Ramallah - 16/05/2011: The coalition to defend freedom of opinion and expression met today with Matthias Behnke, Head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Palestine, at the headquarters of the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) in Ramallah city in the West Bank.

The meeting was held to discuss options for future cooperation between OHCHR and the coalition. Representatives of coalition briefed about the situation of freedom of opinion and expression in Palestine. During the meeting options for cooperation aimed at stopping and preventing attacks against Palestinian journalists, especially by the Israeli occupation forces.

Mr. Behnke thanked the members of the Coalition for inviting him, stressing that OHCHR gives great attention to the issue of freedom of opinion and expression as a cornerstone of human rights. Mr. Behnke expressed OHCHR’s willingness to cooperate with the coalition through different ways such as daily monitoring for emergency cases, or by referring to cases of human rights violations against journalists in the reports filed by OHCHR to various United Nations bodies, or through campaigns aimed at increasing awareness about the freedom of expression and the human rights of journalists.