  {"id":183369,"date":"2005-02-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:32:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=183369"},"modified":"2019-03-11T21:32:22","modified_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:32:22","slug":"auto-insert-183369","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-183369\/","title":{"rendered":"Human rights situation in the OPT &#8211; CHR &#8211; NGO statement"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<strong>ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS <\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>Written statement* submitted by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), a non-governmental organization in special consultative status <\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996\/31. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:right;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">[10 February 2005] <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:right;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><u>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/u>&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:9pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">* This written statement is issued, unedited, in the language(s) received from the submitting non-governmental organization(s). <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align:left;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<hr height=\"1px\" \/>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align:justify;padding-top:11px;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">The Cairo Institute for Human Rights<\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">Studies (CIHRS)<\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">and the<\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:9pt;font-family:Georgia, serif;\">Right to Education Campaign at Birzeit University<\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"color:#000000;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">wish to raise its grave concern over the Israeli military obstruction of access to Palestinian universities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). In particular, Birzeit University, near Ramallah in the West Bank, was virtually sealed off by the Israeli Army for two-and-a-half years by a military roadblock, and is still subject to arbitrary roadblocks which block access to students and faculty trying to reach the University. <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;padding-top:11px;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">We note, with particular concern, Israel&#8217;s prevention of students from the Gaza Strip from studying at Palestinian universities in the West Bank. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies joins Birzeit University in calling for the right to education in the OPT to be upheld, including the right of all Gaza students to study at West Bank universities. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>Illegal deportation of four Birzeit University students to the Gaza Strip<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">On 21 November 2004, four university students from Gaza were arbitrarily taken from their studies at Birzeit University in the West Bank, and deported back to the Gaza Strip by the Israeli Army. No charges were made against the students and no written deportation orders were issued. Clearly, the deportation was not carried out within the framework of security measures permitted to the Israeli military occupation under international law. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">The four students &#8211; Walid Muhanna, Bashar Abu Salim, Mohammad Matar and Bashar Abu Shahala &#8211; are among the last Gaza students still studying in the West Bank. In 2000, there were over three hundred Gaza students studying at Birzeit University; today there are only thirty-five. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>The right to freedom of movement<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Since October 2000, Israel has made it virtually impossible for Palestinians to move between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Students from Gaza enrolled in West Bank universities have been forced to study &#39;illegally&#39;, or to drop out of university entirely. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Since April 2004, over 1500 university students in the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through the Rafah Terminal on the Palestinian-Egyptian border, to attend their universities in Arab or foreign countries abroad. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Students in the West Bank are also prevented from reaching their universities due to frequent closure of cities, hundreds of military roadblocks and the construction of Israel&#8217;s illegal wall inside the West Bank. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>The right to choose one&#8217;s place of residence within a single territory<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">The Occupied Palestinian Territory, Gaza and the West Bank, is one integral territorial unit. Every resident of the Occupied Territory is permitted to travel freely within that territory and to decide on his place of residence according to his own wishes. This is a basic right in customary international law. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">Israel&#8217;s prevention of Gaza students from studying at West Bank universities is in clear violation of the human right to education, the right to freedom of movement and the right to choose one&#8217;s place of residence within a single territory. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:justify;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>We believe that all Palestinian students should be free to pursue their higher education in accordance with international law. <\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000080;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">This statement is supported by the following organisations: Birzeit University, Right to Education Campaign. <\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:left;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"color:#000000;text-align:center;font-size:11pt;font-family:Times New Roman, serif;\">\n<p style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\">&#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211; &#8211;<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS &nbsp;&nbsp; Written statement* submitted by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS), a non-governmental organization in special consultative status &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996\/31. &nbsp; [10 February 2005] &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-183369\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1338],"document-source":[5463,1733,1953],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1741,1749],"entity":[2077,1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-183369","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-statement","document-source-cairo-institute-for-human-rights-studies-cihrs","document-source-commission-on-human-rights","document-source-economic-and-social-council-ecosoc","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-palestine-question","entity-non-governmental-organization","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/183369","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\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/183369\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=183369"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=183369"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=183369"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=183369"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=183369"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=183369"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=183369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}