The 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council
08 September – 08 October 2025
Urgent debate to discuss the recent military aggression launched by Israel against Qatar on 9 September
Tuesday 16 September 2025
Joint statement by International-Lawyers.org, International Organisation for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD), Association Ma’onah for Human Rights
Delivered by: Naji Haraj
Mr. President,
The convening of this emergency session comes at a time when the persistence in violating the rules and principles that unite us under the roof of this Council, and within other bodies of the United Nations, has reached its most egregious forms.
While we condemn the Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar, as a blatant violation of state sovereignty and the principles of international humanitarian law, what is required of this Council—and of the international community as a whole—is serious action to put an end to this extremist, aggressive policy that now targets everyone.
This aggression cannot be separated from the violations endured by the Palestinian people: mass killings around the clock, forced displacement, and the continuous destruction of infrastructure. These practices, which constitute crimes of genocide, impose clear obligations upon states—obligations that must now be enforced in accordance with international charters and the Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.
Accordingly, we call upon the Human Rights Council and the international community to:
1. Clearly condemn the aggression against the State of Qatar and initiate concrete accountability measures,
2. Cease supporting war crimes and acts of genocide by halting arms exports to the Israeli aggressor state,
3. Stand against the policy of forced displacement of the Palestinian people and ensure the flow of humanitarian needs obstructed by Israel,
4. Strengthen accountability by supporting the work of the International Criminal Court and international fact-finding mechanisms.
Mr. President,
We are today at a defining moment. Turning a blind eye to this aggression against a sovereign state, to the undermining of peace processes, and to the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine threatens the entire international order and undermines the foundations of justice and human rights.
Thank you.
