Gaza - Urgent Appeal to UNICEF Leadership: Boldly Defend & Protect Palestinian Children's Rights : A Petition Circulated by UNICEF Staff

Editor's Note: This petition appears on Change.org and was launched by 'Concerned UNICEF' - apparently a group of current UNICEF staff.  The organizers say that the petition is intended for signatures 'within UNICEF'. Several of us have signed and believe that the former staff of UNICEF are indeed 'within UNICEF'.  We feel former staff should feel free to add their own signatures, if they wish. Thanks to Niloufar Pourzand for passing the petition on to us. 

To add your signature you will need to click here or go to the website at:

https://www.change.org/p/urgent-call-to-unicef-leadership-to-boldly-and-courageously-defend-and-protect-the-rights

Started by Concerned UNICEF

Note: This petition is intended exclusively for signatures from within UNICEF. Please refrain from sharing it outside the organization.

Dear Executive Director and Deputy Executive Directors of UNICEF,

We, as dedicated employees of the United Nations Children’s Fund, stand together with our colleagues in and from the State of Palestine. We are deeply alarmed by the relentless and indiscriminate bombardment of the Gaza Strip. This violence is having catastrophic implications on children and families, within Palestine and far beyond.

We demand immediate action in line with our organization’s values and mission. We urgently call on UNICEF leadership to most immediately strengthen advocacy for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and an end to the ongoing violence in Palestine. We call on UNICEF to leverage our position to uphold our universal child rights mandate to stop the flagrant violation of international human rights and international humanitarian law that is having a disproportionate impact of epic proportions on Palestinian children. We call on UNICEF to condemn the collective punishment of Gazans and Palestinian people.

Over decades, the Palestinian people have faced many grievances and challenges, from dispossession, suffocating occupation, and the most restrictive blockade with draconian restrictions on the importation of food, electricity, water and basic essential services and supplies. As the UN Secretary General has noted this historical context cannot be ignored. The current statements oversimplify the experiences of children and individuals within social categories, failing to acknowledge the complexities of intersectionality and the diverse risks and needs that different subgroups face. We call on UNICEF to ensure that our internal and external messaging reflects this reality.

In this most recent escalation of violence, more children have been killed in the past 26 days in Gaza than in all armed conflicts combined worldwide since 2019: 3,760 girls and boys from infancy to adolescence, as of 31 October; that is one child killed every 10 minutes, with many thousands more injured. Every day, this number rises dramatically. This is in addition to UNRWA’s confirmation of the killing of 70 UN staff, surpassing the total number of UN staff killed in all of 2022; and the deeply personal losses that our own UNICEF staff in Gaza have already suffered.

We remind UNICEF leadership that the first commitment of the Global Leadership Meeting in Istanbul earlier this year affirmed “We must boldly and courageously defend and protect the rights of all children everywhere.” If ever there was a time to rise up to and demonstrate this commitment, it is now. When we shy away from confronting something as blatant as the unrelenting and indiscriminate killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip by an occupying force, we have to question the foundation we stand on as an organization purportedly caring for all children.

Today, we, undersigned employees of UNICEF, put our voices together and urge you as leaders of our organization to:Continue calling for an immediate ceasefire, uniquely and collectively alongside other UN agencies aligned with the stance of the UN Secretary-General and General Assembly Resolution (GA/12548). There is power in the collective. Our statements must accurately represent the gravity and scale of the assault on Palestinian people, and convey the full context and reality on the ground.
Use appropriate language in the condemnation of attacks. We must honor the identity of victims and call for an investigation into Israeli forces' attacks on Palestinian children and civilian infrastructure, in line with the UN. The ongoing indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects breach the principles of distinction and proportionality under IHL, as outlined in the Geneva Conventions. Our organization has a responsibility to provide an impartial and accurate account of the situation affecting children, regardless of the geopolitical context or donor relations.

Continue to document all grave rights violations committed by Israel, both under international law and the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) of the Security Council, for the purposes of holding Israel to account. Building on the documented evidence, present the information for listing the Occupying Power “Israel” on the UN Secretary General’s “list of shame.” This advocacy is aligned with the CRC and its Optional Protocols, particularly on the involvement of children in armed conflict which emphasizes the protection of children from the effects of war.

Prominently highlight this crisis on UNICEF’s internal and external communication channels, in line with the points outlined above. We urge UNICEF to adopt inclusive and intersectional approaches to our communications and advocacy, recognizing and addressing the unique challenges faced by different subgroups, such as gender, age, disability, displacement status, and more. This will help ensure a child-centered and rights-based approach in our advocacy efforts.

Our credibility as a human rights organization hinges on our actions in times of crisis. We have a duty to call for the protection of civilians and to advocate for upholding the principles of International Humanitarian Law on which we rely for our access to affected populations and which continue to come under attack, thereby also risking the safety and security of our staff and of humanitarian workers around the world. We must rise to the occasion and not just bear witness to history but actively shape it towards justice and humanity. Finally, we are deeply humbled and inspired by the extraordinary efforts undertaken by UNICEF staff in the State of Palestine to provide life-saving assistance to affected people while operating under direct threat and personally impacted by the devastation; and we wish to express our strong appreciation for the tireless supportive efforts of our colleagues in UNICEF MENA as well as UNICEF globally. We are proud to serve humanity alongside our colleagues who are having an incredible impact on millions worldwide, and wish to amplify their efforts.

As World Children’s day approaches on 20th November, let us do what our mandate dictates: stand for every child, no matter where they are. Now is the time to stand for the children of Gaza and Palestine.

We call for your immediate attention and action on this extremely urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Concerned UNICEF Employees

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Correction/Update Information:

In our initial draft, we incorrectly stated that Israel should be "re-listed" on the UN Secretary-General’s "list of shame." We have since learned that Israel has never been on this list. This oversight was brought to our attention and we apologize for the error.

Our petition aims to reflect accurate information and we are committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in our advocacy efforts.

This correction has been made as of 2 Nov 2023, and we appreciate the continued support and understanding of our readers and signatories.

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Footnotes:

1. UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

2. Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on the Middle East, 24 Oct 2023. Access link here: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-10-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-the-middle-east%C2%A0

3. UN Secretary General’s statements can be accessed here:https://www.un.org/sg/en/latest/sg/statement; General Assembly resolution 12548 https://press.un.org/en/2023/ga12548.doc.htm

4. United Nations officials are investigating possible war crimes committed by both Israeli forces and Palestinian groups, including Hamas, following violations of international humanitarian law in recent conflicts.https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/alleged-violations-international-humanitarian-law-israel-palestine-conflict-simple-explainer#:~:text=United%20Nations%20officials%20are%20investigating,humanitarian%20law%20in%20recent%20conflicts

5. UNICEF is the custodian of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which also drives UNICEF’s corporate Strategic Plan 2022-2025 in striving to promote child rights and well-being, and realization of the child related Sustainable Development Goals. Our dual mandate for development and humanitarian work from the General Assembly and ECOSOC, and our special mandate on Children and Armed Conflict from the Security Council to monitor grave violations against children further bolster our credibility and strong stance in advocating for child rights.