The UN has cancelled the visit of one of its top officials to Palestinian territory to meet women survivors of violence due to lack of necessary support, including a visa, by the Israeli government.
The visit of a top UN official to the Palestinian territory to meet women survivors of violence has been cancelled due to non-cooperation from the Israeli government.
UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women Rashida Manjoo was going to embark on a ten-day trip from January 19.
She was going on the invitation of Palestinian Authority to obtain first-hand understanding of issues related to violence against women, according to a statement released by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"For the past six weeks, I have repeatedly sought the cooperation of the Government of Israel to facilitate access to the occupied Palestinian territory for me to undertake this visit," Manjoo said.
"Regrettably, I did not receive the necessary support, including a visa by the Government of Israel, ahead of my travel, which is scheduled for tomorrow," she said.
"It is unfortunate that I have been denied the opportunity to engage directly with women survivors of violence, and that the exercise of my mandate has been hindered by the unwillingness of the Government of Israel, as the occupying power, to facilitate access to the occupied Palestinian territory," Manjoo said.
The programme included meetings with Palestinian officials, law enforcement agents, representatives of civil society organisations and survivors of violence in different locations as well as visits to prisons, refugee camps and shelters for women survivors of violence, among others.
Manjoo, a South African academic, was appointed Special Rapporteur on Violence against women, its causes and consequences in June 2009 by the UN Human Rights Council.
