Parliamentary open letter to UNICEF

Parliamentary open letter to UNICEF

Update: There are now 95 signatories to this letter

On Human Rights Day 2018, 83 Australian parliamentarians released the following public letter to UNICEF, calling for an update about the situation for Palestinian Children in Israeli military detention.

OPEN LETTER TO UNICEF

Special Representative,
UNICEF State of Palestine,
Beit Hanina, East Jerusalem

Attention: Ms. Genevieve Boutin

10 December, 2018

Re: UNICEF Periodic Updates to 2013 Report

Dear Ms. Boutin,

We write to share our strong interest in ensuring that UNICEF (State of Palestine) continues to publish periodic updates to the groundbreaking 2013 report – Children in Israeli Military Detention (the Report). These updates are an essential means by which policy makers and stakeholders across the world assess the current situation facing children in Israeli military custody and to monitor progress made in implementing the Report’s 38 recommendations.

We understand that following the release of the Report the Israeli government undertook to work collaboratively with UNICEF to implement the recommendations and UNICEF committed to publish periodic updates as a means to objectively assess progress. In accordance with this commitment UNICEF published two updates in October 2013 and February 2015. However, we understand that UNICEF now has no firm plans to publish a third update in spite of troubling reports that the ill-treatment of children and the denial of their legal rights remains widespread. While we appreciate that these updates are not the only means by which concerns are publicized, they remain the most comprehensive and useful to policy makers and stakeholders.

We appreciate that UNICEF is frequently called upon to work in many challenging environments, and would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for the work you have done to shed light on this issue. We encourage you to continue this important work by continuing publication of these updates. As the international community continues to engage with all parties to the conflict seeking compliance with their international legal obligations, we feel that evidenced based reporting by UNICEF in the form of these periodic bulletins is essential.

Yours sincerely,

Anne Aly MP, Federal member for Cowan
The Hon Mark Bailey MP, Member for Miller, Queensland Parliament
Adam Bandt MP, Federal Member for Melbourne
Michael Berkman MP, Member for Maiwar, Queensland Parliament
Nikki Boyd MP, Member for Pine Rivers, Queensland Parliament
Senator Carol Brown, Senator for Tasmania
Don Brown MP, Member for Capalaba, Queensland Parliament
Mark Butler MP, Federal Member for Port Adelaide
Terri Butler MP, Federal Member for Griffith
Senator the Hon. Doug Cameron, Senator for New South Wales
Lisa Chesters MP, Federal Member for Bendigo
Sharon Claydon MP, Federal Member for Newcastle
Tim Clifford MLC, Member of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Pat Conroy MP, Federal Member for Charlton
The Hon Mark Coulton MP, Federal Member for Parkes
Tim Crakanthorp MP, State Member for Newcastle
Mick de Brenni MP, Member for Springwood, Queensland Parliament
Senator Richard Di Natale, Senator for Victoria
Senator Pat Dodson, Senator for Western Australia
Anita Dow MP, Member for Braddon, Tasmanian Parliament
Maree Edwards MP, Member for Bendigo West, Victorian Parliament
Cate Faehrmann MLC, Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Senator for New South Wales
Hon. Shannon Fentiman, Member for Waterford, Queensland Parliament
Julia Finn MP, Member for Granville, NSW Parliament
Tammy Franks MLC, Member of the South Australian Legislative Council
Steve Georganas MP, Federal Member for Hindmarsh
Andrew Giles MP, Federal Member for Scullin
Ella Haddad MP, Member for Clark, Tasmanian Parliament
Bronwyn Halfpenny MP, Member for Thomastown, Victorian Parliament
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator for South Australia
Ross Hart MP, Federal Member for Bass
Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler
Julian Hill MP, Federal Member for Bruce
Matthew Hughes JP MLA, Member for Kalamunda, Western Australian Parliament
Stephen Jones MP, Federal Member for Whitlam
Ged Kearney MP, Federal Member for Batman/Cooper
Justine Keay MP, Federal Member for Braddon
Sonya Kilkenny MP, Member for Carrum, Victorian Parliament
Shane King MP, Member for Kurwongbah, Queensland Parliament
Susan Lamb MP, Federal Member for Longman
The Hon. Craig Laundy MP, Federal Member for Reid
Caroline Le Couteur MLA, Member for Murrumbidgee, ACT Parliament
Andrew Leigh MP, Federal Member for Fenner
Jenny Leong MP, New South Wales Member for Newtown
Senator Sue Lines, Senator for Western Australia
Paul Lynch MP, Member for Liverpool, NSW Parliament
Senator Gavin Marshall, Senator for Victoria
David Mehan MP, Member for The Entrance, New South Wales Parliament
Senator Jenny McAllister, Senator for New South Wales
Senator Nick McKim, Senator for Tasmania
Melissa McMahon MP, Member for Macalister, Queensland Parliament
Brian Mitchell MP, Federal Member for Lyons
Senator Claire Moore, Senator for Queensland
David O’Byrne, Member for Franklin, Tasmanian Parliament
Hon Michelle O’Byrne MP, Member for Bass, Tasmanian Parliament
Cassy O’Connor MP, Member for Clark, Tasmanian Parliament
Ken O’Dowd MP, Federal Member for Flynn
Cathy O‘Toole MP, Federal Member for Herbert
Julie Owens MP, Federal Member for Parramatta
Jamie Parker MP, Member for Balmain, News South Wales Parliament
Mark Parnell MLC, Member of the South Australian Legislative Council
Senator Rex Patrick, Senator for South Australia
Graham Perrett MP, Federal Member for Moreton
Senator Louise Pratt, Senator for Western Australia
Shane Rattenbury MLA, Member for Kurrajong, ACT Parliament
Senator Janet Rice, Senator for Victoria
Kim Richards MP, Member for Redlands, Queensland Parliament
Peter Russo MP, Member for Toohey, Queensland Parliament
Ellen Sandell MP, Member for Melbourne, Victorian Parliament
Rebekha Sharkie MP, Federal Member for Mayo
David Shoebridge MP, New South Wales Legislative Council
Jo Siejka MLC, Member for Pembroke, Tasmanian Parliament
Senator Rachel Siewert, Senator for Western Australia
Senator Lisa Singh, Senator for Tasmania
Hon Warren Snowdon MP, Federal Member for Lingiari
Tamara Smith MP, Member for Ballina, New South Wales Parliament
Nina Springle MLC, Victorian Legislative Council
Anne Stanley MP, Federal Member for Werriwa
Senator Jordon Steele-John, Senator for Western Australia
Susan Templeman MP, Federal Member for Macquarie
Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Member for Macedon, Victorian Parliament
Jackie Trad MP, Member for South Brisbane, Queensland Parliament
Senator Anne Urquhart, Senator for Tasmania
Maria Vamvakinou MP, Federal Member for Calwell
The Hon. Lynda Voltz, MLC, News South Wales Legislative Council
Senator Larissa Waters, Senator for Queensland
Senator Murray Watt, Senator for Queensland
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, Senator for Tasmania
Chris Whiting MP, Federal Member for Murrumba, Queensland Parliament
Andrew Wilkie MP, Federal Member for Denison/Clark
Josh Willie MLC, Member for Elwick, Tasmanian Parliament
Josh Wilson MP, Federal Member for Fremantle
Hon Alison Xamon MLC, Member Western Australian Legislative Council
Tony Zappia MP, Federal Member for Makin

Photo of 15 ALP parliamentarians holding signs "no way to treat a child
All Greens parliamentarians holding signs 'no way to treat a child'