LaSER 24

Two Funding Opportunities

To support organisation of hustings before the General election (May 7, 2015), UNA-UK is running an outreach grant scheme to help with the cost of running events. Contact Rich Nelmes, UNA Head of Outreach ([email protected] / 020 7766 3456), for more information.

Grants are available from the London & SE Region Trust for projects undertaken by a branch or an individual that further the objectives of UNA-UK; branch capital funding; meeting/husting or local group support; study tours. Contact Catherine Pluygers (Chair) for an application form (119 Woolstone Rd, Forest Hill, London SE23 2TQ/ [email protected])

New Chair for the Region 1

Two Funding Opportunities 1

Annual General Meeting 22 November 2014 2

Your New Committee 2

Feature Branch : Tunbridge Wells UNA 2

The Big Issues: a personal analysis 3

Obituary: Helen Bamber 3

Est-ce-que Je Suis Charlie? 4

Paris Tragedy Fans Anti-Islam Hysteria 4-5

Re-opening the inquiry into death of Dag Hammarskjöld 5

Time for Transparency for all Top UN Appointments 6

UNA-UK Policy Conference 2015 6

13th Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen

International Law Lecture 6

BDS Controversy 7

Forthcoming Events 8

Copy date for

the next issue:

30 April 2015

Contribution guidelines and past issues, go to: www.unalondonandse.org Editors: Neville Grant & Linda Leung ([email protected])

The London and South East Region is part of UNA-UK, currently serving 23 branches in the Region. Views expressed in this membership newsletter do not necessarily represent the policy of UNA-UK or the Region.

New Chair for the Region

Catherine Pluygers was elected as the Region’s new Chair at last November’s AGM. We are well aware that Catherine is a dedicated UNA member, but there is so much more.

Born in Colchester, Catherine attended Gilberd Technical High School and then studied oboe at the Royal College of Music and composition at Goldsmith's College. She has an M.Mus degree in composition. Catherine started out as a freelance musician working for Opera North, BBC Radio Orchestra and Sadler’s Wells before going into teaching and running her own projects. She launched a wind symphony orchestra and summer school in the 80's and more recently works with improvisation and film as well as directs a contemporary music festival (now

into its 17th

year). She has consistently championed new music by women composers. With Dutch parents, her mother lived under German occupation and her father was interned by the Japanese in the Second World War, settling on a fruit farm in the UK afterwards. Ten years ago, Catherine was undertaking large tours as a soloist to USA, Hong Kong, India and North Korea where by chance she found herself in the 'NGO' bar in the embassies' compound and somehow the subject of UN/UNA came up. On her return to the UK, she wrote to Malcolm Harper who put her in touch with David Wardrop. In 2008, she studied at Birkbeck College University of London for a Certificate in Development Studies. Shortly afterwards she joined WILPF Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). She is currently a committee member of the London Branch which recently hosted the one-day event: 'Sexual Violence in Conflict: from Global to Local Actions'. She helps plan flagship events for Voices of African Women (in conjunction with L&SER UNA), MEWC (Make Every Woman Count, founded by Rainate Sow), and organise UNA/WILPF projects on trafficking. Catherine is currently a committee member of Westminster UNA, Vice-Chair of Putney and Roehampton UNA and has been on the committee of the London & SE Region for three years. Her hobbies are reading, contemporary art, sport and nature. To learn more about Catherine’s work, visit www.catherinepluygers.co.uk. To read Catherine’s address at the last AGM, visit www.unalondonandse.org

ISSUE

24 FEBRUARY 2015 London & SE Region

United Nations Association

TRIANNUAL NEWSLETTER

OF THE LONDON &

SOUTHEAST REGION

Annual General Meeting – November 2014

The Region’s AGM successfully concluded on 22 November. We thank and bid farewell to outgoing President (Philippe Sands QC) and Chair (Roger Hallam).

