Al-Hamwi at ECOSOC: Some countries divert UN organizations from their noble goals

Syria's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Dr. Fayssal al-Hamwi, pointed out that since it occupied the Syrian Golan in 1967, Israel displaced around half a million of its original inhabitants and has been methodically violating the rights of the ones who remained, in addition to confiscating the lands of displaced citizens and giving them to settlers, imposing the Israeli identity on the Syrian people of Golan, and punishing those who defy it with life in prison and physical and psychological torture. This came in Syria's statement at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) meeting currently being held in Geneva to discuss the economic and social ramifications of Israeli occupation on Palestinian people and the Arab people of the occupied Syrian Golan. In this statement, al-Hamwi said that there are still Syrian captives which have been detained for 28 years in Israeli prison in inhumane circumstances, leading to a number of them dying from health issues resulting from these conditions, with Israel refusing to release these detainees or to allow their relatives to visit them. He pointed out to other Israeli violations of Syrians' rights in the occupied Golan such as preventing them from marketing their crops, diverting the Golan's water to settlements, uprooting fruit trees to build military facilities or new settlements, preventing the people of the Golan from visiting their relatives in Syria, and preventing them from getting work permissions, all of which makes their lives very difficult with the aim of forcing them to immigrate. Al-Hamwi also noted that Israel violates human rights related to medical services, in addition to stealing archeological artifacts and using them to falsify history, and imposing the Hebrew language on the students of Golan while preventing them from learning Arabic. He stressed that the aforementioned violations breach several international accords, agreements and declarations. Syria's representative pointed out that since two years ago, some countries have been diverting a number of UN organizations from their noble goals and purposes, pushing them to ignore human rights violations in occupied areas, particularly in Palestine and the Syrian Golan, all while these organization race in an unprecedented manner to take biased decisions against Syria as per the instructions of certain countries that are complicit in shedding Syrian blood, thereby giving Israel a green light to increase its oppression, crimes and settlement in occupied lands. Al-Hamwi said that the continuing silence over Israel's actions will cause UN organizations to lose their role and purpose of preserving international peace and security and bringing justice to victims of blatant human rights violation. He concluded by calling upon the international community to pressure Israel to adhere to its international obligations, stressing that Israel's violations must not be overlooked nor should it have political immunity, as this would only encourage it to continue breaching international law and the UN charter. ECOSOC gravely concerned over Israel's exploitation of natural resources in occupied Palestine and Golan ECOSOC passed a new resolution Friday by a majority of 43 votes to 2 on the socioeconomic repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people and the Arab population in Golan. The resolution expressed concern over the Israeli occupation's exploitation of natural resources in the occupied Palestine and Golan, emphasizing that the Israeli occupation seriously hampers efforts to achieve sustainable development and to create a sound economic environment. The Council expressed grave concerns over the ensuing consequences, mainly the deteriorating economic and living conditions of the populations in the occupied Arab territories. The resolution said the Council is gravely concerned over the accelerated Israeli settlement building in violation of the international humanitarian law and the UN relevant resolutions. The resolution voiced grave concern over the detention of Arab prisoners under tough conditions as the Israeli authorities ban family visits and exercise torture against them. The resolution emphasized the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the population in the Syrian Golan to their natural resources, and demanded that the Israeli occupation not use or jeopardize these resources or cause their loss or depletion. It also demanded that Israel refrains from destroying homes, properties, land and orchards and stops exploitation of natural resources and dumping all kinds of waste, also affirming that settlements and all the relevant structures are illegal and pose an obstacle to peace efforts and the social and economic development. The resolution also urged Israeli to stop all measures intended to change the demographic composition of the occupied Arab lands, and demanded that it complies with Geneva agreements and facilitates the visits of the Syrian citizens in occupied Golan to their families in motherland Syria via al-Quneitra crossing.