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No human rights without freedom for Palestine. Accountability is key

60th session of the Human Rights Council

08 September – 08 October 2025

Item 3: General debate on promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Joint statement by Union of Arab Jurists and Geneva International Centre for Justice

 

Delivered by Astrid Bochnakian / GICJ

Thank you.

Mr President, this debate addresses all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural. Let us ask ourselves: where are these rights when it comes to the people of Palestine?

The Occupying Power’s continuous expansion into the Palestinian territory and the apartheid regime it imposes on the Palestinian people further exacerbate the denial of their fundamental rights, including their right to self-determination. The effective promotion of all human rights cannot be dissociated from efforts to combat apartheid and to uphold the right to self-determination for all.

As a party to both international covenants, Israel has a duty to respect, protect, and fulfil the rights enunciated in these treaties, without discrimination. It includes the rights to life, to an adequate standard of living, to the highest attainable standard of health, to education, and to be free from torture and arbitrary detention. Yet the Occupying Power keeps on blatantly disregarding its obligation towards the Palestinians: in the occupied West Bank, they are segregated, forcibly evicted, arrested and detained arbitrarily; in Gaza, they are under constant military attack, starved and displaced. In violation of humanitarian law, journalists are deliberately targeted for documenting those atrocities.

We call for an international accountability mechanism regarding the violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We reiterate our concern over the constant violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people and urge the international community to hold Israel accountable for its breaches of international law in the Occupied West Bank and in Gaza.

Thank you.

 No human rights without freedom for Palestine. Accountability is key
Watch the video

60th session of the Human Rights Council

08 September – 08 October 2025

Item 3: General debate on promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Joint statement by Union of Arab Jurists and Geneva International Centre for Justice

 

Delivered by Astrid Bochnakian / GICJ

Thank you.

Mr President, this debate addresses all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural. Let us ask ourselves: where are these rights when it comes to the people of Palestine?

The Occupying Power’s continuous expansion into the Palestinian territory and the apartheid regime it imposes on the Palestinian people further exacerbate the denial of their fundamental rights, including their right to self-determination. The effective promotion of all human rights cannot be dissociated from efforts to combat apartheid and to uphold the right to self-determination for all.

As a party to both international covenants, Israel has a duty to respect, protect, and fulfil the rights enunciated in these treaties, without discrimination. It includes the rights to life, to an adequate standard of living, to the highest attainable standard of health, to education, and to be free from torture and arbitrary detention. Yet the Occupying Power keeps on blatantly disregarding its obligation towards the Palestinians: in the occupied West Bank, they are segregated, forcibly evicted, arrested and detained arbitrarily; in Gaza, they are under constant military attack, starved and displaced. In violation of humanitarian law, journalists are deliberately targeted for documenting those atrocities.

We call for an international accountability mechanism regarding the violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We reiterate our concern over the constant violations of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people and urge the international community to hold Israel accountable for its breaches of international law in the Occupied West Bank and in Gaza.

Thank you.

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