Before handing over chairmanship to Catherine Pluygers, Roger Hallam recapped some of the highlights of 2014. President Philippe Sands QC’s discussion at the previous AGM of the case for armed

British intervention in Syria following the use of chemical weapons, and parliament’s refusal to support it. All agreed that Parliament should be praised for voting against taking part in the war - which had had the happy result of removing the vast bulk of the Syrian regime's chemical weapons: a rare example of international co-operation in a crisis situation

Hosted high profile and high impact meetings, including UN: Working on Water (with King’s College London), House of Lords meeting on Syria’s chemical weapons; Eyewitness Palestine (Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church)

Spring Council in Canterbury, organised by Sheila Kesby, on lobbying, influencing policy and working with young people. Sheila is also to be congratulated on the UNA’s national Distinguished Service Award: no one deserved it more.

Bumper editions of the newsletter LaSER, which covered a wide range of issues, promoted national, regional and branch events and, in many cases, reported on them afterwards.

The London UNA Trust provided funding for Charlene Misago to attend the UNA Edinburgh Youth Conference (report in LaSER 22 / June 2014); and for Eastbourne UNA (www.unaeastbourne.org.uk) to undertake outreach work in India and Uganda.

Roger praised the branches in the region for continuing to mount a wide range of interesting meetings, MUNGAs and debates. Nevertheless, membership remained a serious issue, and Roger emphasised the importance of working with schools and universities. He pointed out that the decline in membership numbers mirrors a general trend (including massive falls in membership in political parties) but UN-related societies are flourishing in a number of universities and colleges. The committee has had contact with such societies at King’s, Royal Holloway, UCL and London Metropolitan. There is an opportunity, and need, for branches and university societies to get together, perhaps helping with the problem of continuity that some university groups experience. Minutes of the AGM are available upon request. Contact Hon Sec Neville Grant.

organisations and have joined with Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International and the Soroptimists to hold public meetings. Our MUNGA is held free of hire charge in the town hall. For many years we ran a UNA stall at the annual Quaker Peace Fair and held committee and public meetings in the local Friends Meeting House. However the Peace Fair ceased, and after the Friends introduced charges we started to hold committee meetings in our homes and only hire venue for public events. We have held hustings on UN issues, and for some public talks we have tapped into our own members’ expertise: Alan Bullion, treasurer, has spoken on Sri Lanka and Brian Beeley, membership secretary, has spoken on the Middle East. We aim to hold two public meetings a year. In April 2014 Natalie Samarasinghe, UNA-UK Director, spoke on ‘What can women expect

from the UN?’ and in November, a panel of three local speakers (coordinator of a local FoE branch, a grammar school teacher in charge of innovative eco projects, and our treasurer who works on food security and energy policy issues) discussed ‘If not fracking then what?’ This last meeting was a particular success. We were able to compile a list of local supporters which would in turn help target our future publicity. In 2015, we hope to hold a spring meeting on overseas aid. We try where possible to support the activities of L&SE Region and its branches. Our treasurer was, and our chair is, on the LaSER committee. In 2014/15 members of our branch participated in L&SE Region AGMs, the Spring Council, the UN-UK Forum, the Brighton Palestine/Israel event and discussion following the Canterbury peace drama. For more information, visit: www.una.org.uk/members/branches/una-tunbridge-wells

Your New Committee (2014-15) CHAIR Catherine Pluygers (Putney & Roehampton /Westminster UNA)

DEPUTY-CHAIRMAN Kishan Manocha (Westminster UNA)

TREASURER Peter Webster (Clapham & Streatham UNA)

HON. SEC. Neville Grant (Blackheath & Greenwich UNA)

COMMITTEE MEMBERS Jane Beeley (Tunbridge Wells UNA) Roger Hallam (Enfield and the Barnets UNA) Wendy Higgs (Blackheath & Greenwich UNA) Keith Hindell (Westminster UNA) David Wardrop (Westminster UNA) Rob Storey (Putney & Roehampton UNA)

SPECIAL THANKS TO

outgoing President Philippe Sands QC; and Committee members: Alan Bullion (Tunbridge Wells UNA), Tim Garbutt (Canterbury UNA), Ali Hessami (Enfield and the Barnets UNA), Sheila Kesby (Canterbury UNA), Anusha Vamadeva (Clapham & Streatham UNA)

www.unalondonandse.org

PAGE 2 LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015

Tunbridge Wells UNA

The London & SE Committee hopes to visit each branch in the Region in 2015. In the meantime, Jane Beeley gives an overview of her branch.

