NEW YORK / GENEVA (28 October 2016) – Palestine’s right to development is being denied by Israel, creating an environment plagued by poverty, “epic” unemployment and economic stagnation, according to a new report from a United Nations human rights expert.
Michael Lynk - the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 - expresses deep concerns about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), in the context of the right to development.
He calls on Israel to bring a complete end to almost 50 years of occupation, describing an atmosphere of “despair and hopelessness” among Palestinian citizens.
“The Palestinian economy is without parallel in the modern world,” said Mr. Lynk, delivering his first report* to the UN General Assembly in New York. “Israel’s occupation is denying Palestine’s right to development and severely hampering its ability to attain even the minimum targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Poverty is rising. Unemployment is rising to epic levels. Food insecurity is becoming more acute. The Palestinian economy is becoming more stifled and less viable under the occupation,” the expert said. “Israel’s deliberate fragmentation of the OPT and lack of development has negatively impacted human rights.”
Gaza has among the highest unemployment rates in the world – an overall figure of 42%, rising to 58% among the youth population, Mr. Lynk noted. In the OPT as a whole, unemployment hit 27% in 2016 – up from 12% in 1999.
“This occupation – which will be 50 years old in 2017 – is seriously deficient in its respect for the legal principles and obligations embedded within the right to development,” said Mr. Lynk.
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