This month, independent UN experts concerned with the issue of human rights sounded a new alarm bell, warning of the decline in the situation of international human rights, which are based on international law, in an open letter to the member states of the United Nations Human Rights Council, based in Geneva.

International human rights laws are at risk

The experts, led by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, called for all member states of the United Nations to stop and desist from providing political or moral support, or granting military and economic support, to actions by states or non-states, including violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights laws, some of which amount to serious violations of the Geneva Conventions signed in 1949 (relating to the protection of civilians in times of war), and to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

UN experts: Several events around the world threaten to undermine the possibility of universal application of basic international rules for the protection of civilians

The letter, which was also signed by 17 recent experts other than Albanese, who serve in several areas of investigation, monitoring and consultation commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, and dated January 9, included a warning that several events are taking place around the world, which the letter did not enumerate or mention. Specifically mentioning any of them, as well as the response of active states to them, that constitute “international third parties” that threaten to fatally undermine the global application of basic international rules for the protection of civilians and their basic human rights, and with it the credibility of the mandates granted to these experts for research and investigation and work in several countries.

Increased violations since the “War on Terror”

In their letter, the experts speak of a worrying, gradual and continuing erosion and decline of international standards related to human rights, which have been observed in several conflicts around the world over the past two decades, especially since the declaration (of the United States and its allies) of the “War on Terrorism.”

But according to experts, a group of armed conflicts taking place in the recent period threatens to completely eliminate protection systems and standards that took many decades to implement.

The signatories stressed that they feel obliged to remind the member states of the international organization of the most important of these basic standards that “we must all respect and ensure that others respect them.”

In this context, the experts recalled that “collective punishment, indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians, medical facilities and staff, religious and residential centers, markets, and educational headquarters, as well as the evacuation of civilians and forced displacement, hostage-taking, sexual violence, theft, sabotage, and arbitrary arrest, And slavery are all practices prohibited by international law.” The letter also reminded, “In light of any emergency military operation, or an allegation that a specific area has had its civilian status violated, the burden of proving this falls on the party carrying out an attack and not on the attacked party, that is, civilians.”

Illegal practices include indiscriminate bombing of civilians, forcibly displacing them, and starving them

The letter, which was also signed by Richard Bennett, the UN Special Investigator for Human Rights in Afghanistan, and Pablo de Greiff, Commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, also addressed “starving a people, or denying them access to clean water, shelter, or fuel, or medicine,” are also considered internationally prohibited practices, stressing that the parties to the conflict are obligated to allow the arrival of humanitarian and medical aid at the necessary levels to areas under military control, and for third parties to ensure that this is implemented. The experts also called on the member states of the United Nations to use the mechanisms to correct this imbalance and stop available human rights violations, forcefully and in an impartial manner.

It is noteworthy that also among the signatories are Shaheen Sardar Ali, a member of the international independent fact-finding mission in Iran, Hani Majli, Commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Carlos Castrezana Fernandez, Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission in South Sudan, and Isha Divan, the independent expert on the human rights situation. In Somalia, Mohammed Babiker, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, Vrinda Grover, Commissioner of the International Independent Fact-Finding Commission on Ukraine, Sarah Hussein, Member of the International Independent Fact-Finding Commission on Iran, and Milon Kothari, Member of the Commission of Inquiry mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council. In the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the territories occupied in 1948.

(The New Arab)