{"id":181547,"date":"2011-08-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:12:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=181547"},"modified":"2021-02-23T11:56:19","modified_gmt":"2021-02-23T16:56:19","slug":"auto-insert-181547","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-181547\/","title":{"rendered":"Continued destruction of Jerusalem Cemetery\/Documents to UN agencies – Letter from Palestine"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Identical letters dated 10 August 2011 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0I have the honour to transmit herewith relevant documents along with letters written by 45 prominent Palestinians from Jerusalem and Israel, including Christian and Muslim figures, politicians, businesspeople and civil society activists, addressed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, urging that they take action to stop the continued destruction of Ma\u2019man Allah Cemetery in Jerusalem by the Israeli Government (see annex). <\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0The present letter is in follow up to our letter dated 9 April 2010 (A\/ES-10\/486-S\/2010\/184), in which we enclosed the petition \u201cUrgent action on human rights violations by Israel: Desecration of the Ma\u2019man Allah (Mamilla) Muslim Cemetery in the Holy City of Jerusalem\u201d, filed by Palestinian individuals whose ancestors are buried at Ma\u2019man Allah Cemetery in addition to several other NGOs from Palestine, Israel and the United States that oppose the establishment of so called Centre for Human Dignity and Museum of Tolerance on the human remains of the dead Muslims buried in the Cemetery.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0We would like to recall that the Charter of the United Nations reaffirmed \u201cfaith in fundamental human rights, and in the dignity and worth of the human person\u201d and committed all Member States to promote \u201cuniversal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion\u201d. Ironically both the Centre and the Museum bear names that do not befit this act of bigotry and contempt against the dignity and worth of the human person. Protection of cultural heritage and cultural property, including religious sites such as cemeteries, is guaranteed by international human rights instruments such as the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Further building in the cemetery constitutes a violation of basic human rights, including the right to manifest religious beliefs, the right to family and culture, and the right to freedom from discrimination, as set forth in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0Israel, the occupying Power, must be compelled to put an end to its unlawful policy of discrimination and contempt towards Palestinian Muslim and Christian holy places. We call on the international community, in particular the United Nations, to take the necessary actions to put an end to these violations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0I kindly request that the text of the present letter and its annexes be circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 36 and 37, and of the Security Council.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(<\/span>Signed<\/i><\/span>) Riyad <\/span>Mansour<\/strong><\/span>
\nAmbassador
\nPermanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
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\u00a0\u00a0Annex I to the identical letters dated 10 August 2011 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General<\/strong><\/div>\n

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Annex II to the identical letters dated 10 August 2011 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Letter dated 20 July 2011 from the Acting Legal Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights addressed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
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Letter dated 20 July 2011 from the Acting Legal Director
\nof the Center for Constitutional Rights addressed to the
\nDirector-General of UNESCO<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Attachment<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jerusalem, 20 July 2011<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ms. Navanethem Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General, UNESCO<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\n<\/div>\n

