RI to raise Palestinian issue at Human Rights Council meeting

Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesia will again state its position on the human rights situation in Israeli-occupied areas in Palestine at the 10th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva from March 2 to 27, 2009.

"We have prioritized issues (that will be raised at the Human Rights Council meeting. Our position on Palestine will certainly be a priority," the director of law and human rights of the ministry of foreign affairs, Wiwiek Setyawati, in Bogor, Monday.<>

The country`s stance on Palestine will be delivered at Session 7 of the meeting that would specially discuss the human rights situation in Palestine and other Israeli occupied territories in the Middle East.

Wiwiek said Indonesia had a firm policy on the Palestinian issue and since the establishment of the Human Rights Council four special meetings had been held on Palestine.

She said the first Council`s meeting was held in July 2006 discussing human rights situation in the Palestinian occupied territories initiated by the Arab Group. The second one on November 10, 2006 on human rights situation in the occupied territories in Palestine including North Gaza and Beit Hanoun resulting from an Israeli attack was initiated by the Arab Group and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The third meeting meanwhile was held on January 22, 2008 discussing human rights situation in the Palestinian occupied territories including Gaza and Nablus initiated by Cuba representing the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

The last on January 9, 2009 initiated by Egypt on behalf of the African Group, Pakistan on behalf of the OIC and Cuba on behalf of the NAM, discussed gross violations of human rights in Palestine occupied areas including Gaza Strip.

"Every resolution produced by the meeting is morally binding," she was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

Besides the country`s stance on Palestine Indonesia will also explain about the development of implementation of human rights in the country, the discussion of the study of Durban Declaration and fulfilment of civil rights.

"Human rights enforcement will be discussed at Session Five that will specially discuss human rights agencies and mechanisms," the head of the ministry`s section of civil rights and political mechanism, Diana Emilla Sutikno.

Discussion on the study of Durban Declaration, she said, would be done at Session 9 which would focus on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other kinds of intolerances as well as the follow up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Action Program.

The Human Rights Council meeting would be divided into 10 sessions on organizational and procedural issues, annual report of the UN Human Rights High Commission, advancement and protection of human rights, human rights situation needing Council`s attention, human rights bodies and mechanisms, periodical general assessment, human rights situation in Palestine, follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Action Program, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and follow-up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Action Program and technical assistance and capacity building.

The Indonesian delegation to the 10th regular meeting of the Human Right Council on March 2-27 will consist of officials from the foreign ministry, the ministry of justice and human rights, the office of the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, the office of the coordinating minister for people`s welfare, the attorney general office, the ministry of home affairs, the national police, the national police`s crime intelligence, the defense forces headquarters, the ministry of social affairs, the office of the state minister for women`s empowerment, the ministry of religious affairs, the judicial commission, the Papua provincial administration, the provincial administration of West Kalimantan and the provincial administration of Aceh.

Wiwiek said the participation of a variety of government elements in the meeting was in line with the issues to be discussed at the meeting while implementation and protection of human rights was the national agenda under the responsibility of all elements involved in the national development on human rights.

"So the presence of the officials are expected to speed up adjustment of laws, policies, practices to the existing universal human rights values," she said.

The Human Rights Council established on March 15, 2006 to replace the UN Commission on Human Rights is a subsidiary of the UN General Assembly that meets three times a year in March, June and September and could hold a special meeting at any time necessary.

Every meeting is attended by representatives from 47 member countries and observers from 146 countries. Indonesia`s membership in the Council will expire in 2010. (dar)