Israel breaching Palestine’s right to development, UN
human rights expert finds
NEW YORK / GENEVA (28 October 2016) – Palestine’s right
to development is being denied by Israel, creating an environment plagued by
poverty, “epic” unemployment and economic stagnation, according to a new report
from a United Nations human rights expert.
Michael Lynk - the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation
of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 - expresses
deep concerns about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT),
in the context of the right to development.
He calls on Israel to bring a complete end to almost 50
years of occupation, describing an atmosphere of “despair and hopelessness”
among Palestinian citizens.
“The Palestinian economy is without parallel in the
modern world,” said Mr. Lynk, delivering his first report* to the UN General
Assembly in New York. “Israel’s occupation is denying Palestine’s right to
development and severely hampering its ability to attain even the minimum
targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Poverty is rising. Unemployment is rising to epic
levels. Food insecurity is becoming more acute. The Palestinian economy is
becoming more stifled and less viable under the occupation,” the expert said.
“Israel’s deliberate fragmentation of the OPT and lack of development has
negatively impacted human rights.”
Gaza has among the highest unemployment rates in the
world – an overall figure of 42%, rising to 58% among the youth population, Mr.
Lynk noted. In the OPT as a whole,
unemployment hit 27% in 2016 – up from 12% in 1999.
“This occupation – which will be 50 years old in 2017 –
is seriously deficient in its respect for the legal principles and obligations
embedded within the right to development,” said Mr. Lynk.
“The deepening of the occupation, the constriction of
basic human rights and the utter absence of a political horizon leading to
self-determination for the Palestinians have reinforced an atmosphere of
despair and hopelessness,” he stressed.
The Special Rapporteur said he had not received a reply
from the Israeli government to his request to visit the OPT, noting the duty of
Member States to cooperate with the UN human rights mechanisms as a fundamental
obligation.
Mr. Lynk met civil society groups, international
organizations and Palestinian government officials during a visit in July 2016
to the Jordanian capital, Amman, where he also received submissions for his
report.
The Special Rapporteur praised human rights groups in the
region for their inspirational courage and commitment.
“They face scorn, and worse, from those invested in the
violation of human rights, and yet they remain more committed than ever to
their invaluable work,” Mr. Lynk told the UN General Assembly. “The
consistently high quality of their research, their reports and their activism
is an inspiration to the rest of us.
“If a just and compassionate peace is ever to come to the
Middle East, we will owe much to these fearless advocates,” the Special
Rapporteur highlighted.
(*) Check the Special Rapporteur’s full report: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/PS/A_71_554_en.pdf
NOTE TO EDITORS: This year marks the 30th anniversary of
the adoption of the Declaration on the Right to Development adopted by the
General Assembly in 1986. It provides that every human being and all peoples
have an inalienable right to economic and social development that is equitable
and just, and fully observant of all human rights. This Right applies with full
force to a territory under occupation. Check the declaration:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/RightToDevelopment.aspx
ENDS
In 2016, the UN Human Rights Council designated Mr.
Michael Lynk (Canada) as the seventh Special Rapporteur on the situation of
human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The mandate
was originally established in 1993 by the then UN Commission on Human Rights.
As a Special Rapporteur, Mr. Lynk is part of what is known as the Special
Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of
independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the
Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address
either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the
world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN
staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any
government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. Learn more,
log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/CountriesMandates/PS/Pages/SRPalestine.aspx
UN Human Rights, country pages:
Occupied Palestinian Territories:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/MENARegion/Pages/PSIndex.aspx
For more information and media requests, please contact
Ms. Katharine A. Marshall (+41 22 917 9695 / kmarshall@ohchr.org), Mr. Kiyohiko
Hasegawa (+41 22 928 9211 / khasegawa@ohchr.org), or write to sropt@ohchr.org
You can access this press release at:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20781&LangID=E
For media inquiries related to other UN independent
experts:
Xabier Celaya, UN Human Rights – Media Unit (+41 22 917
9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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