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RE: Urgent Action to Prevent the Jerusalem Municipality from Completely Desecrating Ma\u2019man Allah (Mamilla) Cemetery<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With our warmest regards from the Holy City of Jerusalem,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mamilla Cemetery is one of the oldest Palestinian cemeteries, in which were buried numerous Companions and followers of the Prophet Muhammad, learned scholars, military commanders and many notables of Jerusalem throughout history. Unfortunately, ever since the Nakbah, this cemetery has been continuously targeted by the Israeli authorities. Indeed, 85 per cent of its area has been turned into parks and streets, and buildings have been erected over parts of it. Only 23 dunums of the cemetery remain, and even this area has not been spared by the Israeli authorities, which have attempted to dispose of what is left of it in any way possible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On 25 June 2011, under cover of darkness in the late hours of the night, Jerusalem Municipality bulldozers entered Mamilla Cemetery and completely destroyed some 100 graves and grave markers. The authorities are still determined to continue the levelling and destruction of the graves of Jerusalem\u2019s ancestors, and they have placed red marks on dozens of additional graves in preparation for their destruction. This comes against the backdrop of official threats that construction will begin on the site of the cemetery of what they brazenly and unashamedly call \u201cA Center for Human Dignity \u2014 Museum of Tolerance\u201d! <\/span>We ask you: To what humanity could this possibly refer? What dignity? What tolerance?<\/i><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In the face of these troubling developments, we the undersigned, in the name of our steadfast Muslim and Christian Arab people in the Holy Land and the Holy City of Jerusalem, the \u201cFlower of Cities\u201d, appeal urgently for you to intervene immediately in order to stop the desecration of this cemetery by sending a delegation to investigate the situation and putting pressure on the Government of Israel, in accordance with the Human Rights Council resolution of 2010. This is especially important in light of the sanctity and historical importance of this cemetery, and the fact that it is an exceptional archaeological site, which is no less holy than the Christian or Jewish cemeteries whose desecration is also prohibited.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We therefore ask that you accord due priority to considering the petition submitted to you by a distinguished group of Jerusalemites, represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, which includes thorough historical and legal documentation on this issue and rightful and just requests that no reasonable person could refuse.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Thank you for your cooperation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Shaykh Ibrahim Sarsour \u2014 Member of Knesset.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Ibrahim Matar \u2014 The National Christian Society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Ahmed Hashem al-Zaghayer \u2014 President, Union of Chambers of Commerce.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Usama al-Sa\u2019adi \u2014 Attorney.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ms. Ilham Salama, Social Department, YMCA.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Iyad al-Masrouji \u2014 Businessman and Investor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Bernard Sabella \u2014 Member of Palestinian Legislative Council.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Tawfiq Habash \u2014 Businessman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Jamal Zahalqa \u2014 Member of Knesset.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Jamal Nusseibeh \u2014 Attorney-at-Law.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Hatem Abd Al-Qader \u2014 Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Palestinian Authority.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Hana Siniora \u2014 Businessman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Hana \u2018Amira \u2014 Member of the Executive Committee, Palestine Liberation Organization.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Engineer Khaled al-Kaluti \u2014 Member of the Board of Trustees of the Welfare Association.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ms. Dina Zarina \u2014 Secular Committee in the Holy Land.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ms. Rania Elias \u2014 Director, Yabous Cultural Center.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ms. Randa Makhlouf \u2014 Secular Committee in the Holy Land.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Engineer Zaki Aghbariya \u2014 President Al-Aqsa Association for Waqf and Culture.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ms. Zahira Kamal \u2014 Secretary General Fida, Former Minister, Palestinian Authority.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Sari Nusseibeh \u2014 President, Al-Quds University.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Salah Atallah \u2014 Businessman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Engineer Adnan al-Husseini \u2014 Governor of Jerusalem District, Palestinian Authority.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Azzam Abu Sa\u2019ud \u2014 General Director, Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Afu Ighbaria \u2014 Member of Knesset.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Archbishop Atallah Hanna.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Shaykh Dr. Akrama Sabri \u2014 President of the High Islamic Council and Preacher of the Aqsa Mosque.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Omar al-Alamy \u2014 Associate General Director, Jerusalem Cigarette Company.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Francis Tamas \u2014 Financial Expert.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Engineer Fouad al-Daqqaq \u2014 Advisor, Jerusalem Holding Company.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Shaykh Kamal al-Katib \u2014 Vice President of the Islamic Movement in Israel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Engineer Mazen Sinokrot \u2014 Former Minister and businessman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Muhammad Baraka \u2014 Member of Knesset.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Muhammad Jadallah \u2014 Representative of National Forces in Jerusalem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Muhammad Zaydan \u2014 President, Arab Higher Follow-up Committee in Israel.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Mohamed al-Masrouji \u2014 President of the Board of Directors, Businessmen\u2019s Association and businessman.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Rosary Sister\u2019s High School.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Mas\u2019ud Ghanaim \u2014 Member of Knesset.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Engineer Mustafa Abu Zahra \u2014 President of the Council of Islamic Cemeteries in Jerusalem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Dr. Mahdi Abd al-Hadi \u2014 President, Palestinian Academic Society for International Affairs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Shaykh Najih Bakirat \u2014 Head, Manuscripts and Culture Section, Al-Aqsa Mosque.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Professor Nabil Mashhour \u2014 President of the Union of the Arab Orthodox Club.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ms. Hind Khoury \u2014 Former Minister and Jerusalemite Activist.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Hisham al-Kalouti \u2014 Jerusalemite Activist.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Wasif Thahir \u2014 President of the Board of Directors, YMCA Jerusalem.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Yusef Sanahir \u2014 Center for Church Relations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

cc:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ambassador Ibrahim Khreishi, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Office at Geneva<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ambassador Elias Sanbar, Permanent Observer of Palestine at UNESCO, Paris<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations in New York<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u00a0\u2022\u00a0\u00a0Mr. Michael Ratner, Ms. Maria LaHood, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

__________<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Identical letters dated 10 August 2011 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General \u00a0\u00a0I have the honour to transmit herewith relevant documents along with letters written by 45 prominent Palestinians from Jerusalem and Israel, including Christian and Muslim figures, politicians, businesspeople and civil society activists, addressed to the […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[3145,2569,2841],"document-source":[1365,1825,1362,2497],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2401,1741,1961,1813,1749],"entity":[5343,1729],"document-language":[6544,6543,6542,6541],"class_list":["post-181547","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-annex","document-category-document","document-category-letter","document-source-general-assembly","document-source-office-of-the-united-nations-high-commissioner-for-human-rights-ohchr","document-source-security-council","document-source-united-nations-educational-scientific-and-cultural-organization-unesco","document-subject-holy-places","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-jerusalem","document-subject-middle-east-situation","document-subject-palestine-question","entity-palestine-plo-palestinian-authority","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-arabic","document-language-chinese","document-language-english","document-language-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/181547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/181547\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=181547"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=181547"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=181547"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=181547"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=181547"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=181547"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=181547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}