Situation of Human Rights in OPT – UN Human Rights Council concludes discussion of reports by OHCHR – Human Rights Council press release (excerpts)

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CONCLUDES DISCUSSION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY OFFICE OF HIGH COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Hears presentation of reports on gender issues and status of women

28 September 2006

The Human Rights Council this afternoon, in the context of its continuing discussion of reports submitted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, heard the presentation of reports by the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, and by the Chairperson of the Commission on the Status of Women. The Council then continued its debate on the reports, including those that were introduced during the morning meeting.

Interactive Dialogue 

KHALIT BITAR (Syria), speaking as a concerned country, thanked the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the presentation of the report and the steps taken to implement the previous Commission’s resolutions on the violation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel occupied part of Syria, and occupation was one of the worst violations of human rights. In the Syrian Golan, the suffering of the people had continued for the past 40 years, with results and consequences on all levels. The Israeli occupation policy had gone beyond all limits. Israel oppressed Syrian citizens, and forced them to leave their land.

The Israeli Government refused all decisions of international legitimacy that required them to leave all Arab lands. Israel’s total disregard for international legitimacy had reached the point of issuing a decision to annex the Golan Heights and imposing Israeli citizenship on all inhabitants thereof. The people in the Golan continued to face daily violations of all their fundamental human rights. There was not enough time to mention all the violations committed by Israel, causing the suffering of the people of the Golan. The occupation authorities had gone so far as to ask the inhabitants of a Syrian village to evacuate the northern part of the village – 90 per cent of the land – and they were stealing vast amounts of water from the Golan. Mediaeval oppression policies were being used.

For use of the information media; not an official record