Today, upon Human Rights Day (HRD), nations across the globe mark the 58th anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UNGA and reflect on the achievements of ensuring respect, promotion and protection of human rights on both national and international planes.
The HRD represents an opportunity to recall the legal and moral obligations of the international community towards the collective and individual rights that the UN Member States have themselves pledged to achieve… "the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms" (UDHR, preamble).
The UDHR is not simply a non-binding declaration, but possesses immense moral and legal weight as a document that has enjoyed consensus among the community of States.
It has gained legal significance as part of customary international law as indicated by the many statements made by state parties, and by the rulings of the ICJ and other judicial bodies.
In its article (2), the UDHR declares that every human being is "entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind" and that " no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty" (emphasis added).
Thus, the HRD constitutes a renewed occasion to challenge the escalating violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
As it so clearly specifies, the presence/absence of occupation, and/or a political process, must not be allowed to justify the infringement of the collective and individual human rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination.
Facts lived on the ground in OPT have represented a deterioration of the rights protected by the UDHR, abrogating the principle of indiscrimination between human beings.
The belligerent occupation has continued for almost 40 years now.
Acts of killing, torture and inflicting severe harm on people and their property, and of imposing punitive restrictions on movement and self-expression, continue along with unjust humanitarian sanctions.
These engender enormous violations of the human rights that are assured to civilians under the UDHR and other instruments.
Whereas Al Mezan Center affirms the supreme significance that must be accorded to the human rights to life, freedom, expression, fair trial and freedom from torture and hunger, it emphasizes that the purpose of the UN human rights system is to protect all human beings from all kinds of violations of all human rights, including those enveloped in article 25 of the UDHR.
It also emphasizes the international responsibility for ensuring their respect.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, while sharing in the celebration of this day, reiterates its: Condemnation of all the violations of the UDHR in OPT; Call for the evaluation of the role of the international community towards the duties to respect and ensure respect of all human rights in OPT; Call upon the international community to disregard political considerations when human rights are at stake; Call for effective protection for civilians and to ensure aid and reparation reach the victims of human rights violations in OPT.
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