Ambassador Nguyen Trung Thanh, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, attended a meeting of the fourth Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War in Geneva, Switzerland on December 17.

Representatives from 126 state members of the convention at the event adopted the meeting’s declaration, pointing out several violations of banned regulations, including attacks on non-military objectives as well as on protected persons and facilities like schools, health institutes, public vehicles and humanitarian officials.

The declaration reiterated the International Court of Justice’s opinion relating to the construction of a wall in and around east Jerusalem, while showing deep concerns over measures Israel is conducting in the Palestinian territory, such as closing the Gaza Strip, building and expanding Jewish settlement zones and taking assets away. The actions have caused serious impacts on the lives of Palestinian civilians.

Through the declaration, the convention’s state members called on UN offices involved, including the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict established by the UN Human Rights Council in July 2014, to bring to light war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine.

Following meetings in July 1999 and May 2001, this is the third time the members have gathered to discuss and approve a declaration on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.-VNA