UN hosts meetings on "Palestine Question" in wake of Gaza war

Published yesterday (updated) 23/07/2009 11:33 Geneva – Ma’an –

“If Israel continues (illegal) settlement activity, it will not only be acting contrary to international law but also to a strong international consensus,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon warned Wednesday at the United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine in Geneva.

The meeting saw dozens of international observers, human right organizations, government, media and civil society groups convene to discuss the findings of the latest missions and reports, and tackle issues around each group’s “responsibility to uphold international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the wake of the war in Gaza.”

Ma’an‘s Chief Editor Nasser Lahham attended the meeting as a representative of the Palestinian media. “What does it say about the effectiveness of the Palestinian media that the world thinks Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip is over?” Lahham said of Thursday’s third plenum on which looked at the impact parliaments could have on respect for international law; on how civil society organizations can make a difference through monitoring, witnessing and reporting; and at the role of the media.

Palestinian ambassador to the UN Ibrahim Khuraisha, who also attended the sessions, said his government expected an announcement from the UN on 28 July “against Israeli occupation’s practices after a session for the UN social and economic council.”