UNHRC nominates Canadian law professor Michael Lynk as special rapporteur in Palestine

A Canadian law professor was nominated to a post that will survey the situation of the Palestinian territories. The chief council of the UN Human Rights was the one who cast the nomination.

Choi Kyonglim, the council president, sent a letter to various members of the state, recommending Michael Lynk to be appointed as the special rapporteur in Palestine. The council will have to accept the appointment without casting any vote, as per The Jerusalem post.

Several critics of the appointment of Lynk overruled the proposal. As reported by The Tower, executive director Hillel Neuer of the UN Watch said someone who accuses Israel of Apartheid and seeks the destruction of the Jewish state is neither impartial nor objective. She asked Germany, UK and the Netherlands to uphold the Council's basic principles and oppose the nomination of Lynk.

Lynk is said to replace Makarim Wibisono who stepped down from office last January after Israel refused to follow his orders and denied him access to the areas where he was supposed to monitor. As reported by Time of Israel, Wibisono is an Indonesian diplomat who took office last June 2014. After he stepped down from office, he presented his final reports to the council saying there is a lack of cooperation from the country and clear signals of the continuation of the daily human rights violations to the Palestinians under the Israeli rule.

The report is considered controversial as it is still limited to the investigation of the violations made by Israel. Richard Falk who took the role before Wibisono also experienced the same -being blocked from entering the Palestinian territories. It is still yet to be seen though if Lynk can do the task differently.

For a period of time, the Human Rights Council has a tense relationship with Israel. They are accusing the HRC of having built-in partiality against them.

Tags

UN, UN Human Rights Council, UN nomination, special rapporteur in Palestine, Stanley Michael Lynk, Choi Kyonglim, Hillel Neuer, Israel, Human rights violation

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