Thursday, March 28, 2024

Jabarin and Sourani Appointed as Arbitrators of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Netherlands

On 11 February 2022, the International Bureau of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) declared the appointment of 4 new members of the Court, including pioneers in the Palestinian human rights work: Mr. Shawan Jabarin, Director of al-Haq and Lawyer Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR). This milestone step reflects the importance and power of human rights work in Palestine and its vital role at the international and domestic level from one hand and from the other hand stresses the Palestinian official authorities’ awareness of the significance of the human rights work as a frontline to defend the Palestinian rights.

PCHR congratulates Mr. Jabarin and Mr. Sourani for this designation that coincides with the Israeli occupation’s fierce campaign against the Palestinian human rights organizations; the latest was arbitrarily labeling 6 pioneering Palestinian organizations, including al-Haq, which is the first Palestinian human rights organization, as terrorist organizations. PCHR believes this designation supports the Palestinian human rights work against the occupation’s attempts to delegitimize the Palestinian human rights organizations and dry up their sources of funding.

The PCA International Bureau published a statement announcing the appointment of 4 pioneers in the international and human rights work upon nomination of the State of Palestine to be Members of the Court, and they were Prof. John Dugard, Prof. Pieter Bekker, Mr. Shawan Jabarin and Lawyer Raji Sourani. According to the PCA’s statement, the appointment starts as per the date of 02 February 2022 for a term of six years and renewable.

The PCA is a non-UN intergovernmental organization in the Hague. It was established in 1899 by the first Hague Peace Conference under the 1899 Hague Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and provides services of settlement of disputes to the international community. The PCA has a three-part organizational structure consisting of an Administrative Council that oversees its policies and budgets, a panel of independent potential arbitrators known as the Members of the Court, and its Secretariat, known as the International Bureau, headed by the Secretary-General. The Member States nominate the Members of the Court.

It should be noted that since 14 March 2016, the State of Palestine has become the 118th PCA Member State with 57 votes in favor, 24 abstained and zero opposed. Palestine nominated Mr. Jabarin and Mr. Sourani in response to the Israeli occupation’s smearing campaign against the civil society organizations and designation of 6 of them as terrorist organizations. Moreover, those appointed as arbitrators at this UN intergovernmental organization established to resolve the international disputes cannot be in anyway accused of being terrorists and are usually among the most elite professors and lawyers. Mr. Jabarin and Mr. Sourani were both chosen after a complicated diplomatic battle to promote the role, importance and credibility of the Palestinian civil society and human rights organizations.

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