Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, shared his insights on what is at stake with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, as well as the International Criminal Court’s Palestine probe.
His talk, titled “International Courts and Palestine: Challenges and Opportunities,” was hosted by QF partner Georgetown University in Qatar ( GU-Q), where Shakir is currently a Visiting Fellow.
Following a warm introduction by the dean of GU-Q, Dr Safwan Masri, Shakir addressed the audience of faculty, students, staff, and members of the public, delving into the legal issues in front of the world’s most prominent legal institutions and on the road to justice and accountability in Israel/Palestine.
Following the talk, the audience had a chance to ask questions during a session moderated by Dr Masri.
The UNGA resolution requests the ICJ's opinion on Israel’s prolonged occupation, its policies and practices, and their impact on Palestinians and their rights. It also seeks to understand how these actions affect occupation's legal status and their consequences for member nations and the UN.
“The issue of human rights has become highly politicised, much to its detriment. Politics is always partisan, while human rights are universal and should be universally inviolable,” said Dr Masri, adding: “Shakir is a globally recognised human rights advocate, whose presence on our campus offers GU-Q students a unique opportunity to engage with an experienced practitioner of his knowledge and stature.”
The talk, which also addressed other international legal endeavours aimed at addressing human rights concerns within the Israel-Palestine context, offered attendees a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities of pursuing accountability for violations of international law.
“The world’s most prominent courts have an unprecedented opportunity to address the decades-long effort to rewrite the basic rules of international law and maintain a wall of impunity. For victims of serious abuses, the stakes couldn’t be higher,” added Shakir.
GUQ_open public lecture by Omar Shakir
