Jurists for Palestine Forum, one of Law for Palestine’s projects and the widest international network for legal professionals interested in the Question of Palestine, and in partnership with the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), are pleased to announce a webinar on the “UN Special Rapporteur’s Milestone Report on Palestine: Resuming Rights-Based Discourse”
Main information:
- Date: Monday, Nov. 7, 2022
- Time: 19:30 – 20:30 Jerusalem time || 17:30 – 19:00 GMT
- Place: Online – link will be sent to registrants.
- Language: English and Arabic. Simultaneous interpretation provided.
- Registration is required: The webinar is open for the members of Jurists for Palestine Forum (You are not a member? Register here).
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Background:
On September 21 the newly appointed UN SR on Palestine Dr. Francesca Albanese submitted her report to the HRC, and on October 26, she presented it before the UNGA at NYC.
The new report has been regarded as a milestone in the international legal discourse in Palestine –Israel for its brave framing of the struggle as one against anti-colonialism, apartheid and illegal occupation. Many parts of the report were quite unprecedented by a UN expert ever since the demise of this discourse following the peace process.
The report discussed in detail the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories explaining why the international dominant approaches to deal with the situation are ineffective and why the newly advanced apartheid discourse is insufficient. It unequivocally called for a paradigm-shift to be a rights-based approach that views the situation in light of de-colonization and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
This webinar, organised by Law for Palestine, in partnership with ARDD will be gathering international lawyers, experts and NGOs directly involved and having a first-hand experience with the report and its elements, aims to:
- Highlight the different elements and aspects of the report and provide a holistic vision of why it could be a milestone.
- Navigate the chances for a paradigm shift in third-party states’ approach towards the situation and the adaptation of the approach that the report provides.
- Deliberate the possible actions plans and strategies for civil society to make sure the report findings and recommendations are translated into action.
Speakers and Moderator:
Key Speaker:
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporture on Palestine. Albanese is an Italian human rights lawyer, Senior Advisor ar ARDD, and a research affiliate at the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), Georgetown University. She has previously worked with the UNRWA, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and a number of NGOs.
Guest speakers:
- Itay Epshtain: Special Advisor International Law and Humanitarian Principles to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and Legal Advisor to the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA). Formerly, West Bank Protection Consortium Representative, Legal Advisor with the Diakonia IHL Centre; and Country Director of Amnesty International Israel.
- Hadeel Abu Hussein: is a researcher, human rights defender and lawyer from Palestine/Green Line. She holds a PhD in international law and is a Research Fellow at Erasmus University. Her research focuses on colonialism, the Palestinian Cause and the Middle East. Previously, she was Senior research fellow and consultancy advisor at The Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law, and a Fellow at the University of Oxford.
- Josh Ruebner: an adjunct lecturer in Justice and Peace Studies at Georgetown University. He was Policy Director for the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights after a stint as an Analyst in Middle East Policy for Congressional Research Service. He is the author of “Shattered Hopes: Obama’s Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace” and “Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?”.
- Wesam Ahmad: Director of the Applied Center for International of Al-Haq and Coordinator of Al-Haq’s Business and Human Rights Program. His area of research focuses on the economic incentive structure perpetuating the colonization of Palestine along business lines.
Moderator: Diana Alzeer, a Palestinian human rights defender. Currently she is Head of Strategic Outreach and Communication with Al-Haq, and Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights. Diana studied Journalism and Sociology at Birzeit University and finished her MA degree in Political Science and International Relations from Durham University, UK.
