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Summer 2017
DEFENDERS
16
the Zionist regime at an international institution and by other governments. As
a result, the world’s public opinion becomes more aware of this issue and
adoption of such documents, per se, shows that governments and international
institutions are not static. Finally, adoption of these documents is a way to
recognize the rights of the Palestinian nation and oppose all forms of violation
of those rights.
Last but not least, UNESCO, as the main international body responsible for
promotion of cooperation among nations in cultural, scientific and educational
fields, can play an effective role in establishing peace and encouraging respect
for human rights through its measures and by introducing new procedures in
the international system.
Measures that UNESCO takes in line with its duties and the reaction that it
shows to current affairs as a specialized organ of the United Nations are of
high importance, because when it comes to international law, governments are
no more the sole important actors in the field of international relations. It must
be noted that international organizations, especially those with human rights
approaches, can bring about changes in rules and the way of thinking that
makes the international system. Paying attention to positive peace, promoting
education of human rights and putting emphasis on the values of human rights
and international humanitarian law are good steps, which can set governments
and other world bodies on course to promotion of global peace and security. An
effective measure, which can be taken by world bodies, is to use those tools,
which are available to them, including their reports, not only to highlight a
specific issue in the international system and draw the attention of the world’s
public opinion to it, but also to further boost their own effect through such
measures as recognition of the state of Palestine.
1- UNESCO Constitution at http://www.unesco.org/education/pdf/UNESCO_E.PDF
2- Constitution of the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, adopted
in London on November 16, 1945, Article 4
3- UNESCO Country Programming Document for Palestine 2014 – 2017, United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2017, p. 6. See also: http://www.reuters.com/
article/us-palestinians-unesco-idUSTRE79U1ZY20111101
4- Palestinian declaration under article 12(3) of the Rome Statute, https://www.icc-cpi.int/en_
menus/icc/press%20and%20media/press%20releases/Pages/pr1080.aspx
5- OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Executive Board 201 EX/30, Item 30 of the provisional agenda,
PARIS, 23 March 2017, Paras. 10-12
6- Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, 1933, Art. 1
7- http://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-may-2017-unesco-resolution-on-occupied-palestine/
8-http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=23772&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_
SECTION=201.html
9- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Rules of Procedure of the
Executive Board, Edition 2015, Rule 34
10- Marko Divac Öberg, The Legal Effects of Resolutions of the UN Security Council and General
Assembly in the Jurisprudence of the ICJ, The European Journal of International Law Vol. 16 no.
5, pp. 880- 881
11- Ibid.