Desmond Travers is a retired Irish soldier and peace-keeper. Since retirement he has studied international law and continued working in peace-keeping, most recently as one of the authors of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict

United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict

The United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, known as the Goldstone Report, was a team established in April 2009 by the United Nations Human Rights Council during the Gaza War as an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate alleged violations of international...

, or "Goldstone Report".

Career

Travers began a cadetship in the Irish army in 1961 while Ireland was becoming involved in UN peacekeeping. He first served in Cyprus and was married at the same time. Later he commanded peacekeeping forces there, in Lebanon, Croatia and Sarajevo where he was the Chief of Information and the Chief of Operations for an EU Monitoring organisation. From Sarajevo he became the Commandant of the Irish Army's Military College, The Curragh, retiring in 2001.

After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1987 Colonel Travers volunteered to be a Military Observer there. He and his family lived in Northern Israel for two years.

After retirement Travers was a student of international humanitarian law under Professor William Schabas at the ICC

International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...

 in the Hague and himself taught a module on military affairs.

Goldstone Report

Desmond Travers was one of the 4 authors of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict

United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict

The United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, known as the Goldstone Report, was a team established in April 2009 by the United Nations Human Rights Council during the Gaza War as an independent international fact-finding mission to investigate alleged violations of international...

 established by the United Nations Human Rights Council

United Nations Human Rights Council

The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...

 (UNHRC) during the Gaza War of 2008/2009.