NGO Action News – 09 June 2017

This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.

NGO ACTION NEWS
9 June 2017

Fifty Years of Occupation (1967-2017)

Global

• In a 5^th June statement undersigned by several member organizations, the International Federation of Human Rights set out the position of human rights organizations on the 50^th anniversary of Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, asserting that the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict go beyond the start of Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967 and may be traced back to 1948.

• On 5 June, Amnesty International launched a new campaign (“Israel’s Occupation: Fifty Years of Dispossession”) calling on governments to ban settlement goods and prevent companies from operating in Israeli settlements or trading in settlement goods.

• Human Rights Watch called for ramping up pressure for accountability on all sides (“Israel: 50 Years of Occupation Abuses”) on 4 June.

• The International Committee of the Red Cross published an article entitled “Fifty years of occupation: Where do we go from here?” on 2 June, considering the recognition and application of international humanitarian law (IHL) as one of the keys to the solution.

• On 1 June, Pax Christi International issued a press release calling for “a renewed commitment to end the violence and to reach a just and sustainable solution for Israelis and Palestinians in accordance with international law”.

Middle East

• On 9 June, Al Haq and other Palestinian human rights organizations issued a joint statement calling on the international community to act to end the occupation. 

• During a speaking tour in Europe the first week of June, B’Tselem demanded resolute international action to end the occupation.

Europe

• In a statement entitled “A capitulation of Israeli and Palestinian leadership”, the Norwegian Refugee Council warned on 6 June that “unless the ongoing injustices against Palestinian civilians are addressed there can be no meaningful peace process”.

• On 5 June, Medical Aid for Palestinians issued a press release entitled “Urgent accountability needed to prevent another half-century of occupation”. MAP also issued a statement entitled “A decade of blockade and closure: Gaza’s patients at risk” on 9 June.

North America

• The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights is holding a Week of Action from 5-10 June with events across the United States.

• On 8 June, Defence for Children International – Palestine spoke at a Congressional briefing in Washington D.C. on 50 Years of Occupation and Life for Palestinian Children. 

• The Arab American Institute issued a statement on June 5 to mark 50 years of the Israeli occupation.

• On 5 June, Canadian Friends of Sabeel released a statement entitled “Half a Century of Occupation – What Next?”

• The Canadian Labour Congress published a statement to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Six-Day War and the Israeli occupation on June 5.

United Nations

• On 13 June, Professor Michael Lynk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, will participate in London in a discussion on accountability after 50 years of occupation. The event will be hosted by Medical Aid for Palestinians, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights and Amnesty International UK. 

• Noting that from a humanitarian perspective, 50 years of occupation represent a gross failure of leadership, on 6 June, UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Robert Piper stated that “too many innocent civilians – Palestinian and Israeli alike – are paying for this abject failure to address the underlying causes of the world’s longest-running protection crisis.” 

• On 5 June, UN Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement to mark the 50^th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the occupation of the Palestinian Territory.