OHCHR - Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the oPt

Duty bearers: Palestinian Authority, de facto Authority in Gaza and State of Israel

Other stakeholders: Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs, Local and international media outlets, the UN system in oPt and Member States

Guided by the UN Human Rights Operational Management Plan (oMP) 2018-2023

Participation: Strengthened and respected laws, policies, protecting the right to participate and civic space, by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

Non-Discrimination: Women's rights, youth, and people with disabilities and the rights of LGBTIQs are respected, targeting both Israeli and Palestinians duty bearers.

Peace &Security: Human rights are integrated in humanitarian strategies, planning and response, and central to the COVID pandemic response.

Accountability: International Law obligations is respected by Israeli and Palestinian duty bearers as well as Member States, international and regional actors.

Development: International human rights obligations as well as the SDGs are sustainably advanced.

Mechanisms: Capacities and commitments of Palestinian duty bearers and rights holders are enhanced to implement the outcomes of the international human rights mechanisms.

Expected results:  

1.   Safeguarding civic space (freedoms of expression, assembly, and association) by all three duty-bearers, with all duty-bearers being aware of their obligations to protect civic space. 

2.   Awareness of national authorities and civil society of human rights in elections is raised and HR violations are monitored.

3.   Improve advocacy on the rights of persons with disabilities and women’s rights by advancing human rights based approach.

4.   Humanitarian Protection cluster working groups are guided by HR and IHL, with a focus on including vulnerable groups and greater knowledge of HR standards in COVID-19 emergency response mainstreamed into UNCT and national authorities COVID-19 response.

5.   Support Palestinian Authorities and key national stakeholders to incorporate human rights treaty obligations domestically.

6.   Produce reliable and accurate documentation on arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and torture by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.

7.    UN entities in the oPt are increasingly utilizing the human rights treaties and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the National Policy Agenda in their advocacy work and technical assistance.

Results from previous phases:  

1. Accountability: Provided legal analysis of several Palestinian laws (i.e. Family Protection Bill, National Preventive Mechanism (NPM)), conducted training of law enforcement officers with access to 27 detention facilities. Palestinian duty bearers agreed to sustain a Defacto moratorium on death penalty and provided several mandated reports to international forums (HRC and UN General Assembly).

2. Participation: Monitored laws, policies and practices to protect civic space with focus on Women HRDs.

3. Non-discrimination: OHCHR-oPt was accredited for UN HR-Gender in Jan 2020, to carry out gender-sensitive monitoring and activities on Women rights (focus on GBV and gender-related killings). A special report on the situation of women and girls in the oPt was submitted to HRC.

4. Development aspects: Technical discussions conducted with Palestinian Ministry of Justice and Interior to mainstream HR standards and to integrate SDG 16 targets and indicators. OHCHR led the humanitarian Protection Cluster and contributed to guiding the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) with legal analysis and engaged with key protection actors.

5. Mechanisms: Continued to provide guidance and support about interaction with HR treaty bodies (CEDAW, CERD and CRPD). Specific training on CAT and ICCPR was conducted. 

-    Synergies and coordination with SDC partners: the Independent Commission of Human rights (ICHR), Israeli and Palestinian NGOs supported by Switzerland, WHO and OCHA (the Humanitarian Fund (HF)

-    Continuous coordination and consultation with Swiss actors in the region and in Switzerland.

-    Coordination with other interventions conducted by like-minded countries at local level (e.g. informal HR platform; EU Civil society roadmap).