Global Civil Society Coalition Urges UN General Assembly to Support Goldstone Recommendations on Gaza

Global Civil Society Coalition Urges UN General Assembly to Support Goldstone
Recommendations on Gaza

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A global coalition of civil
society organizations from every corner of the world, ranging from Human
Rights Now in Japan to the South African Council of Churches, have urged
members of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to support the
recommendations of the Goldstone Report and work to adopt a resolution which
will ensure accountability for victims of the Gaza conflict earlier this year.

In the letter from the groups, which include Physicians for Human Rights in
Israel, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, Open Society
Institute, and the Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales in Argentina, the
NGOs urge the adoption of a resolution by the 64th UNGA which calls upon the
Israeli Government and relevant Palestinian authorities to launch "credible,
independent investigations of the findings of the Goldstone Report...[that]
will promote accountability among all parties to the conflict and put an end
to the culture of impunity."

During the 12th Session of the Human Rights Council, Justice Richard Goldstone
presented a report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza
Conflict that found evidence of serious violations of human rights and
humanitarian law committed by both Israeli forces and Hamas fighters.
Goldstone concluded that State parties should start criminal investigations
where there is evidence of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
The letter specifically asks the United Nations to ensure an independent
international mechanism is established to assess investigations by Israeli and
Palestinian authorities.

The letter urges the international community to demonstrate its unequivocal
support for human rights and the protection of Israeli and Palestinian
civilians. "The international community must demonstrate resolve on the issue
of accountability on both sides of this conflict and ensure that international
law is upheld. It is this approach which will strengthen the chances of peace
and justice for Israelis and Palestinians," the letter states.

Among the 40 current signatories of the letter are the Public Committee
Against Torture in Israel, Human Rights Watch, Democracy Coalition Project,
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Cairo Institute for Human Rights
Studies, Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l'Homme,
International Center for Transitional Justice, and the International
Commission of Jurists.

To read the full text of the letter, please visit:
http://www.demcoalition.org/site09-2008/pdf/pdf/FINAL%20Goldstone%20International%20Letter.pdf

Contact: Dokhi Fassihian, Democracy Coalition Project (Washington, DC):
dfassihian@demcoalition.org or + 1-202-721-5651
Ami Gill, Physicians for Human Rights (Israel): ami@phr.org or + 972 (54)
699-5199

SOURCE Democracy Coalition Project

Dokhi Fassihian of Democracy Coalition Project (Washington, DC),
dfassihian@demcoalition.org, +1-202-721-5651; or Ami Gill of Physicians for
Human Rights (Israel): ami@phr.org, + 972 (54) 699-5199