We are a small, long-established branch, with just 30 members including two corporate members. A small core of these is active. After struggling without a secretary for about four years, in 2012 we were very pleased when Julia Jarrold, one of our members, volunteered to take on this role. Julia also updates our branch information on the web and ensures that the branch has an active Facebook presence. We feel social media is an important means of engaging with young people. We have links with local

The Big Issues: a personal analysis

Alison Williams summarises talk by Region President, Stephen Hockman QC

The overall theme of our President’s talk on 22nd

November was the interaction between the law and social/cultural change and the policy objectives suggested by that relationship. Legal change can come through new laws passed in response to social change or to precipitate it. At the international level, it comes through treaties, such as the UN Charter. It may also come through the decisions of judges.

The example of smoking illustrates legal change by judicial decision (American judges ruled against tobacco companies for failure to disclose evidence of the harm caused by nicotine) and by new law to promote social change (parliament banned smoking in public places). The change has been striking: when most of us were young, everyone smoked; now very few do. Another example of striking social change is the transformation of attitudes regarding equality and diversity. In all modern western societies, a broadening toleration has been stimulated and or reinforced by legislation on Race Relations and Employment. The Human Rights Act (1998; in force from 2000) is an example of an international treaty (The European Convention on Human Rights) being adopted into domestic law. It has since required a lot of training for lawyers on its implementation and a section of Conservative opinion is strongly opposed to it. Lord Bingham took a proactive approach to the Act, quashing some control orders and insisting that there are limits to what government can do in the name of “national security”. An exchange between Lord Bingham and then Home Secretary Charles Clarke clearly illustrated the difference between legal and political approaches to matters: Secretary Clarke suggested they meet for lunch to negotiate a compromise; Lord Bingham said that was not quite how the law works. Stephen then spoke of three Big Issues which he believed need to be addressed by stimulating legal and social/cultural interaction.

1. Climate Change. His practice is in international environmental law and he promotes the case for an Environmental Court to achieve a change of attitude comparable to the examples of smoking, equality and human rights.

2. Financial Regulation. It is now clear how vulnerable the existing system is, and the Governor of the Bank of England recently acknowledged that bankers’ salaries are still far too high and the culture unreformed.

3. Islam’s relations with the Rest of the World. The Muslim community feels beleaguered on all sides - including by some members of its own community. It is vital to build bridges.

In all three cases, major changes of attitude are required. In reply to a question how international environmental law could be enforced, Stephen praised the working model of the European Union, where one legal system applies across all members. He left with us the thought that we might need to move to a more unified system globally.

Stephens Trophy

Twickenham and Richmond UNA was awarded the Stephens Trophy this year for mounting an excellent series of meetings. Region President handed the trophy over to the

branch's representative, Olivia Richardson.

Obituary

It is with sadness that I report the passing of Helen Bamber OBE, our former President (2003 -4) in August 2014 aged 89. I deeply admire the work she did with people who experienced un-imaginable suffering in their lives, and her work as a campaigner. Helen’s passing came to my attention in an obituary in Therapy Today, the magazine for psycho-therapy professionals in the UK, where she had been a Patron. From my own personal experience of Helen, it was clear that she understood the importance of enabling an individual to be able to tell their story, in their own time, in their own way as a healing tool. It was clear that she had immense strength that enabled her to witness harrowing accounts time after time, and her gentle compassion inevitably allowed the healing process to begin. Helen was a great campaigner, bringing attention about the brutality and futility of using torture as a tool by national regimes, emphatically stating there is absolutely no place for it in society. She also brought our attention to the plight of asylum seekers in our own country, stating that there is a ‘regrettable shortfall in under-standing what some asylum seekers have to go through, and a wanton disregard of evidence that people’s lives were in danger when adjudicating on whether they should be given asylum’ (speaking at the Region’s 04 AGM). More than 10 years after her Presidency with us, Helen’s work is still highly relevant and continues. We are extremely grateful for her work with us, and the inspiration that surely reached many of us in the Region.

LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGION United Nations Association

Helen was named European Woman of Achievement in 1993, made an OBE in 1997, and received the inaugural Times/Sternberg Active Life award in 2008 for continuing to "assert the questing spirit of humanity". The Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists honoured Helen with the Inspiration Award in 2009 for her efforts against human trafficking. Further tributes and details of her ongoing work can be found at www.helenbamber.org. Linda Hardy (McCulloch)

PAGE 3 LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015

Est-ce-que Je Suis Charlie?

Neville Grant gives a personal view.

Are you wearing a lapel badge saying Je Suis Charlie? - or perhaps Nous sommes Charlie – if you think this more expressive. However, are either wholly appropriate? Of course the attacks on freedom of speech, and the murder of

so many people are deeply abhorrent. Such violence can never be justified. Nevertheless, the facts on the ground are these: power structures in France are strongly secular with a significant Christian underlay; there is a large and relatively powerless Muslim minority; and the secular majority are insisting on their democratic right to mock the beliefs of the minority (though, to be fair, both Catholics and Jewish fundamentalists have also been targets.) But the Muslim minority feel a great deal more vulnerable, especially given the incipient racism that underlies much of French politics. Some of the cartoons in Charlie Hebdo do appear to tread a very fine line between mockery and hatred. There is no doubt that the Muslim community find this hard to take. In 2007, several Muslim organisations took the maga-zine to court for allegedly inciting hatred and insulting Islam and Muslims generally. The court ruled that the magazine had not exceeded "the admissible limits of freedom of speech". Many French Muslims are asking why is it acceptable for Charlie Hebdo to mock Islam, when the controversial comic Dieudonne M'bala M'bala is prosecuted for mocking Jews? Why is one defined as "inciting hatred" and not the other? This situation is not going to make for community cohesion and encourage mutual tolerance, let alone respect. In fact it is likely to do the exact opposite. And as we have seen, it gives the crazies with guns a loophole to exploit for their own violent beliefs. Should the French government be subsidising millions of copies of the next issue of Charlie Hebdo? We do not at time of writing know what its contents are: but if mocking people for their religious beliefs is seen as an acceptable function of the state, who knows where this could lead. One thing is sure: it will not lead to social harmony and

cohesion, and the threat of future violence looks like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Writing in the New York Times, David Brooks argues: "The attack in France reminds us to look closely at our own speech codes, and to remember that offensive speech should be discouraged socially but never legally." One could go further: the legal constraints may need to be more clearly defined, and more sensitively interpreted. Freedom of speech also means that we should feel free to criticise cartoonists who show no social responsibility. The fact is that those cartoonists knew of the danger (not just to themselves but to society) of what they were doing, and the outcome was, sooner or later, predictable. One grieves for the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo, and their families; and for the other victims. One is particularly shocked that members of the Jewish community should have been so brutally singled out. But freedom of speech does not relieve one of responsibility. Those who give Charlie Hebdo carte blanche need to take note of the number of people in France who joined the "Je ne suis pas Charlie" Facebook page. The mainly Muslim French people who signed up may not be supporters of the violence shown by the Kouachis and Coulibaly but it is clear that many will be extremely reluctant to support a national movement that backs people who they feel insulted the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims are also angry at what they see as double standards: Why so much fuss over 17 dead when thousands were killed in Gaza? No wonder there are schools in the banlieues where the minute's silence on the Thursday following the outrage in memory of the Charlie Hebdo victims was disrupted by pupils – or indeed ignored. It all goes to show that there are many French citizens who feel their primary attachment is to Islam, rather than the secular values of the French Republic. M Hollande's call for "national unity" sound hollow when one is confronted by these divisions in French society. In the UK, our own culture has changed - and improved - immeasurably, in my view, since we became a multi-cultural society. Of course, there is no reason for complacency, and we have our own home-grown crazies on all sides. But perhaps the French should be aware that cultures are not static, but can adapt.

Your Views Welcome! What do YOU think? Should liberal democracies adapt and change - or should other cultures and faiths adapt and change to recognise they are living in a pluralistic society? Or should there be give and take on both sides? Visit www.unalondonandse.org to register your view.

