Baroness Northover writes for ePolitix.com ahead of her House of Lords question on the UN fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict. Skip related content
The UN fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict is a beacon to international law. Its recommendations should be implemented without prevarication or delay.
The world was horrified by the conflict in Gaza.
The UN Human Rights Council ordered an investigation headed by Richard Goldstone, former chief prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. He insisted that the mandate should allow examination of international law violations on both sides.
The Mission's wide-ranging and penetrating report concluded that there was compelling evidence of war crimes committed both by Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups, but especially the former.
They recommended that their findings should go to the Security Council, and thence to the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, if both sides did not undertake credible investigations within six months.
The Israeli government has lobbied fiercely against the report. Palestinian President Abbas, bowing to US pressure, was desperately undermined. The UK government called the report "flawed"; the Israeli government denounced the report as rigged - implausible accusations, given Goldstone's background and experience, and the consistency of the Mission's findings with those of the UN, ICRC, and human rights groups on the ground.
There has been no credible rebuttal to the report's substance. Meanwhile Israeli PM Netanyahu stated that IDF soldiers will not be subjected to investigation; his army chief of staff said he would resign if they were.
Goldstone has commented on what he saw in Gaza: "I was surprised and shocked by the destruction and misery there. I had not expected it. I did not anticipate that the IDF would have targeted civilians and civilian objects. I did not anticipate seeing the vast destruction of the economic infrastructure of Gaza including its agricultural lands, industrial factories, water supply and sanitation works. These are not military targets."
He argued: The lack of accountability for war crimes and possible crimes against humanity has reached crisis point; the ongoing lack of justice is undermining any hope for a successful peace process
And this is the crux of the matter. If there is no possibility of justice, how can there be hope? And that is in no-one's interests neither Israelis nor Palestinians. That is why this report must be treated with due gravity, and its recommendations implemented. Far from being silent or equivocal, the UK government should take the lead in upholding international law.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the Northern Hemisphere, global health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over.
