Submission to UNHRC 57th Session: UN Must Intervene on Flawed Special Procedure Mandate
NGO Monitor submits a written submission to the UN Human Rights Council regarding the flawed position of Special Rapporteur.
NGO Monitor submits a written submission to the UN Human Rights Council regarding the flawed position of Special Rapporteur.
NGO Monitor responded the 22 November 2021 letter authored by UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), “Responsible Investments – UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights Investments in the Israeli settlement economy.” This response corrects multiple misrepresentations made by Lynk in his letter, relating to business and human rights in conflict zones and the UN Human Rights Council “database”.
In March 2022, the Human Rights Council will appoint a new Special Rapporteur on the “situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.” In keeping with past practices, at least five of the six candidates have records of anti-Israel partisanship, and do not appear to fulfill the requirements of impartiality and objectivity as required by HRC resolution 5/1.
On April 25, 2019, three UN Special Rapporteurs issued a statement supporting HRW Israel/Palestine Director and long-time BDS activist Omar Shakir, who failed to convince an Israeli court to force the Interior Ministry to grant him a new work visa.
In March 2016, Michael Lynk, an associate professor of law from Canada, began his term as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the “situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967.” Based on the criteria to be named a Special Rappoteur and the following evidence, we conclude that Lynk is unqualified to fulfill this mandate for the UN.
Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk’s report proves why Canada was so disturbed by his appointment. The report has an antisemitic tinge, calling Israeli presence in the region avaricious, pathological, and rapacious, crudely resorting to bigotry as the complexities of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the thousands of years of Jewish history are erased.
The European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Palestine held a conference, “Fifty Years of Occupation and Counting: Is it time for a new EU Policy on the Middle East Peace Process?” The conference featured politicians, academics, and NGO officials advocating Israel’s isolation and calling on the European Union and other countries to increase international pressure and to impose sanctions on Israel. None of the speakers advocated for dialogue and/or negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.