Paris Tragedy Fans Anti-Islam Hysteria

The Islamic Forum of Europe issued a statement on 14 January, reproduced below.

Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) condemns the murder of the French journalists and citizens by extremists. They have not avenged the noble Prophet Muhammad, but sullied our Islamic faith and have inevitably led to the hate crimes directed at the Muslim community. However, pressure on the Muslim community to always condemn crimes committed by extremists within the Muslim community is not acceptable, the same way we do not expect Christians to apologise for the 2011 massacre in Norway by Anders Breivik. (cont’d on page 5)

www.unalondonandse.org

PAGE 4 LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015

Or In solidarity with fellow cartoonists- Sajith Kumar

Let us sit upon the ground…and tell sad stories of the death of kings

David Wardrop chronicles the successful campaign to re-open the inquiry into the death of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961.

Hammarskjöld’s unexplained death in 1961 when seeking to bring peace to the newly-

independent Republic of the Congo (now D.R.C) generated several unsatisfactory inquiries, leading the General Assembly to decide to re-open its inquiry if new evidence arose. The book Who killed Hammarskjöld (2012) reviewed new evidence, prompting the creation of the Hammar-skjöld Commission comprising four retired eminent jurists. They identified important new evidence and their report was submitted to Ban Ki-moon who by his agreement, invited the GA to consider re-opening the inquiry. However, Sweden and a cadre of retired senior UN officials had long opposed such an initiative. So who might take the lead? The Justice for Hammarskjöld Facebook page and similar independent projects lacked international status, and remain unable to influence the international community. Westminster UNA, working with Dr Susan Williams, author of Who killed Hammarskjöld and Dr Henning Melber, former Director of the Hammarskjöld Foundation in Uppsala, Sweden, then

set up an international campaign. In the House of Lords, Westminster UNA briefed diplomats from more than 60 affected countries and a later mailing targeted their UN-based colleagues. Westminster UNA also arranged for an Irish Congo veteran to meet the Irish ambassador in London, to urge that Ireland participate in the UN GA debate on 15 December 2014. In November, its widely-circulated open letter promoting the necessary GA debate gathered co-sponsors from 17 countries including Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari and former UN Under-Secretary-General Lakhdar Brahimi. The open letter prompted a similar one written by leading Swedish personalities addressed to the new Swedish government. Within 2 days, despite opposition by senior parliamentarians, the Swedish government indicated it would not only support the initiative in the GA but lead it. Then, all was thrown into uncertainty as the coalition appeared to collapse threatening the Hammarskjöld initiative. A short-term resolution to this crisis restored it and on 15 December, the Swedish delegate to the UN proposed the re-opening of the inquiry, supported by 20 other delegations (including Ireland). Following review by the UN’s Finance Committee, the resolution returned to

the GA, now gathering consensus support from all 194 member states. The Resolution requests Ban Ki-moon to appoint an independent panel of experts to examine new information and to assess its probative value. Also it encourages Member States to release any relevant records and requests the Secretary-General to report to the GA within the year on progress made. For Westminster UNA, the opportunity to seek to influence international statesmen and women from all continents, journalists and UN Member States on a seemingly arcane issue made for a unique experience and its justification was articulated in the closing section of its open letter. “To those who insist it is a waste of time to review such events from history, we would argue that the injustice felt at the time still resonates today. This relates to the role of the UN, to the treatment of colonised nations in Africa, to the con-duct of the superpowers and also of multi-nationals. At a time when critics of the UN System and its Member States challenge its determination to manifest the principle of transparency, it is on such issues that it and they will be judged.” Clearly, this was a sentiment shared by many delegates, leading to the consensus agreement at the General Assembly.

