On Friday, 3 September 2021, Al-Haq will attend the virtual meeting with the Human Rights Council President ahead of the 48th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council. 

During the meeting, Al-Haq plans to address the critical and pressing issue of delayed annual updates of the UN Database of business enterprises involved in activities linked to Israeli settlements in the OPT (A/HRC/43/71), as follows:

Dear Madam President of the Human Rights Council,

We would like to thank you for convening the meeting with civil society prior to the opening of the 48th session of the Human Rights Council. We would like to take advantage of this opportunity to address the issue of financial constraints preventing the OHCHR in fulfilling its mandate.[i] In particular, the issue of financial constraints has been raised as a justification for the inability of the OHCHR to deliver to HRC 46, the mandated annual update of the UN database of businesses involved in the Israeli settlement enterprise, as per HRC resolution 31/36. More recently, it was raised in the context of other mandates, for example regarding the implementation of HRC resolution 44/10 (the access to medicines and vaccines in the context of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health).

As the President of the HRC, Palestinian civil society would like to know what steps you are taking and plan to take, in order to address these financial constraints and ensure the ability of OHCHR to fulfill its mandates in a timely manner? Additionally, is there any thinking around a broader stakeholder consultation around innovative ways to address these challenges?

Thank you in advance for your consideration.