[News] Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council Condemns Israel’s Denial of Entry to UN Special Rapporteur

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.addameer.org/news/phroc-condemns-israel%E2%80%99s-denial-entry-un-special-rapporteur-mr-michael-lynk 



  PHROC Condemns Israel’s Denial of Entry to UN Special Rapporteur, Mr.
  Michael Lynk

July 3, 2019

The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) condemn 
Israel’s deliberate denial of entry to Professor Michael Lynk, the 
United Nations Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on the situation of human 
rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) since 1967. Israel 
has denied UNSR Lynk entry to the OPT to carry out his mission between 
8-12 July, 2019.

Israel has continuously denied Mr. Lynk access to the OPT since his 
appointment in 2016, in a clear attempt to frustrate and impede his role 
as mandated 
<https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/sp/countriesmandates/ps/pages/srpalestine.aspx> by 
the UN Human Rights Council to “investigate Israel's violations of the 
principles and bases of international law” in the OPT. As a result, the 
Special Rapporteur (SR) has been unable to directly monitor the human 
rights situation on the ground in the OPT. The denied entry, follows a 
pattern of non-cooperation from Israel regarding the Special 
Rapporteur’s mandate, an issue that both of his predecessors 
<http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/targets/united-nations/205-denial-of-entry-to-un-special-rapporteur-demonstrates-once-again-israels-duplicity-in-its-relations-with-the-un> had 
also encountered. In light of Israel’s consistent dismissal of its 
fundamental duties under the Charter of the United Nations, Mr. Lynk 
will once again be forced to conduct his annual regional investigation 
between the 8^th  and 12^th  of July 2019 from Amman, Jordan where he 
will endeavour to carry out his mandate to the fullest extent possible.

Over the past three years, Mr. Lynk has worked distinctly from the OHCHR 
Country Office with the aim of investigating and documenting Israel’s 
alleged violations of international law and international humanitarian 
law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, in the OPT. In order to 
achieve this in the most effective way possible, it is necessary for the 
Special Rapporteur to undertake regular missions or visits to the OPT to 
ensure that the annual report he is tasked with presenting to the Human 
Rights Council is accurate and authentic. However, Israel’s persistent 
refusal to allow him to enter the OPT means that Mr. Lynk has no choice 
but to rely on communications from civil society organisations and on 
statements from people present in the OPT, such as witnesses, victims, 
Palestinian government officials, and other UN representatives. The SR 
has repeatedly expressed his disappointment at Israel’s refusal to 
engage in an open dialogue, which he believes is crucial to ensure the 
protection and promotion of human rights.[1] 
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#m_2592705891958522357__ftn1>

Israel has denied Mr. Lynk access to the OPT since his appointment three 
years ago, epitomising Israel’s blatant disregard for its obligations as 
United Nations Member State to comply with the mechanisms and committees 
of the United Nations. Israel’s strategy of non-cooperation has been 
continuously condemned by the international community and branded as an 
obstacle to the peace process.[2] 
<https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#m_2592705891958522357__ftn2>During 
Mr. Lynk’s mission to Amman, Jordan in June 2018, he described the human 
rights situation in the OPT as the ‘bleakest period yet’ 
<https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/06/1013552>, with particular emphasis 
being placed on the accelerating advancement of the Israeli annexation 
project in the West Bank and the deteriorating state of the Gaza strip.

PHROC considers that Israel’s policy of non-compliance and 
non-cooperation is having detrimental effects on the implementation and 
protection of human rights in the OPT. It is therefore critical for the 
SR to be granted official access at this time in order to fulfil his 
duties mandated by the UN Human Rights Council and to conclusively 
communicate to the Council, pressing human rights issues in the OPT. The 
aim is not only to prevent further deterioration of the human rights 
situation in the OPT, but to ensure overall improvement.

In light of these concerns, PHROC calls on the international community, 
particularly UN member states to take measures to ensure Israel’s 
compliance with UN procedures and mechanisms as a member state, and 
particularly with regards to the special procedures of the UN, and 
access for SRs, most crucially the SR on the OPT, Mr. Michael Lynk.

____
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