Footnote: The Westminster UNA website has a wealth of information. Visit: www.unawestminster.org.uk

Paris Tragedy Fans Anti-Islam Hysteria (statement continues)

The French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s publication of new cartoons, in response, is not a defence of freedom of speech, but a provocation which we fear will lead to further escalations. The other media outlets and leaders jumping on the bandwagon of free speech fail to mention that such freedoms are not absolute – Charlie Hebdo sacked a contributor for a Jewish joke mocking the former French President’s son. Insulting and baiting the most revered symbols of a minority and marginalised community, whilst penalising those who mock the elite, is not free speech. The Prophet Muhammad is deeply revered by 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, and the cartoons mocking the Prophet were patently inflammatory and provocative. Tragic as the deaths are, for the victims, their families, society and the anti-Muslim hate generated as a result, the reality is that the extremist murderers have lionized an obscure failing magazine, with a tiny circulation and have propelled it to international fame. [End] Notes to editors: 1. Islamic Forum of Europe (established in 1988) is a British community organisation that seeks social and spiritual renewal,

drawing its ethos from the Islamic faith. Working within the community, with people of all faiths and none, it encourages people to be civically active and participate in the democratic process for the common good.

2. For media and other queries, contact: 0207456 1062 | [email protected] | www.islamicforumeurope.com

LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGION United Nations Association

LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015 PAGE 5

Time for Transparency for All Top UN Appointments

Westminster UNA puts its case.

UNA-UK is a founding member of the global 1 for 7 Billion Campaign launched last December, calling for an open, fair and inclusive process to select the best possible candidate for Secretary-General of the UN. Partners include Avaaz, Amnesty International, CIVICUS, Equality Now, FEMNET, Forum Asia, Third World Network, Women’s Environment and Development Organization and the World Federation of UN Associations. The first strand of the campaign was an open letter sent to all UN Member States calling for an end to the secret deals and horse-trading that see five countries hold sway over an appointment that affects all the world’s people. Westminster UNA notes that the campaign does not extend to other top UN posts. A Report by the UN Joint Inspection Unit (UNJIU) states: the Secretary-General insists that the

interview panel should submit to him a choice of at least three candidates for any position, at least one of whom is a woman. .

the Secretary-General recognises the political realities that he must reflect in the Organization, but that no position is reserved for any Member State.

Specifically, the Campaign calls for: ­ A process that aims to produce the

best possible candidate ­ Formal selection criteria that reflect

best practice in equality and diversity

­ Greater transparency, including a clear timetable and official shortlist

­ Open sessions that enable all states, and other stakeholders, to interact with nominees and have input in the process

­ Candidates to submit vision statements and to undertake not to make promises on specific appointments prior to their confirmation

­ More than one candidate to be put forward by the Security Council

­ A single term of office to help the Secretary-General pursue longer-term aims without the disruption of re-election campaigning

According to GA resolution 46/232, as a general rule, no national of a Member State should succeed a national of that State in a senior post; there should be no monopoly on senior posts by nationals of any State or group of States

The matter is immediate as Baroness Valerie Amos (UK), UN USG for Humanitarian Affairs & Relief Coordination, will retire in 2 months’ time. It is reported that although Ban Ki-moon has requested Prime Minister David Cameron to submit the required shortlist of 3 names, only that of Andrew Lansley MP was submitted. Lord Malloch Brown, former UN Deputy Secretary General and Mark Goldring, Chief Executive of Oxfam have both pointed out Mr Lansley’s lack of experience and qualification in this area. Therefore Westminster UNA urges that the British government set an example to other P5 States by supporting the principle of Ban Ki-moon’s statements, and to urge the UN Secretary-General to make clear his intention to encourage transparency for all UN appointments. Without such an initiative, the ‘One for Seven Billion’ campaign may be seen by some as hypocritical; ‘one rule for us and another for the rest of you.’

www.unalondonandse.org

…seven billion people across the world are affected by his or her decisions. That's why choosing the best Secretary-General for the United Nations is so important…

UNA-UK Policy Conference 2015 Sat 16th May, 2015 Resource for London 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA Click here to register This is members’ opportunity to input into UNA-UK's policy over the coming two years. This conference is particularly important as it will feed into the development of UNA-UK’s next strategic plan, work on which will begin in the second half of 2015. Submissions need to be supported by six individual members of UNA and sent in by Monday 9th March if they are to be placed on the agenda for discussion. Submissions by email to [email protected] or by post to 3 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EL More information and electronic form available on www.una.org.uk/policy-conference

13th Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen International Law Lecture 25 February 2015 at 6.30pm Brunei Lecture Theatre, SOAS, London WC1H 0AL (tube: Russell Square) ‘The United Nations Special Procedures system and the challenges of human rights implementation'

