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Statement on

 The aggression against the “Freedom Flotilla”

of

Staff Representatives and Staff of UN ESCWA, ILO Regional Office for the Arab States, UNRWA, and UN OHCHR, operating in Lebanon

            We, the Staff Representatives and Staff of United Nations  Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia , International Labour Organization Regional Office for the Arab States, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East – UNRWA, and United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – OHCHR, based in Lebanon and assembled in the UN House on 1 June 2010, while renewing our commitment to the principles of human rights and to the Charter of the United Nations, under whose banner we have pledged to work, express our deep anger and firm condemnation of the attack perpetrated by Israeli forces in international waters, at dawn on 31 May 2010, against a convoy of international human rights activists who were on board of the Freedom Flotilla, headed toward blockaded Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.

This deliberate attack, unprecedented in the history of conflicts in contemporary times, targeted a maritime convoy carrying food rations and humanitarian aid and provisions, with unarmed civilians of various nationalities on board.  It constitutes a serious and unacceptable violation of all laws and international conventions, particularly those related to human rights, international humanitarian law and the prevention of piracy and violations in times of war and conflict, which the United Nations, its agencies as well as Member States and their peoples work on upholding and enforcing.

This attack is a continuation of the ongoing blockade that Israel has been imposing on the Gaza Strip for the past three years and constitutes a violation of all human rights, in particular the right to development.  In addition, the government of Israel still refuses to abide by a number of international conventions on human rights and international human law.

Moreover, this attack coincides also with intensive ongoing preparations for the World summit to monitor progress achieved in the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, to which all Governments and States are committed and where peace and stability are the main issues. What happened on that day will have direct repercussions on security and stability in the region and the world.

We, the Staff of the United Nations and advocates of human rights, express our strong solidarity with the international activists who were victims of the attack, their families and countries.  We demand immediate and unconditional release of the detainees and a statement of the names of the martyrs and the wounded.

We call upon the United Nations and all its agencies to exert all possible efforts to end the Gaza blockade, to play a more effective role in helping the besieged citizens of Gaza and protecting all their rights, under the banner and management of the United Nations and to ensure the right of the Palestinian people to free self-determination.

We also call upon the United Nations Secretary-General, its leadership and Member States to deal with this unprecedented aggression with utmost seriousness.  We urge them to take all necessary decisions and measures to protect the Palestinian people and international activists against similar aggressions in the future in order to ensure security and stability in the region and in the world.  

We call for the establishment of an international investigation commission to determine responsibilities for the attack and submit a report on this issue to the United Nations.

Success of the United Nations in its role as the protector of human rights in this part of the world strengthens its credibility among peoples and countries of the region and among those contributing to the “Freedom Flotilla”.  It also enhances the presence and role of the Organization in building peace and promoting development and security.

 Beirut, 2 June 2010.