Children’s rights in Palestine webinar series

 

Defence for Children International (DCI) and CRIN co-hosted a webinar series highlighting the reality of Palestinian children’s rights under military occupation of the West Bank and the war in Gaza.

 
 

What responsibilities do states and the international system have in supporting and protecting children’s rights? What are the required efforts to prevent crimes against Palestinian and other children in Gaza, the West Bank and in detention in Israel?

We explored these questions and more from a child-rights perspective over six webinars. Below you can find information about these webinars, including the speakers, links to the recording and summaries. We will soon share a collective list of recommendations which emerged from the discussions.

 

Webinar 1: 5 April, International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian Child

Moderator: Margaret Tuite, Vice-President of Defence for Children International (DCI) Movement

  • Khaled Quzmar, General Director of DCI-Palestine; 

  • Dr. Luigi Daniele, Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Law School; 

  • Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,

  • Javier Aguilar, Regional Child Protection Adviser at UNICEF;

  • Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Member of the UNCRC.

Read the summary here.

 

Webinar 2: 2 May 2024, Rafto hybrid in-person/virtual event

Welcome address: Mr. Jostein Hole Kobbeltvedt, Executive Director of the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights
Moderator: Mr. Alex Kamarotos, Executive Director of DCI
Keynote speaker: Mr. Khaled Quzmar, President of the DCI Movement, General Director of DCI-Palestine and 2023 Rafto Prize Laureate

  • Mr. Ahmad Abdallah, Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)

  • Dr. Rouba Mhaissen, Sawa for Development and Aid

  • Dr. Raz Segal, Director, Associate professor of Holocaust and Genocide studies and Endowed Professor in the Study of Modern Genocide at Stockton University (by video)

  • H.E. Ambassador Marc Pecsteen De Buytswerve, Permanent Mission of Belgium to the United Nations in Geneva

  • Mrs. Jana Urh Lesjak, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations in Geneva

Read the summary here.

 

Webinar 3: 8 May 2024

Moderator: Pippo Costella, Director of DCI-Italy

  • Prof. Jaap Doek, The Rights Forum, Former Chair of the UNCRC

  • Dr. Moushira Khattab, former member of the African Committee of Experts for the Rights and Wellbeing of the Child (ACERWC), President of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights (NCHR).

Read the summary here.

 

Webinar 4: 17 May 2024

Moderator: Leo Ratledge, Co-Director of CRIN

  • Ms Patrizia Benvenuti, Child Protection specialist, UNICEF

  • Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (video)

  • Dr. Ghassan Soleiman Abu-Sittah, MD.

  • Ms. Budour Hassan, Amnesty International

Read the summary here.

 

Webinar 5: 31 May 2024

Moderator: Sabine Saliba, Secretary-General of Eurochild

  • Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, UN Special Rapporteur on housing

  • Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, UN Special Rapporteur on Water and Sanitation

  • Prof. Ann Skelton, Chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

  • Mr. Josh Paul, Former Director at the US State Department

  • Mr. Chris Sidoti, Member of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT, including East Jerusalem and Israel

With a reading of a statement from H.E. Mrs Graça Machel, Human Rights Activist and Founder, Graça Machel Trust and a video message from Mr. Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on Food.

The summary will be available soon.

 

Webinar 6: 2 July 2024

Moderator: Bethany Ellis, Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict 

  • Giovanni Di Girolamo, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Unit, Commission’s Directorate-General for European Humanitarian and Civil Protection Operations (ECHO)

  • Rana Nashashibi, Director of the Palestinian Counselling Centre

  • Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967

The summary will be available soon.