The U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk has urged international locations to behave on Israel’s “blatant disregard” for worldwide regulation within the occupied Palestinian territories.
The name got here Monday as mentioned that ending the almost yearlong struggle in Gaza is a high precedence, with Israel killing almost 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza because the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion.
The battle has additionally fuelled a surge in violence within the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“Ending that war and averting a full-blown regional conflict is an absolute and urgent priority,” Türk mentioned in a speech at the beginning of the five-week U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva.
“States must not – cannot – accept blatant disregard for international law, including binding decisions of the (U.N.) Security Council and orders of the International Court of Justice, neither in this nor any other situation.”
He cited an opinion launched by the U.N. high courtroom in July that known as Israel’s occupation unlawful and Türk mentioned this example have to be “comprehensively addressed.” Israel has rejected the opinion and known as it one-sided.
Türk’s feedback got in a broad speech marking the mid-way level of his four-year time period as U.N. rights chief the place he described large challenges around the globe and a disaster of political management. The session may even debate crises in Sudan, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
“It seems to me we are at a fork in the road. We can either continue on our current path – a treacherous ‘new normal’ – and sleepwalk into a dystopian future,” he mentioned in a speech met with applause from diplomats.
He denounced the elevated use of the demise penalty and “alarming regressions” on gender equality, in reference to new morality legal guidelines in Afghanistan.
In Western international locations like Britain, Germany and the United States, politicians danger spurring violence by scapegoating migrants and minorities throughout election intervals, he mentioned.
Türk, a former lawyer from Austria, additionally used the speech to defend his report, after criticism from some that his coverage of participating China over alleged abuses has been too comfortable.
“I believe in engagement, frank exchanges and keeping dialogue open, even more so in the face of fierce disagreement,” he mentioned.
Source: www.dailysabah.com