Birzeit University’s Institute of Law participates in juridical session before the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in United Nations

Mohammed Alkhader, academic research in the Research Unit at Birzeit University, and Ola Omar, assistant researcher at Birzeit University, have recently presented a shadow report to the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in the United Nations regarding the State of Palestine’s initial report. The report is concerned with the Palestinian Authority’s implementation of commitments in alignment with the international covenant of economic, social and cultural rights. The committee urged the researchers to present their input during an online session, which was set to be held on April 27, 2023.

Nevertheless, due to the participation of Israeli organizations in the session, the Institute of Law’s researchers decided to boycott the online session. Alternatively, the input was provided by Al-Haq Organization in an in-person session, which was completely comprised of Palestinian organizations.

The report highlights multiple pivotal point regarding accessing the internet, framing it as a primary right and a prerequisite to economic, social and, cultural rights. Moreover, it sheds light on the importance of accessing the internet in achieving sustainable development, political participation, and maintaining the Palestinian cultural identity and story in face of the restrictions enforced by the Israeli occupation forces.

The report also addresses the main challenges that stand in the way of the right to access the internet in the Palestinian context, which are mainly: the shutting down of websites, the monitoring of content, the digital gap between different areas, surveillance and privacy, and cyber security. These challenges debilitate the access to this right and hinder practicing it in a way that allows it to serve its purpose.

The decision to boycott is rooted in the impossibility of separating between economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to access the internet, and Palestinians’ right of self-determination and exercising their sovereignty over their resources, along with the right to break free from the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation, considering that these elements are an inseparable part of the basic Palestinian rights that are to be respected and protected. It is also rooted in the refusal to use the United Nations platforms for presenting reports from organizations that operate in the frame of the perpetuation of the occupation and fulfilling its goals in debilitating and denying Palestinians the access to their natural rights, which is inconsistent with the international conventions.