QADER Participates in Meeting with the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Meets with an Advisor from the Human Rights Commission
Date: 16/10/2024
For Immediate Release
A Press Release Issued by QADER for Community Development
QADER Participates in Meeting with the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Meets with an Advisor from the Human Rights Commission
QADER for Community Development participated in a meeting held on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, with the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the Humanitarian Coordinator, and the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Muhannad Hadi, at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory. This meeting was convened at the invitation of the Commission to include Palestinian civil society organizations operating in Gaza and the West Bank to discuss the state of human rights and future perspectives, in light of the ongoing aggression in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in Gaza, since October 7, 2023.
“QADER”, through its legal advisor Dr. Issam Abdeen, who participated in the meeting, presented a focused overview on the catastrophic state of human rights in light of the ongoing genocide, particularly in northern Gaza, and its compounded impact on persons with disabilities in the occupied Palestinian territory. The summary addressed the deterioration in the performance of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, as well as the responsibilities of states, especially regarding accountability mechanisms and remedies for Palestinian victims after a whole year of aggression and genocide. It emphasized the necessity for a thorough assessment of the UN's performance, based on respect for and compliance with human rights standards, and the importance of strengthening partnerships and bridging gaps with civil society to fulfill its obligations and responsibilities toward civilians, particularly children, women, and persons with disabilities, on the basis of inclusivity.
In this context, “QADER” also held a special meeting on October 8, 2024, with Mr. Djordje Djordjevic, the Consultant of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory. The meeting addressed the assessment of the human rights situation in the occupied territory amid the ongoing aggression, particularly in the besieged Gaza Strip, as well as the available options for the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially for the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, and persons with disabilities, based on the principle of disability inclusion. It also discussed accountability mechanisms and effective remedies, the evaluation of the draft plan of the UN Country Team and the UN Humanitarian Team for early recovery in Gaza, and recovery grounded in human rights, including accountability mechanisms, justice systems, and the rule of law in the State of Palestine.
This intensive engagement by “QADER” with United Nations mechanisms and specialized agencies is part of the ongoing efforts made by the organization at the strategic level in international, regional, and local advocacy, utilizing UN mechanisms and international courts to defend the rights and issues of persons with disabilities and the most marginalized groups as a whole, based on the principle of disability inclusion. The most notable efforts in 2024 included the comprehensive report by the organization on the impact of the aggression in Gaza on the rights of persons with disabilities in April 2024, which was submitted to UN mechanisms and international courts. Additionally, “QADER” participated in the special meeting with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council to investigate the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 21, 2024, and submitted a parallel report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on August 15, 2024, in response to Israel's fifth and sixth periodic reports regarding its record on children's rights amid the aggression on Gaza. “QADER” is also working to strengthen partnerships at the regional level in advocating for the rights and issues of persons with disabilities.