“Our university’s commitment to human rights goes back a long way and is based on the spirit of the search for democracy, freedom and equality throughout the centuries”, stated UV Principal Mª Vicenta Mestre at the ordinary meeting of the Universitat de València Senate, in which a consensus was reached on the vulnerability of human rights situation in the Gaza Strip.

The Governing Council of the UV has taken a clear and unequivocal position against the violation of international humanitarian law at its meetings on 9 November and 19 December 2023 and 30 January 2024.

At the University Senate meeting on 22 February, the principal shared the Institute of Human Rights report on the legal situation of the Israeli military intervention on Gaza with the Senate members .

Furthermore, Principal Mestre reported that the UV does not uphold any collaboration agreements with universities in Israel and that, for the 2024 period, there are no Israeli university institutions included in its Erasmus mobility programme.

The Senate of the Universitat de València has pronounced the following institutional declaration with 153 votes in favour, 33 abstentions and no votes against.

Institutional Declaration of the Senate of the Universitat de València

The Universitat de València is dedicated to the intellectual and material development of the people, the progress of knowledge, peace, gender equality and the ecological defence of the environment, as expressed in the fourth article of our Statutes.

In its firm commitment to peace, justice, human rights and democratic values, the Governing Council of the Universitat de València has expressed its solidarity with the civilian population of Gaza in each of its ordinary sessions over the last four months. The Governing Council has reiterated its rejection of Israel’s military actions, which violate international law and international humanitarian law and have resulted in thousands of dead, wounded and displaced people.

These positions are in line with those expressed by the Conference of principals of Spanish universities, and the Universitat de València has urged the European University Union to express its position in defence of the Charter of Human Rights and in demand of compliance with international law.

In accordance with what was expressed by the International Court of Justice in its order of 26 January 2024 on the precautionary measures requested by South Africa, the Universitat de València maintains that it is imperative that Israel take immediate measures to prevent the commission of acts that fall under the crimes defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and that it is urgent to adopt all necessary measures to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to commit genocide, as well as to promote effective measures to allow humanitarian aid.

As the United Nations has already warned, forced population displacement cannot be sustained under international law. Therefore, the top priority at the moment must be the civilian population and humanitarian aid, which cannot be limited or conditioned by the criticism of UNRWA, which is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).

Likewise, the Universitat de València expresses its concern and its rejection of the destruction of health, education, university and research facilities in Gaza, as well as the serious impact of this education on the education of children and young people caused by this war, as recently expressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child.

As a consequence, the Senate of the Universitat de València has named the following demands:

– an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza;

– the immediate release of all hostages and prisoners and an end to human rights violations;

– the initiation of a peace process based on dialogue and negotiation which, with the support of the international community and the boost of the United Nations, will provide a permanent response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Declaration of support for the UNRWA

In accordance with the Institutional Declaration of the Universitat de València Senate on 22 February 2024, the Executive Council of the UV, in view of the systematic violation of human rights suffered by Gazan civilians due to Israel's armed intervention and insisting on the main points indicated by the Senate (ceasefire, end of Human Rights violations and the beginning of a peace-making process with the support of the international community and pushed by the United Nations), met on Monday, 13 May 2024, and agreed to:

Publicly support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and recognise the indispensability of the humanitarian work it has carried out throughout the years, which continues to be necessary in the face of the unprecedented suspension of funding by some states.

The Universitat de València Senate considers that the civilian population must be the top priority in this conflict and, specifically, ensuring their basic human rights such as food, water, healthcare, education and housing, among others, which currently depends on the UNRWA’s vital support.

This UN agency is able to provide services on a broad scale, in the absence of a fully-fledged state authority and, thus, complying with instructions of the International Court of Justice, which ordered immediate and effective measures to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian camping

A group of people linked to the organisation BDS País Valencià and members of the university community set up camp on 29 April to show their support for Palestine. Due to the meteorological conditions, they were allowed to move inside the building.

For this reason, the UV provided reinforcement by security staff in order to ensure the protection and safety of both the people and the facilities spending the night inside a building that is closed at night.

Once the weather improved, the camp was moved outside of the Faculty, to the reception park. The Universitat de València provided a security team and installed two chemical toilets for the campers, as well as fire extinguishers as a preventive measure, as recommended by the security staff.

Last Friday, 3 May the campers decided to stay inside the Faculty building after it was closed. Therefore, the security measures were kept during the closing time and the weekend. Regarding some of the circulating information, the Universitat de València reiterates that they will not shut down the camp, so long as no harmful demonstrations to the people or the facilities’ integrity or the development of the university activities take place.

On Thursday, 16 May, campers decided to block access to the building of the Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences for both students and staff of the Universitat de València. Accordingly, the UV suspended all activities in the Faculty building on Thursday 16 and Friday, 17 May, but teaching activities continued at the Blasco Ibáñez Campus.

Finally, on Friday, 17 May, campers decided to break up the camp set up in the faculty's courtyard and leave the main building.