Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: A Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -- 2004

Abstract:

This “shadow report” was presented to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at the 2004 International Convention on the Elimination of Ethnic and Racial Discrimination (CERD) at the United Nations in Geneva.

This report was presented by the Palestinian Human Rights Organization (an NGO based in Beirut) as a counter to the State Report issued by Lebanon state to Committee which claimed that Lebanon is making great strides towards the elimination of discrimination in the country. In fact, the Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon is arguably one of the most desperate populations of refugees in the world. The main issue presented to the Committee was the lack of provision by Lebanon of basic, fundamental human rights to the Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon. Palestinians refugees, more than any other minority population in Lebanon, are still greatly discriminated against in all areas of including housing, education, the right to work, the right to health care and the right to freedom of movement and freedom of assembly.

After hearing both Lebanon’s state report and this counter-report, the UN Committee issued its 2004 Concluding Observations to Lebanon which incorporated many of the recommendations from this report and strongly urged Lebanon to allow for greater freedom and rights for the Palestinian refugee population.

The Committee’s Concluding Observations can be found at http://sim.law.uu.nl/SIM/CaseLaw/uncom.nsf/0/f800c5c473d8283dc1256e7b0035c1ac

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