UN CERD Publishes Report on Palestine-Israel Dispute, Urges Action Against Racial Discrimination

The report also stresses the collective responsibility of all States parties to the Convention in combating racial discrimination and maintaining the rule of law.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has released the report of the ad hoc Conciliation Commission concerning the State of Palestine v. Israel case. This report, issued today, presents the conclusions and recommendations aimed at resolving the longstanding dispute between the two states over allegations of racial discrimination.

Michal Balcerzak, Chair of the Committee, emphasized the critical responsibility of both Palestine and Israel, as parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to implement the Commission’s recommendations. He also highlighted the shared duty of all States parties to the Convention in supporting this effort.

The ad hoc Conciliation Commission, established in 2022 under Article 12(1) b of the Convention, comprised five human rights experts from the Committee. The Commission's report calls for concrete measures to achieve a mutually agreed and lasting delimitation of borders and to end the ongoing colonization and segregation policies in the occupied territories. These steps are deemed essential for safeguarding the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis under the Convention.

The report also stresses the collective responsibility of all States parties to the Convention in combating racial discrimination and maintaining the rule of law. The Commission underscores that addressing impunity in cases of racial discrimination is crucial to finding a solution to the conflict.

This publication marks the conclusion of the inter-state procedure initiated by the State of Palestine in 2018 under Article 11 of the Convention, representing a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute through international legal mechanisms.