Palestinian rights issue :

United States isolated before international community

by Manjula Fernando

The US stood isolated before the international community when a resolution on the rights of the Palestinians was taken up last week at the UN Human Rights Council, the same day the resolution on Sri Lanka was taken up. Of all 47 members of the UNHRC, 46 voted in favour of the text that supported the right of Palestinians for self-determination with only the US opposing it.

A foreign observer said the US which was hell-bent on bringing in a resolution to teach Sri Lanka a lesson on accountability lacked consistency when it came to protecting human rights of Palestinians.

The resolution re-affirmed the inalienable, permanent and unqualified right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including their right to live in freedom, justice and dignity and to establish their sovereign, independent, democratic and viable contiguous state.

It also re-affirmed its support for the solution of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security while stressing the need for respect for and preservation of the territorial unity.

The resolution called upon all member states and relevant bodies of the UN system to support and assist the Palestinian people in the early realisation of their right to self-determination.

The US showed its double standards and selectivity in advocating Human Rights and accountability issues.

In November 23, the UN General Assembly also voted 166 to five in favour in a similar resolution that called upon the specialised agencies and organisations of the UN system to continue to support and assist the Palestinian people in the early realisation of their right to self-determination.

The only five countries which objected to this resolution included US and Canada.

The result of the UNHRC vote was;

In favour (46): Angola, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda and Uruguay.

Against (1): United States.

Abstentions (0):