Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization)—Focus on Decolonization, Demining and Peacekeeping
Encourages Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks
By Ghislain Ondias Okouma
The Fourth Committee had worked on two major topics—the maintenance of peace and security, and organizational and administrative matters. It discussed the issue of decolonization, which over the years has persisted on its agenda. There was again some discussions on the implementation of resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all UN resolutions and decisions relating to non-self governing territories (NSGTs)—16 of which still remain on the UN list.
From a global point of view, a resolution was adopted by the Assembly requesting the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration to continue to seek suitable means for its immediate and full implementation. In addition, the resolution requested the Special Committee to carry out the actions approved by the Assembly regarding the International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism and the Second International Decade “in all territories that have not yet exercised their right to self-determination, including independence’’. It should also be noted that the resolution on the study and training facilities offered by Member States to inhabitants of NSGTs requested all States to make or continue to make generous offers to the “inhabitants of those territories that have not yet attained self-government or independence”.
Several speakers referred to the questions of the Tokelau Islands, Guam and Western Sahara. The Committee adopted by consensus a resolution that welcomed the commitment of both Tokelau and New Zealand to continue to work together in the interests of Tokelau and its people, taking into account the principle of the right to self-determination. It also welcomed the assurance of the New Zealand Government to meet its obligations with respect to Tokelau and abide by the freely expressed wishes of its people with regard to their future status.
On 6 November 2007, the Committee began its debate on assistance in mine action. Speaking on behalf of Jean-Marie Guéhenno, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and Chairman of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action, David Harland reported about the progress on the objectives of the United Nations strategy against mines, for the period 2006-2010, such as the decline in the number of injuries caused by mines and the establishment of measures by countries involved in this fight. He stressed that UN agencies had assisted 13 countries so far in the integration of the needs for mine action into the national development and reconstruction plans and budgets of at least 15 countries. Jiro Kodera of Japan said that since the launch of its new policy on mine action at the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Convention—formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction—in 2004, Japan had spent an average of $3.8 million a year, with its largest contribution of $4 million made in 2006. Rod Kemp of Australia stressed that mine action was an important part of the aid programme in his country, which is a leading contributor in this area. In 2005, Australia has confirmed this commitment by providing over the next five years $75 million for demining, compared to $100 million in the previous decade, he said.
The Fourth Committee Chairman, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad of Sudan, in an interview with UN Chronicle, said that “landmines are indiscriminate killers that target civilians long after a conflict has ended’’. Several delegations pointed out that anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war continued to claim victims among the civilian population, especially children, and slow down the economic development of some countries. “Its socio-economic impacts are very disastrous’’, the Chairman concluded. Maged Abdel Aziz of Egypt concurred, saying that more than 20 million mines and explosive remnants were spread over a quarter of a million hectares in his country. He noted that the situation required enormous financial and technical resources for detection and clearance, and that the presence of mines had resulted in many economic and social problems for Egypt, with a prominent humanitarian dimension. Libya’s representative regretted that countries that dispersed mines in the past, particularly during the Second World War, have neither provided maps of mined areas nor assistance in mine clearance. The General Assembly, in adopting without a vote the resolution on assistance in mine action, called upon States to respect and adhere to the Mine Ban Convention, also known as the Ottawa Treaty of 1997.
During its seventh week of discussions, the Committee focused on the study of the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects. In a briefing on 1 November 2007, Mr. Guéhenno presented in detail the role and composition of the new structure of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), with particular emphasis on integrated operational teams. He defended the concept of the “Capstone doctrine”, which was being developed by DPKO and would set out the guiding principles for peacekeeping. However, Sum Kian Tiong of Singapore estimated that its preparation required more consultations because there were still divergent views on updating the guidelines. Bagudu Hirse of Nigeria emphasized that there should be consensus among Member States before these guidelines become “the reference document for the maintenance of peace''.
The general debate also gave opportunities to the Jordan delegation to advocate for more equality and parity between sexes in peacekeeping operations. Hamid Chabar of Morocco, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, expressed his concern regarding a fair geographic representation in the UN Secretariat staff, which proportionately reflected the make-up of peacekeeping forces, announcing that his country wanted to revise the doctrine in terms of contribution to peacekeeping. These delegations repeatedly recalled that United Nations peacekeeping operations must strictly observe the principles contained in the UN Charter and respect the basic principles governing peacekeeping missions; among them consent of parties, non-use of force, impartiality and respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States. Liu Zhenmin of China said that regional and sub-regional organizations played an increasingly important role, complementing the work of the United Nations, and they needed more UN support. On sexual abuse, several speakers underlined that DPKO has not yet succeeded in eradicating this problem despite a policy known as "zero tolerance". Sri Lanka warned against the risk of expeditious sanctions, which do not take into account the presumption of innocence damaged by incidences of sexual exploitation by some peacekeeping personnel.
