A/HRC/RES/37/37
Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all civilians and
reaffirming the obligation to ensure the protection of civilians in armed conflict,
Gravely concerned by reports regarding serious human rights violations and grave
breaches of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, including the
findings of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, of the
independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of Israeli
settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian
people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, of the
independent commission of inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict, and of the boards of inquiry
convened by the Secretary-General,
Condemning all violations of human rights and of international humanitarian law,
and appalled at the widespread and unprecedented levels of destruction, death and human
suffering caused in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Stressing the urgency of achieving without delay an end to the Israeli occupation
that began in 1967, and affirming that this is necessary in order to uphold human rights and
international law,
Deploring the non-cooperation by Israel with all Human Rights Council fact-finding
missions and the independent commission of inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict, and the
refusal to grant access to and cooperate with international human rights bodies and a
number of United Nations special procedures seeking to investigate alleged violations of
international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
Regretting the lack of implementation of the recommendations contained in the
reports of the independent commission of inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict,1 the
independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of Israeli
settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian
people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, 2 and the
United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict,3 which follows a pattern of lack
of implementation of recommendations made by United Nations mechanisms and bodies,
Alarmed that long-standing systemic impunity for international law violations has
allowed for the recurrence of grave violations without consequence, and stressing the need
to ensure accountability for all violations of international humanitarian law and
international human rights law in order to end impunity, ensure justice, deter further
violations, protect civilians and promote peace,
Regretting the lack of progress in the conduct of domestic investigations in
accordance with international law standards, and aware of the existence of numerous legal,
procedural and practical obstacles in the Israeli civil and criminal legal system contributing
to the denial of access to justice for Palestinian victims and of their right to an effective
judicial remedy,
Emphasizing the need for States to investigate and prosecute grave breaches of the
Geneva Conventions of 1949 and other serious violations of international humanitarian law,
to end impunity, to uphold their obligations to ensure respect and to promote international
accountability,
Noting the accession by the State of Palestine on 2 January 2015 to the Rome Statute
of the International Criminal Court,
1.
Welcomes the report of the independent commission of inquiry on the 2014
Gaza conflict;1
2.
Calls upon all duty bearers and United Nations bodies to pursue the
implementation of the recommendations contained in the reports of the independent
commission of inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict,1 the independent international factfinding mission to investigate the implications of Israeli settlements on the civil, political,
1
2
3
2
A/HRC/29/52.
A/HRC/22/63.
A/HRC/12/48.