NGO Action News – 27 November 2015

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
27 November 2015

Europe

• On 23 November, four Palestinian human rights organisations delivered a communication to the ICC Prosecutor, on behalf of themselves and of Palestinian victims of Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge”. In their press release, Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Addameer and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights announced that their communication was pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute and contained information on crimes jointly documented during Israel’s 2014 offensive against the Gaza Strip.

• The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) and the New Theatre will hold a Palestinian Cultural Night in Dublin, on 29 November. The Palestinian Cultural Night will present Palestinian food, film, music, poetry and prose, including a film screening of ‘When I Saw You’ by Annemarie Jacir, plus an exhibition of posters from the IPSC archive.

• Nederlands Palestina Komitee is informing about films on Israel-Palestine shown in the framework the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam from 18 to November 29.

• On 28 November, the “Association belgo-palestinienne” will hold a one-day event: “ABP – 40 ans de solidarité avec la Palestine”, in Brussels. Among the speakers will be the new Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Belgium and numerous NGO representatives including Addameer. The situation of Palestinian political prisoners and the psychological consequences of life under the occupation will be discussed. A concert, picture and sculpture exhibition will close the event.

Middle East

• The Palestinian Center for Human Rights published its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (19 – 25 November 2015).

North America

• On 29 October in Washington D.C., the Palestine Center of the Jerusalem Fund received Dr. Yasser Abu-Jamei, Executive Director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, and Ran Goldstein, Executive Director of Physicians for Human Rights, Israel. They discussed the impact of the blockade as well as the mental and physical health crisis of children in Gaza. You can watch the video of the discussion here. Dr. Abu-Jamei and Mr. Goldstein were on a US tour from 13 to 31 October at the invitation of dozens of medical institutions, universities, faith groups, and advocates including Rebuilding Alliance, the Gaza Mental Health Foundation, the Seattle Physicians for Social Responsibility, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Harvard School of Public Health, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, and Jewish Voice for Peace.

• The Palestine Center of the Jerusalem Fund will receive Ayman Odeh, Member of the Israeli Knesset for a conference on “Palestinian Citizens of Israel Lead Toward Justice, Freedom and Equality” to take place in Washington D.C. on 2 December. Webcast will be available here.

United Nations

• The International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People was observed at the UN Headquarters in New York on 23 November. The Secretary-General issued a statement on the occasion.

• The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held a Special Meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York on 23 November. The Deputy Secretary-General made a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General. The civil society organization Defense for Children International –Palestine made a statement on behalf of civil society. Statements, messages and video can be found here.

• On 23 and 24 November, the General Assembly held a General Debate on the Question of Palestine and adopted four resolutions.

• A photo exhibit entitled “Palestinian Children: Overcoming Tragedies with Hope, Dreams, Resilience and Dignity” featuring photographs of Palestinian children in Gaza was inaugurated in the public lobby of the UN on the evening of 23 November. On behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, the Vice Chairman of the Palestinian Rights Committee thanked civil society throughout the world who work and support the Palestinian people.

• UNRWA issued a Gaza Situation Report on 20 November 2015.

• The UN Special Coordinator Nikolay Mladenov briefed the Security Council on the situation in Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on 19 November 2015.