Ramallah: A seminar stresses the importance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and building on it

Ramallah - Ma'an - Speakers during a political symposium organized by the Palestine Institute for National Security Research, on Monday, at the institute's headquarters in Ramallah, stressed the legal importance of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and the necessity of building on it. The symposium touched on the advisory legal opinion of the International Court of Justice issued on July 19 of this year, President Mahmoud Abbas' speech at the United Nations General Assembly, the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the advisory opinion by a majority of 124 votes, and granting Palestine the status of a full member state in the General Assembly. Professor of International Law at Al-Quds University and former Minister of Justice, Mohammad Shalaldeh, said that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice is binding and has significant legal value, and is a legal argument for our Palestinian people to obtain their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the r ight to self-determination. He added that the Court of Justice confirmed that the occupation is illegal and illegitimate, and stressed many legal principles, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, and stressed the need to redress the damage and compensate the Palestinians, and that Israel must end its illegal presence, and that an immediate end must be put to its illegal practices. Al-Shalaldeh pointed out that Article 11 of Resolution 194 stressed the return of refugees to their homes as soon as possible, i.e. within a period not exceeding one year. He pointed out the necessity of activating the issue of freezing Israel's membership in the General Assembly, due to its persistence in not implementing the resolutions issued by the United Nations, and activating the legal and judicial mechanisms to limit the damages and activate the International Documentation Committee in order to hold the occupying authority legally responsible. Al-Shalaldeh continued, saying that the advisory opinion of the Internationa l Court of Justice grants a license to countries to take legal measures, as countries are obligated to boycott Israel on several levels, including diplomacy and not to supply it with weapons. He explained that the president's speech has important legal value, as he called for holding an international conference to issue a resolution from the General Assembly to go to Gaza, and demanded a halt to supplying Israel with weapons, among other matters of legal importance. In turn, the Director of the Department of International Organizations and Groups at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Rana Hamouda, stressed the issue of litigation and compensation for the damage inflicted on the occupation authorities, which begins with an apology to our people and returning the situation to what it was before 1967. She spoke about President Mahmoud Abbas's visit to the Gaza Strip, noting that Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Mohammed Mustafa has a comprehensive plan regarding the issue. She stressed the need to activate work on the resolutions issued by the General Assembly and United Nations agencies. Source: Maan News Agency