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Summary: The second special session of the UN Human Rights Council on 11 August condemned human rights violations by Israel in Lebanon and decides to establish a high-level inquiry commission.
Human Rights Council - GENEVA, 11 August 2006 Council Strongly Condemns Grave Israeli Violations of Human Rights in Lebanon The second special session of the Human Rights Council today strongly condemned the grave Israeli violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law in Lebanon and decided to urgently establish and immediately dispatch a high-level inquiry commission to the region. In a resolution, adopted after a roll-call vote of 27 in favour, 11 against, and 8 abstentions, the Council said the high-level commission should comprise of eminent experts of human rights law and international humanitarian law who should, among other things: investigate the systematic targeting and killings of civilians by Israel; examine the types of weapons used by Israel and their conformity with international law; and assess the extent and deadly impact of Israeli attacks on human life, property, critical infrastructure and environment. The Council requested the commission to report back to it no later than 1 September 2006 on progress towards the fulfilment of its mandate. The Council urged all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, to refrain from violence against the civilian population and to treat under all circumstances all detained combatants and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. It also called on the international community to provide urgently the Lebanese Government with humanitarian and financial assistance to enable it to deal with the worsening humanitarian disaster, rehabilitation of victims, return of displaced persons, and restoration of the essential infrastructure. At the beginning of the one-day special session, Louise Arbour, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the accumulated and increasing toll of civilian deaths and injuries in Lebanon and Israel, the massive displacement of populations and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Lebanon required the intervention of the Council to impress upon the parties to the conflict the urgent need to comply with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. Ms. Arbour said there had been pressing calls for a comprehensive, high-level inquiry into reports of serious violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in Israel and Lebanon to be led by internationally renowned experts. Within a human rights framework, the inquiry should be primarily concerned with the plight of the victims. It should address all violations by all parties, and lay the foundation for possible measures of reparation and accountability. The Council's commitment to exposing all human rights violations and to addressing the calls of all victims for reparation and justice would help those affected by the conflict to start rebuilding their shattered lives. Lebanon told the meeting that the Government of Lebanon did it endorse the operations carried out by Hezbollah. What was being faced by Lebanon went beyond the issue of prisoners and captured soldiers: it was a whole nation whose people's rights, security and land were being trampled under a questionable pretext. Lebanese were being collectively slaughtered and punished by Israel. Israel told the special session that after a month of pain and suffering on both sides of the border between Israel and Lebanon, the Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference had asked to convene the special session of the Council to deal exclusively with the suffering on only one side of the divide. But the suffering knew no boundaries. And the peoples of Lebanon and Israel together were paying the price of the vicious campaign of terror waged by Hezbollah. Speakers addressing the meeting said that the death and displacement in Lebanon as a result of the Israeli bombardment was appalling. The massive Israeli air strikes that had resulted in massacres of innocent civilians and the destruction of houses, properties and infrastructure were strongly condemned, and there were repeated calls for a ceasefire and a rapid resolution of the conflict. Many speakers urged the Council to establish an inquiry commission with the mandate to investigate the extent and adverse impact of the breaches of human rights and international humanitarian law. There were also calls for unhindered access to be provided to humanitarian and medical convoys and for the establishment of humanitarian corridors. Some speakers condemned civilian casualties in Israel as a result of Hezbollah-launched rockets and accused the Council of targeting Israel. Representatives of the following States and entities took the floor: Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, Tunisia on behalf of the Arab Group, Algeria on behalf of the African Group, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Indonesia, Morocco, Malaysia, Switzerland, Canada, Philippines, Algeria, Zambia, Mali, Jordan, Senegal, Cuba, Finland on behalf of the European Union, China, Uruguay, Ecuador, India, Russian Federation, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Australia, Kuwait, Qatar, Libya, Sudan, Iran, New Zealand, Palestine, Chile, Syria, Venezuela, United States, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Mauritania, Holy See, League of Arab States, Norway, Colombia, and Armenia. The following non-governmental organizations also took the floor: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, World Jewish Congress, International Commission of Jurists, International Federation of Human Rights, B'nai B'rith, Habitat International, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Franciscans International, Pax Romana, World Organization against Torture, World Union of Progressive Judaism, India Movement Tupaj Amaru on behalf of World Peace Council, and UN Watch. Lebanon and Syria exercised their right of reply. The following States spoke in explanations of the vote before and after the vote: Israel, Lebanon, Canada, Switzerland, Republic of Korea, Finland on behalf of the European Union, India, Russian Federation, Philippines, Guatemala, Peru on behalf of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay, Japan, France, Cameroon, Mexico and Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Resolution In a resolution (A/HRC/S-2/L.1), entitled the grave situation of human rights in Lebanon caused by Israeli military operations, adopted as orally revised after a roll-call vote of 27 in favour, 11 against, and 8 abstentions, the Human Rights Council, among other things, strongly condemns the grave Israeli violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law in Lebanon; also condemns massive bombardments of Lebanese civilian populations, especially the massacres in Qana, Marwaheen, Al Duweir, Al Bayadah, Al Qaa, Chiyah, Ghazieh and other towns of Lebanon and the displacement of one million civilians; further condemns the Israeli bombardment of vital civilian infrastructure resulting in extensive destruction and heavy damage to public and private properties; further condemns the Israeli bombardment of vital civilian infrastructure; calls upon Israel to observe the principle of proportionality and refrain from launching any attack that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life; calls upon Israel to abide immediately and scrupulously by its obligations under human rights law, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and urges all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, to refrain from violence against the civilian population and to treat under all circumstances all detained combatants and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions; and calls upon Israel to immediately stop military operations against the civilian population and civilian objects resulting in death and destruction and serious violations of human rights. The Council also decides to urgently establish and immediately dispatch a high-level inquiry commission comprising eminent experts of human rights law and international humanitarian law, including the possibility of inviting the relevant special procedures to be nominated to the commission to, among other things: investigate the systematic targeting and killings of civilians by Israel; examine the types of weapons used by Israel and their conformity with international law; and assess the extent and deadly impact of Israeli attacks on human life, property, critical infrastructure and environment; also requests the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide all administrative, technical and logistical assistance required to enable the Commission to fulfil its mandate promptly and efficiently; calls on the international community to provide urgently the Lebanese Government with humanitarian and financial assistance to enable it to deal with the worsening humanitarian disaster, rehabilitation of victims, return of displaced persons, and restoration of the essential infrastructure; and requests the Commission to report to the Council no later than 1 September 2006 on progress towards the fulfilment of its mandate. The result of the vote was as follows: In favour (27):Algeria, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Zambia. Against (11):Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, and Ukraine. Abstentions (8):Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Nigeria, Philippines, Republic of Korea, and Switzerland. Further information