The UN human rights chief, Mrs Mary Robinson, is ready to set off on a Middle East fact-finding mission, possibly as early today, if Israel gives the green light, her spokeswoman said yesterday.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spent the weekend putting together a high-profile team to accompany her on the trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Ms Veronique Taveau told a news briefing in Geneva.
The group includes Spain's former prime minister, Mr Felipe Gonzalez and the former secretary general of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, she said.
Israel yesterday kept the Palestinians under siege for the 11th day as the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, began a difficult mission to keep the Middle East from exploding into all-out war.
The UN rights mission, which follows a UN resolution overwhelmingly adopted on Friday, would last between three and five days and could leave for Israel as early this evening or tomorrow morning, the spokeswoman added.
"As soon as the mission has the Israeli green light, since we cannot go without that, we will leave immediately; that means either Tuesday evening or on Wednesday morning," Ms Taveau told reporters.
The exact schedule and possible meetings during Mrs Robinson's visit are still under discussion, including the possibility of talks with the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat.
She said Mrs Robinson, a former Irish president, had been in contact with the Israeli ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Mr Yaakov Levy, asking for everything to be done to allow the mission to go ahead.
"We are very optimistic," Ms Taveau said, adding that they hoped for a response as soon as possible, as the mission aimed to report back to the UN Human Rights Commission before the end of its annual session on April 26th.
Later, however, Mr Levy told reporters the visit could inflame an already delicate situation.
The mission aims to look at the human rights situation in the troubled area, including from a humanitarian point of view, as well as social and medical aspects, she said.
Suicide bombings would also come under its remit, Ms Taveau added.
Mr Arafat has been penned into his Ramallah offices for over a week since the onset of the Israeli army offensive across the West Bank which followed a series of deadly suicide bombings.
Mr Gonzalez and Mr Ramaphosa were chosen because of their "high level of understanding and high level of their involvement in humanitarian and human rights issues," Ms Taveau said.
They will first report to the UN Human Rights Commission and then to the UN Security Council.
Mr Gonzalez will arrive in Geneva this afternoon for talks with the high commissioner, while Mr Ramaphosa is expected either later today or early tomorrow.
Mrs Robinson said on Friday - ahead of the vote by the 53-member UN Commission - that she would only lead the mission if it had the full co-operation from Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The PA representative, Mr Nabil Ramlawi, told the Commission on Friday that they would welcome her mission.
In a November 2000 mission, Mrs Robinson visited Israel and the Palestinian territories after a special session of the Human Rights Commission - but she was unable to meet the Israeli authorities. - (Reuters, AFP)