Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
Opening of the 2007 session
The 2007 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was opened by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 27 February 2007. At the meeting, the Committee elected members of the Bureau of the Committee: Amb. Paul Badji (Senegal) as Chairman, Amb. Zahir Tanin (Afghanistan) and Amb. Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz (Cuba) as Vice-Chairmen, and Amb. Victor Camilleri (Malta) as Rapporteur. The Committee also adopted its programme of work for the year.
In 1975, by its resolution 3376 the General Assembly established the Committee, and requested it to recommend a programme of implementation to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination without external interference, national independence and sovereignty; and to return to their homes and property. The Committee's recommendations were endorsed by the Assembly, to which the Committee reports annually. The Assembly has gradually expanded the Committee’s mandate and established the Division for Palestinian Rights as its secretariat.
The Committee welcomed the 1991 Madrid peace process as well as the 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent agreements reached by Israel and the PLO. The Committee has strongly supported the objective, affirmed in Security Council resolution 1397 (2002), of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognized borders. The Committee welcomed the Quartet’s Road Map and called on the parties to implement it.
The
Committee promotes
international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people and heightened international awareness of the question of Palestine. In
addition to international meetings,
publications and informational
activities, each year the Committee holds a special meeting in
observance of the International Day of
Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November).
The Committee, chaired by Senegal, has 22 members
and 26 observers.
Additional
information about the Committee and the Division