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Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York |
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
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Questions and Answers
Question: Marie, I wonder whether the Secretary-General has any reaction to the open letter from 16 prominent jurists calling on the United Nations to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israeli troops and Palestinian armed groups during the recent Gaza war.
Deputy Spokesperson: Well, as you know, the Secretary-General is currently looking forward to receiving the report of the Board of Inquiry that he has set up on a number of incidents that occurred in the Gaza Strip between 27 December and 19 January, and he is expecting that investigation to complete its work by the end of the month. And he will review that report and decide at that point what further steps, if any, to take. In the meantime, as you know, the President of the Human Rights Council is also preparing a fact-finding mission as mandated by that Council with the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. And as for the report that you mentioned, we’re aware of it, but as far as I know, the letter has not yet been received.
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For information media • not an official record
Document Sources: Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
Subject: Armed conflict, Gaza Strip, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Legal issues
Publication Date: 16/03/2009