DISCRIMINATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORITIES (agenda item 5) ( continued)

(E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/2, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20 and Add.1, 21 and 22; E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/NGO/2 and 6; E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.4/2001/4 and 5; E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2001/2 and 3; E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2001/WP.2-WP.4 and WP.6; E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2001/CRP.4; E/CN.4/2001/85)

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1. Mr. KIRKYACHARIAN (Movement against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples (MRAP)) … 

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2. Finally, the most worrying of the three issues was the abiding problem of Palestine. There were legitimate grounds to wonder whether there was any political purpose behind the policies pursued by the Israeli Government, since no purpose could be served by making things worse. In that context, the horrific attack which had just been perpetrated in Jerusalem did not in any way change the critical analysis by MRAP of Israeli policies. At the end of the day, the formula “Two peoples, two States” meant nothing if there was only one State. Furthermore, as the Jewish State rejected the idea of a secular State, it could only tolerate the Palestinian Arabs by assigning them to an ethnic minority. Being an ethnic minority in their own country would create a situation even worse than the current one. It was important that the Israeli policies moving in that direction should cease, before that scenario became reality. The Sub-Commission should mobilize its experience and its clear vision to ensure that the United Nations was able to take effective action. It was essential to infuse new thinking and come up with realistic proposals in the immediate term, to avert a much worse outcome in the region.

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The meeting rose at 6.05 p.m.