Webinar - The protection of civilians in Gaza: environmental injustice and human rights abuse

The webinar will address the protection of civilians in the armed conflict in Gaza under human rights law. It is today commonly accepted that human rights law continues to apply during armed conflicts. International human rights law and international humanitarian law share the goal of preserving the dignity and humanity of all. Over the years, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have considered that, in armed conflicts, parties to an armed conflict have legally binding obligations concerning the rights of persons affected by an armed conflict. Moreover, while not many data are still available, the armed conflict in Gaza will also have severe long-term environmental impacts turning Gaza into a wasteland. Scholars from various disciplines are also engaged in studying the reverberating impacts that are not directly or immediately caused by a military attack, but they are a product of it. These impacts can affect livelihoods, health or food sectors. In the last years, there have been also legal developments on urban warfare and the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflict such as the 2022 International Law Commission’s Draft Principles on the Protection of the Environment in relation to Armed Conflicts (ILC PERAC Principles) and the 2022 Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA Declaration). 

Les déclarations des Nations unies et du Comité international de la Croix-Rouge soulignent la situation humanitaire catastrophique dans la bande de Gaza et le fait que les populations civiles palestinienne et israélienne doivent être protégées conformément au droit international humanitaire et aux droits de l'homme. Les intervenants exploreront le rôle des mécanismes de défense des droits de l'homme tels que les procédures spéciales des Nations unies. Ces mécanismes sont la voix des droits des victimes du conflit armé à Gaza. Les Nations Unies jouent un rôle dans la protection des droits des deux parties au conflit armé. Les délibérations actuelles de la Cour internationale de justice, le principal organe judiciaire des Nations unies, dans l'affaire concernant l'application de la Convention pour la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide dans la bande de Gaza (Afrique du Sud c. Israël) en sont un exemple emblématique.

Speakers will include:

• Professor Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights to water and sanitation.
• Ms Marie Schellens, Project Officer, PAX.
• Dr. Raji Sourani, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.                                     
• Professeur Mark Zeitoun, directeur général du Geneva Water Hub.
   

L'événement est organisé en partenariat avec :

Le flyer de l'événement est disponible ci-dessous.