The Palestinian issue was also discussed through consideration of the reports of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories. In 2007, the Fourth Committee’s review of the UNRWA report coincided with the Annapolis Conference. In total, the Committee recommended four resolutions concerning UNRWA, all adopted by recorded vote. The first, related to the assistance to Palestine refugees, called upon all donors to continue to make the most generous efforts possible to meet the anticipated needs of UNRWA, including with regard to increased expenditures arising from the continuing deterioration of the socio-economic and humanitarian situation in the region. The second resolution reaffirmed the right of all persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities to return to their homes or former places of residence in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
The third text, on the operations of UNRWA, called on Israel to abide by the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, in order to ensure the safety of the Agency’s personnel, the protection of its institutions and the safeguarding of the security of its facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It also urged Israel to speedily compensate UNRWA for damage to its property and facilities resulting from Israeli actions. The representative of Israel, while acknowledging the positive role played by UNRWA, regretted the "politicization of the Office and the tendency to point the finger at the responsibility of a single party in the prevailing situation”. He also regretted that the restrictions put in place by Israel disrupted the life of the Arab population in the West Bank and Gaza, and stressed that the purpose of this policy was to neutralize terrorist activities. The fourth resolution, entitled “Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues”, reaffirmed that Palestine refugees are entitled to their property and the income derived therefrom, in conformity with the principles of equity and justice.
The Fourth Committee also examined the work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices, whose Chairman, Prasad Kariyawasam of Sri Lanka, introduced the thirty-ninth report denouncing the violations committed by Israel in the field of human rights and against international humanitarian law. During the debate, delegations condemned the policy of Israel and the settlers in the occupied territories against Palestinians and the people of the occupied Syrian Golan. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Observer of Palestine, stressed that the humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was the result of incessant transgressions of Israel, designated as the occupying power, against international humanitarian law and human rights. For Rebeca Hernandez Toledano of Cuba and Marty Natalegawa of Indonesia, the separation wall was a failure and an unacceptable challenge to the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to General Assembly resolution ES-10 of 20 July 2004. However, the representative of Israel, Gershon Kedar, stressed that his country’s legitimate security policy could not be altered by these resolutions. All those who promote a two-State solution, he argued, should avoid extraneous political issues that singled out one Member State, prejudiced decisions pertaining to permanent status negotiations and promoted the interests of one party in the conflict. He also noted that the United Nations had more to offer at a time when both Israelis and Palestinians are trying again to resolve their differences. Mr. Kedar believed that the proliferation of resolutions condemning his country at the United Nations created unrealistic expectations and did not advance the cause of peace.
The Fourth Committee has also adopted resolutions on the “Applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the other occupied Arab territories”, and concerning Israeli settlements in these occupied territories. In another text related to “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”, the Assembly condemned all acts of violence, including acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force by the Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians. Also by the text, the Assembly noted the Israeli withdrawal from within the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank and the dismantling of settlements there as a step towards implementing the Road Map for peace. By the same text, the Assembly also called upon Israel to comply strictly with its obligations under international and humanitarian law with respect to the alteration of the character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
Before ending its work, the Fourth Committee discussed questions relating to information. In the first text, entitled “Information in the service of humanity”, the Assembly urged all countries, organizations of the United Nations system and all others concerned to cooperate and interact, with a view to reducing existing disparities in information flows. In the second text, ”United Nations public information policies and activities”, the Assembly requested the UN Department of Public Information to pay particular attention to such major issues as poverty eradication, conflict prevention and sustainable development, among others.
On administrative and organizational questions, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on programme planning, but the most important issue discussed was the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly. On the recommendation of the General Committee, this item was allocated to all Main Committees. Indeed, the Assembly President expressed his hope to see the work of the special working group to allow the United Nations to better fulfil its multiple functions. The Fourth Committee also adopted two resolutions on outer space, both by consensus. One was on registering space objects and the other, on international cooperation on the peaceful uses of outer space, which was approved after a vote was held on a provision calling for the endorsement of the work plan for 2007 of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response.
The main part of the Committee’s work was completed on 26 November. The Chairman indicated that 24 draft resolutions and 2 draft decisions were adopted during the session. He also reiterated that the work of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee was mainly political and, as agreed by Committee members, “that character should be maintained and strengthened''.
