GENEVA (13 March 2023) – As part of its mandate and its investigations, the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, will hold a second series of public hearings from 20 to 24 March 2023, in Geneva. The Commission of Inquiry held a first series of public hearings from 7 to 11 November 2022.

The hearings are open to accredited media, will take place in the Palais des Nations, and will be broadcast live in English on UN Web TV. Media without UNOG media credentials who wish to attend need to register on UNOG Indico.

This new series of hearings will focus on the shrinking space for civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem and in Israel. The Commission will hear from human rights defenders and activists, women human rights defenders, cultural activists, journalists, lawyers and witnesses who have been subjected to or witnessed attacks, restrictions and harassment by authorities and non-State actors.

In May 2021, the Commission of Inquiry was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021, and all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.

These hearings will form part of the Commission’s ongoing investigative work, including for upcoming reports.

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The UN Human Rights Council mandated the Commission on 27 May 2021 to “investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up and since 13 April 2021”. In July 2021, the President of the Human Rights Council announced the appointment of Navanethem Pillay (South Africa), Miloon Kothari (India) and Christopher Sidoti (Australia) to serve as the three members of the Commission and indicated that Ms. Pillay would serve as Chair. Resolution A/HRC/RES/S-30/1 further requested the commission of inquiry to “investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity.” The Commission of Inquiry was mandated to report to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly annually from June 2022 and September 2022, respectively.