Dr Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Click here to register For our 13

th law lecture, we are fortunate that Dr Shaheed is in

the UK and able to alert us to the stresses now threatening a human rights mechanism never envisaged in the UN Charter. He will argue for greater use of the special procedures system, including closer integration into the Rights Up Front framework proposed by Ban Ki Moon in 2013. The system’s primary function of holding governments to account must be safeguarded. But how can this be achieved and sustained? All are welcome. A reception will follow the lecture and we hope you will join us. The lecture is organised by United Nations Association-Westminster in association with The Bar Council of England and Wales and The Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London

PAGE 6 LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015

Controversy: Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions?

The Arab/Israeli conflict has been going on for decades, with no visible end in sight. Israel insists on its right to a national home, in peace and security. The Palestinian population, both in Israel itself, in the Occupied Territories and Gaza, and in exile, insist that their land has been stolen, their fundamental rights are being constantly infringed, and the world is not listening. For example, the Israeli organisation B'Tselem (Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories), cites grave violations of human rights in Hebron "because of the presence of settlers in the city." Tragically, the cycle of violence seems never-ending - with the Palestinians disproportionately on the receiving end. There must be a better way. Below, LaSER highlights the arguments for and against the BDS strategy being applied to solve the Israel Palestinian issue – and urges you to VOTE on the issue. LaSER also welcomes letters on the subject.

Yes to BDS

Argued by Neville Grant

No to BDS

Argued by Keith Hindell

The campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)

against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights was initiated by Palestinian civil society in 2005 – a year after the International Court of Justice’s historic advisory opinion on the illegality of Israel’s Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

Land continues to be grabbed for settlements, houses continue to be demolished, road blocks and walls and "settler only" roads continue to make it extremely difficult for Palestinians to lead normal lives. Despite repeated condemnation of Israeli policies by the UN, other international bodies, and human rights organisations, the world community has failed to hold Israel accountable and enforce compliance with basic principles of law. Israel’s crimes have continued with impunity.

UN Special Rapporteur on "the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967", Richard A. Falk, [66] in his 2012 report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) recommended that "businesses highlighted in the report – as well as the many other businesses that are profiting from the Israeli settlement enterprise – should be boycotted until they bring their operations into line with international human rights and humanitarian law and standards." He specifically named a long list of companies from the US, Israel, Sweden, France, the UK, Netherlands and Mexico. At a news conference Falk said: "The focus on business activities is partly an expression of frustration about the inability to obtain compliance with these fundamental legal obligations of Israel and the ineffectiveness of the U.N. efforts to condemn settlement expansion."

For reasons that are well-known, the US cannot act as an honest broker in securing a just and lasting settlement, although there was a laudable if doomed attempt by John Kerry. The suggestion now is that the EU should take the lead: HMG should present to the EU a coherent and compelling argument for the EU to take the lead in a carefully calibrated movement of BDS, to persuade the Israeli government that they cannot continue with their present policies. This is not just about justice for Palestinians: Israelis need to be saved from themselves. In the words of the Chicago Tribune June 2014, 'so long as the Israeli government remains unchanged, the Jewish state will remain locked into self-destruction".

This proposition is hopelessly one sided. Israel and the

Palestinians both need to negotiate a peace treaty which settles the main outstanding issues- namely, land, frontiers, walls in the occupied territories, movement of people and workers across borders, Jewish settlements in the territories, refugees and of course recognition of Israel and Palestine as permanent states.

Both sides have behaved abominably towards each other from time to time. Both sides have felt under threat of annihilation much of the time. The UN, the US, Britain, Norway the EU and others have acted as mediators and encouraged negotiations, so far without success. A policy of boycott, disinvestment and sanctions against Israel alone will never get the support of the United States or the UN Security Council. I doubt that any British government would adopt such a policy. So even if the rest of the world supported BDS it won't achieve its objective.

Both sides do need encouragement to resume peace talks but one-sided moves will only harden attitudes. In the aftermath of "Charlie Hebdo" one-sided pressure on Israel will be seen as weakness in the face of radical Islam. In fact the atrocities committed in Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia are so appalling they bolster the hawks in Israel and in their eyes justify the very bloody "attacks " on Gaza.

