On 6 May 2026, the UN Palestinian Rights Committee held consultations with European civil society organisations in Brussels to strengthen dialogue with groups working on the question of Palestine and to identify concrete ways to advance international law and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The meeting focused on Europe¡¯s role in promoting peace, accountability, and justice, including the responsibilities of the European Union and its member states. Speakers stressed that civil society organisations are essential partners in keeping public attention on Palestine and pushing governments to turn legal and political commitments into action.

The Chair of the Committee also underlined the purpose of the consultations, noting that engagement with civil society is a key part of the Committee¡¯s mandate and that the meeting aimed to draw on their expertise while addressing the EU¡¯s role in promoting peace in Palestine. Minister Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the Â鶹APP, expressed appreciation for the work of European civil society and recognized the millions of people across Europe who have mobilized in support of Palestinian rights. He urged continued pressure on governments, parliaments, and EU institutions, warning against complacency and emphasizing that “we push, you push, eventually we will succeed.”

The consultations also featured contributions from humanitarian, human rights, and advocacy experts addressing the situation in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Panelists discussed the cost of impunity, restrictions on humanitarian access, displacement, settler violence, and the urgent need for third-party states to uphold their obligations under international law. The discussion highlighted practical measures available to European actors, including halting arms transfers, reviewing trade relations, supporting international legal processes, and taking coordinated action to ensure accountability. The meeting closed with a clear message: civil society has a vital role in sustaining pressure, defending international law, and contributing to a just and lasting peace in Palestine.

PROGRAMME

09-09.30 a.m.???????????? OPENING SESSION

Statements by:

  • H.E. Amb. Coly Seck, Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN in New York
  • H.E. Min. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN in New York

09.30 a.m. – 12 p.m. ????? PANEL 1 ¨CEuropean Civil Society Organizations Initiatives to Advance Third States Obligations and Israel¡¯s Accountability

  • The cost of impunity in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem
    • Agn¨¨s Bertrand-Sanz, Humanitarian expert, Oxfam Brussels
  • EU¡¯s political and legal obligations
    • , Associate Director Human Rights Watch Brussels
  • The Mapping of Individual Best Practices
    • Shir Hever, Political Economist, Germany
    • Alys Samson Estape, RESCOP, Spain

2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.??????? PANEL 2 ¨C Recommendations: A Roadmap for EU Action

  • The EU-Israel Association Agreement: The Case for its Suspension
    • Eve Geddie, Director of Amnesty International Brussels Office
  • EU obligations to address illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT: From words to actions
    • Evin Incir, MEP, European Parliament¡¯s Rapporteur for relations with the Palestinian Authority
  • Arms trade in the context of Israeli breaches
    • Hans Lammerant,?Researcher, Antigone Global Justice Initiative?
  • The EU, the New York Declaration, the Global Alliance, and the Gaza Peace Plan?
    • Lisa Musiol, Head of EU Affairs, International Crisis Group Brussels?

4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.??????? CLOSING REMARKS

H.E. Amb. Coly Seck

Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the?? Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People?Permanent Representative of Senegal to the Â鶹APP in New York

H.E. Min. Riyad Mansour

Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the Â鶹APP?? in New York

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