Press conference by High Commissioner for Human Rights

[struggle4progress]

Submitted by newsdesk on Wed, 12/10/2008 - 16:59

While modern history’s most influential document on mankind and another leading text had significantly expanded protections against violations of human rights, countries must do more to prevent mass atrocities and educate citizens about their protections under the law, Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon ...

Briefing on the sixtieth anniversary of the Genocide Convention, signed on 9 December 1948, and the Declaration, adopted the following day by the United Nations General Assembly, she said that, while States had expanded punishment for murdering people solely for belonging to a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, far less had been achieved in preventing genocide ...

Asked whether the Israeli Government’s blockade of Gaza and prevention of humanitarian aid from reaching the territory’s Palestinian population was genocide, she said it was up to the courts to examine, on a case-by-case basis, whether genocide had occurred. The Office of the High Commissioner, as well as the Secretary-General and the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), had called for an immediate end to the blockade and for shipments of food, water and other basic supplies to be allowed in. Other causes of concern were violations of the right to free movement and the right to life, given that more than 500 Palestinians and 11 Israelis had been killed this year.

Regarding the High Commissioner’s collaboration with the International Criminal Court in investigating six cases concerning war crimes committed in Darfur, she said her Office had set up a commission of international inquiry, as called for in Security Council resolution 1564 (2004), which had found no evidence of genocidal policy, though it suggested possible evidence of individual activities of genocidal intent. The International Criminal Court would decide whether there was evidence of genocide ...

http://www.webnewswire.com/node/446224

[struggle4progress]

1. UN human rights hope with new US Administration

New York (UNN) United Nation's High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday expressed hope that the new US Administration will play a "more vigourous role" in defending human rights in the US and abroad ...

http://www.unnindia.com/english/story.php?Id=3624