Human Rights Council names members of fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements – HRC 20th session, conclusion – Press release (excerpts)

COUNCIL NAMES INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
AND MEMBERS OF FACT-FINDING MISSION ON ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS

Concludes Twentieth Regular Session

6 July 2012 — The Human Rights Council this afternoon named John Knox as the Independent Expert on human rights and the environment and announced the members of the fact-finding mission on Israeli settlements before closing its twentieth regular session.

Laura Dupuy Lasserre, President of the Human Rights Council, announced the appointment of John Knox as Independent Expert on human rights and the environment.  This decision was based on Mr. Knox’s experience in the field of human rights, environmental international law, climate change and the interrelations among these issues.

Ms. Dupuy Lasserre said she had appointed Christine Chanet, Unity Dow, and Asma Jahangir to carry out the Council’s fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory. The mission would be chaired by Ms. Chanet. They each had a long track record of impartial, independent and objective human rights work of the highest caliber. The President reiterated the Council’s request to Israel not to obstruct the process of investigation and to cooperate fully with the mission.

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