Denounce Whitewash of UNRWA Terror Ties: The Rigged “Independent Review” Group
UN Secretary-General Guterres, U.S. President Biden, British PM Sunak, German Chancellor Scholz, EU High Representative Borrell, French President Macron
A tainted inquiry into UNRWA terror ties, due to be published on April 20th, determine whether or not Western countries fund the agency.
Numerous donor states are about to reinstate hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for UNRWA on the basis of the upcoming April 20th report of the “Independent Review" Group, which is mandated to investigate how UNRWA handles allegations of staff ties to terrorism.
In fact, however, as exposed by UN Watch's new report, both the mandate and composition of the inquiry demonstrate that the entire process has been improperly tailored to ensure a predetermined outcome that will "provide cover" for donor states to reinstate funding.
As documented in numerous statements, articles and social media posts, featured in the report shows how inquiry chief Catherine Colonna and her investigative team of three organizations are all on record as ardent advocates of funding UNRWA, such that they are legally disqualified from impartially investigating UNRWA's systemic complicity with terrorist organizations.
In addition, Catherine Colonna’s leadership of the Review Group constitutes a gross violation of the legal principles and UN standards of conduct relating to conflict of interest and the requirement for impartiality in UN audits, investigations and reviews. Her very recent pronouncements and role as Foreign Minister of France, a leading donor of UNRWA that has strongly supported the agency financially and politically, and which sits on UNRWA's supervisory board, could be seen as a direct conflict with the need for an unbiased review of the agency’s conduct, infringing on the legal and ethical standards expected in such reviews.
The authors of the Colonna Report are neither independent nor impartial when it comes to UNRWA. As already indicated by the interim report, the group's final findings are almost certain to turn a blind eye to UNRWA's documented complicity with terrorist organizations, as well as UNRWA's systemic failure to stop widespread incitement to and promotion of terrorism by thousands of UNRWA employees.
Petition by
To:
UN Secretary-General Guterres, U.S. President Biden, British PM Sunak, German Chancellor Scholz, EU High Representative Borrell, French President Macron
From:
[Your Name]
We urge you to denounce the tainted inquiry into UNRWA terror ties which, due to be published on April 20th, which Western countries have said will determine whether or not they fund the agency.
Numerous donor states are about to reinstate hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for UNRWA on the basis of the upcoming April 20th report of the “Independent Review" Group, which is mandated to investigate how UNRWA handles allegations of staff ties to terrorism.
In fact, however, as exposed by UN Watch's new report, both the mandate and composition of the inquiry demonstrate that the entire process has been improperly tailored to ensure a predetermined outcome that will "provide cover" for donor states to reinstate funding.
As documented in numerous statements, articles and social media posts, featured in the report shows how inquiry chief Catherine Colonna and her investigative team of three organizations are all on record as ardent advocates of funding UNRWA, such that they are legally disqualified from impartially investigating UNRWA's systemic complicity with terrorist organizations.
In addition, Catherone Colonna’s leadership of the Review Group constitutes a gross violation of the legal principles and UN standards of conduct relating to conflict of interest and the requirement for impartiality in UN audits, investigations and reviews. Her very recent pronouncements and role as Foreign Minister of France, a leading donor of UNRWA that has strongly supported the agency financially and politically, and which sits on UNRWA's supervisory board, could be seen as a direct conflict with the need for an unbiased review of the agency’s conduct, infringing on the legal and ethical standards expected in such reviews.
The authors of the Colonna Report are neither independent nor impartial when it comes to UNRWA. As already indicated by the interim report, the group's final findings are almost certain to turn a blind eye to UNRWA's documented complicity with terrorist organizations, as well as UNRWA's systemic failure to stop widespread incitement to and promotion of terrorism by thousands of UNRWA employees.