FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 04, 2009
ALRC-OLT-003-2009

A Joint Open Letter to the representatives of United Nations member states by a global coalition of non-governmental organisations.

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are writing to urge your government to support recommendations in the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report) and work with others in the General Assembly to secure adoption of a resolution calling on the Israeli Government and relevant Palestinian authorities in Gaza to launch independent investigations, in conformity with international standards, into the serious violations of International Humanitarian and International Human Rights Law reported by the Mission and to ensure the establishment of an appropriate international mechanism to provide an independent assessment of the investigations.

We believe it is imperative that the UN General Assembly demonstrate its unequivocal support for human rights and the protection of Israeli and Palestinian civilians. Credible, independent investigations of the findings of the Goldstone Report, with an objective review of the investigations, will promote accountability among all parties to the conflict and put an end to the culture of impunity.

We believe the international community must demonstrate resolve on the issue of accountability on both sides of this conflict, and ensure that international law is upheld. It is this approach which will strengthen the chances of peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians.

With assurances of our highest consideration,

1. Action Canada for Population and Development (Canada)
2. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (Gambia)
3. African Democracy Forum (Kenya)
4. Algerian League for Human Rights (Algeria)
5. Algerian League for the Defense of Human Rights (Algeria)
6. Andalus Institute for Tolerance and Anti-Violence Studies (Egypt)
7. The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (Egypt)
8. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Thailand)
9. Asian Legal Resources Centre (Hong Kong, China)
10. Associação Justiça, Paz e Democracia (Angola)
11. Bahrain Center for Human Rights (Bahrain)
12. Bahrain Human Rights Society (Bahrain)
13. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (Egypt)
14. The Carter Center (United States)
15. Center for Constitutional Rights (United States)
16. Center for Trade Union & Workers Services (Egypt)
17. Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (South Africa)
18. Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (Argentina)
19. Centro des Derechos Humanos - Miguel Augustín Pro Juárez (Mexico)
20. Conectas Direitos Humanos (Brazil)
21. Corporacion Humanas (Chile)
22. Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies (Syria)
23. Democracy Coalition Project (United States)
24. Droits Humains Sans Frontières (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
25. East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (on behalf of 65 member organizations) (Uganda)
26. The Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (Egypt)
27. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (Egypt)
28. El Instituto Mexicano de Derechos Humanos y Democracia (Mexico)
29. El Nadim Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence (Egypt)
30. Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (France)
31. Human Rights First Society (Saudi Arabia)
32. Human Rights Institute of South Africa (South Africa)
33. Human Rights Now (Japan)
34. Human Rights Watch (United States)
35. Human Rights Working Group (Indonesia)
36. International Center for Transitional Justice (United States)
37. International Commission Of Jurists (Switzerland)
38. La Coalition Ivoirienne des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (Cote D’Ivoire)
39. Land Center for Human Rights (Egypt)
40. Latvian NGDO Platform – LAPAS (Latvia)
41. Mouvement Citoyen Senegal (Senegal)
42. Movement of Civil Liberties and Democracy -HAQ (Bahrain)
43. National Organization for Human Right in Syria (Syria)
44. L’ONG SOS Exclusion (Cote D’Ivoire)
45. Open Society Institute (United States)
46. Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (Palestine)
47. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (Gaza, Palestine)
48. Palestinian Human Rights Organization (Lebanon)
49. Partnership for Justice (Nigeria)
50. Physicians for Human Rights (USA)
51. Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (Israel)
52. Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (Israel)
53. South African Council of Churches (South Africa)
54. Ta'anit Tzedek - Jewish Fast for Gaza (Israel)
55. Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (Ukraine)
56. West African Human Rights Defenders Network (Togo)

ENDS