Human rights situation in the OT – CHR – Letter from Palestine

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE

OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES INCLUDING PALESTINE

Letter dated 17 March 1998 from the Permanent Observer for Palestine to the

United Nations Office at Geneva addressed to the High Commissioner for Human Rights

I refer to our letter dated 20 February 1998 informing you that His Excellency President Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, President of the Palestinian Authority, would address the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights on Monday, 23 March 1998.

But unfortunately, and in view of the dangerous deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, together with the tension which took place after the crime of killing and wounding tens of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli occupation authorities recently, and because of the huge pressure caused by his tremendous engagements and work, His Excellency President Yasser Arafat would not be able to address the fifty-fourth session of the distinguished Commission on Human Rights, and he expressed his wish that your work and that of the distinguished Commission, would be crowned by success, and by the promotion of human rights all over the world.

We would be grateful to you if you could have this letter distributed as an official document to the distinguished members of the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights.

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