These atrocities also discredit the theory that all the turmoil in the Middle East over the last 60 years is rooted in the foundation of Israel. Neither Syria, nor Isis , nor Boko Haram, nor the Taliban, nor Al Qaida kill thousands of other Muslims in order to eliminate Israel.

The only glimmer of peace at the moment seems to be that the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel are cooperating on a number of domestic matters. Let them build on that.

Let us know what you think. We would like to get feedback in time for UNA's policy Conference in May. To vote, go to www.unalondonandse.org

LONDON AND SOUTH EAST REGION United Nations Association

by 28 February 2015

LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015 7

Forthcoming Events

“WHAT DOES THE UN DO FOR WOMEN AND WHAT DO WOMEN DO FOR THE UN” 9 March / 7.30pm Putney Methodist Church Hall, Putney SW15 6SN (Corner Upper Richmond Rd and Gwendolen Avenue) The meeting will be chaired by Catherine Pluygers. Speakers include Natalie Samarasinghe (UNA-UK Executive Director) and Jane Grant (London WILPF) More info, contact [email protected] or [email protected]

Putney and Roehampton UNA

PAGE 8 LaSER | Issue 24 | February 2015

www.unalondonandse.org

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 28 February / 10.15am Meeting Room, Parkhurst Hall, Parkhurst Road, TN40 1DF AGM starts at 10.15am to be followed by discussion entitled “Migration: Challenge or Opportunity” More info, contact Allan Bula 01424 210410

Bexhill & Hastings UNA

'IS THE UN STILL RELEVANT TODAY?' 7 March / 12.15pm The Adelaide pub, 57 Park Road, Teddington TW11 0AU (between Langam Road and Kingston Lane) Talk to be led by Neville Grant. Please arrive at 12.15pm to allow time to order lunch before the talk starts at 12.30. Discussion may continue over or after the meal but we aim to finish the event at 2.00pm. All welcome! Contact Olivia Richardson on 020 8943 3646

Twickenham & Richmond UNA

MEETING SERIES 24 February–31 March–28 April–26 May–30 June 12.30-2.30pm (bring packed lunch) or 7.30-9.30pm Flat 11 Wilberforce House, 119 Worple Road, London SW20 8ET Meeting series on the last Tuesdays of each month, February through June, Themes for each meeting will be available shortly. Outcome and relevant action points will be collated to input into branch or UNA policy. As last year, lunch-time and evening sessions are offered but RSVPs are essential as the venue is small. More info, contact Alison Williams: [email protected] or 020 8944 0574

Merton UNA

1 February, 11am Golders Green Unitarian Church, 31 Hoop Lane, London NW11 8BS All are invited to a service to mark the launch of World Interfaith Harmony Week. The service will feature prayers and readings from the world’s great religious traditions, a soul-uplifting choir, and an address by the Revd Rana Khan, Curate at St Anselm’s in Belmont and former interfaith adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The service is organised by the International Association for Religious Freedom British Chapter in collaboration with Golders Green Unitarians.

Network for Peace

WW1 Centenary Peace Movement responses

An invitation to every anti-war and peace

organisation to come together to discuss progress on events and news for

the centenary of the first world war. We hope to have a guest speaker on academic research on WW1.

19 February 2015 2.30pm at Friends House, Euston Road, London NW1

(NfP AGM at 1.30pm – all welcome)

If you are planning events then please come along and share. If you are looking for ideas for your organisation to present an alternative, come along and get those

ideas. If you are unable to come to the meeting, feel free to send a report on your activities, plans, thoughts.

Network for Peace, 5 Caledonian Road, London 9DY tel: 07794036602 email: [email protected] web www.networkforpeace.org.uk

UNA-UK and the London and Southeast Region would like to encourage branches to put on hustings before the election on 7 May.

The hustings should focus on international issues. Please note that UNA-UK is running an outreach grant scheme to help with the cost of running pre-election events. Contact Riche Nelmes, UNA Head of Outreach ([email protected] / 020 7766 3456), for more

information.