Geneva 9th October, 2023
Subject: Respect for the rights of Palestinian children and fair treatment.
Urgent appeal to include Israel in the list of shame.
Dear Secretary-General, Guterres
We, the undersigned, write to you with deep concern about the recent decision to exclude Israel from the United Nations’ list of shame, which highlights countries and entities responsible for the abuse of children in armed conflict.
We are working for the promotion of democracy, justice for all and the protection of human rights, firmly believe in the importance of fair treatment and accountability of all parties involved in conflicts, regardless of their political or geographical affiliations. The decision not to include Israel in the list of shame raises serious concerns about the coherence and impartiality of the UN’s efforts and is a particularly disturbing divergence from your declarations about treating all children everywhere without discrimination on the basis of their origin, colour, religion and/or ethnicity.
We would like to point out that the measures taken to “encourage positive change and reduce Israeli air strikes in 2022”, as highlighted by Virginia Gamba, the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, are not sufficient. We are convinced that serious violations against Palestinian children continue to occur, and have done so for many years, and they deserve to be brought to the attention of the international community.
We are counting on the UN bodies under your responsibility to take the decisive step, which has been slow to materialize for purely political and geostrategic reasons on the part of some Member States, because the Palestinian child remains a child and his spilled blood is the same color as that of his brother in Ukraine.
The United Nations, as the principal international body responsible for promoting peace, justice and human rights, has a responsibility to ensure the protection of the rights and well-being of all children affected by conflict. After all the abuses committed against Palestinian children, it becomes urgent to include the State of Israel in the list of shame (of offenders) in order to underline the need for accountability and transparency for all parties involved in armed conflicts.
We firmly believe that your voice will have a greater impact and will help to promote justice and the protection of children’s rights.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
Geneva Centre for Democracy & Human Rights
Horan Rencontre Rencontre pour la citoyenneté
L’institut international pour la paix la justice et les droits de l’homme
L’institut scandinave pour les droits de l’homme/ Fondation Haytham Manna
L’observatoire français des droits de l’homme
One Justice France
Protection des défenseurs des droits de l’homme dans le monde arabe (PADDH)
Syrian medical committee
Contacts : info@gcdhr.org Tél 022 7600204