CoE states must do more on Gaza – O’Flaherty
The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Irish lawyer Michael O’Flaherty, has urged the organisation’s member states to do more to prevent arms supplies that could be used to commit human-rights violations in Gaza.
In a statement, O’Flaherty said that the conflict in Gaza had reached “disastrous proportions” and continued to cause immense human suffering.
“While my mandate does not cover the situation in the region, I have engaged with Council of Europe member states regarding their obligations in the context of the international arms trade, to help ensure that their actions do not contribute to human-rights violations,” he stated.
Legal standards
The commissioner noted steps taken by some Council of Europe (CoE) members to suspend or restrict arms transfers to Israel – including Germany last week – and calls by national human-rights bodies on their governments to uphold their human-rights obligations.
“However, more needs to be done – and quickly,” O’Flaherty added.
He called on CoE states to apply existing legal standards to ensure that arms transfers were not authorised where there was a risk that they might be used to commit human-rights violations.
“It is also essential to intensify efforts to provide relief to those affected by the conflict, by supporting efforts to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian assistance and by pressing for the immediate release of hostages,” O’Flaherty added.
“I will continue to engage with member states to support a response to the conflict in Gaza that complies with human rights,” he concluded.