There is wide agreement among Citizens of the World that the United Nations must always stand for the rule of law in both international and domestic affairs. In order to reach this goal, there must be some universally accepted values, institutions, and practices. There is a need to develop the rule of law with constant attention to human rights and to identify the needs of the poor and vulnerable and to respond to these needs tangibly.
The adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the U.N. General Assembly in 1948 sets out the standards of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the same way, the Geneva Conventions set out the framework for international humanitarian law. Today, there are situations with gross violations of human rights, with the displacement of people creating human suffering on a massive scale. One such situation, on which the Association of World Citizens has drawn attention is the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Since the start of the current Israeli - Palestinian armed conflict in October 2023, an estimated 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Medical facilities have been deliberately attacked and medical workers killed in violation of international humanitarian law. Educational buildings have been destroyed, bringing education to a halt in many areas. People have been repeatedly displaced and their homes destroyed. Food, medicine, and other vital goods have been prevented from entry into the Gaza Strip or have entered in much too small amounts to meet the needs. The relief convoys have been attacked by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have been pushed to extreme actions by hunger and fear.
There have been protests on Israeli military actions in a good number of countries, and some persons have spoken of Israeli actions as genocide according to the 1948 Genocide Convention. The Association of World Citizens has stressed widely the need to respect international humanitarian law. There is also a need to prevent an increase in violence in the West Bank among Israeli settlers and Palestinian villagers. Efforts must be made to start negotiations in good faith for a political solution that ensures freedom, human rights and the collective safety of all Israelis and Palestinians.
René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
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