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30 NOVEMBER 1999

Today, the General Assembly is considering the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East. After hearing the remaining 14 speakers on the first item this morning, the Assembly commenced hearing 38 speakers in the debate on the second. When it has heard all the statements, the Assembly will, tomorrow morning, take action on two draft resolutions on the situation in the Middle East and four on the question of Palestine. Last year, all six texts were adopted by recorded votes.

The four draft resolutions on the question of Palestine were introduced on Monday afternoon by the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Ambassador Ibra Deguene Ka of Senegal. Those texts pertain to the Palestinian Rights Committee (A/54/L.42), the Division for Palestinian Rights (A/54/L.43), the Department of Public Information’s special information programme on the question of Palestine (A/54/L.44) and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine (A/54/L.45). The related reports are those of the Palestinian Rights Committee (A/54/35), and of the Secretary-General (A/54/457).

The representative of Egypt will introduce the two drafts on the situation in the Middle East, the first of which deals with Jerusalem (A/54/L.40). By its provisions, the Assembly would determine that Israel’s decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem is illegal and therefore null and void; it would deplore the transfer by some States of their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem in violation of Security Council resolution 478 (1980), and would again call upon them to abide by the relevant resolutions in conformity with the United Nations Charter.

By the second draft, on the Syrian Golan (A/54/L.41), the Assembly would call on Israel to resume the talks on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and to respect the commitments and undertakings reached during the previous talks; it would call upon all the parties concerned, the co-sponsors and the entire international community to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the resumption of the peace process and its success; and would demand once more that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.

In his report (A/54/457), the Secretary-General expresses the hope that progress on the Israeli-Palestinian track will soon lead to movement on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks so that peace, security and stability may be achieved for all peoples in the region on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 425 (1978) and the principle of land for peace. Another report (A/54/495) contains the replies received from six Governments on steps they had taken or envisaged taking to implement last year’s resolutions, 53/37 and 53/38, on Jerusalem and Israeli policies in the Syrian Golan.

Tomorrow afternoon, the Assembly will take action on 22 reports of the First Committee, on disarmament and international security issues. The list of Committee reports can be found in A/C.1/54/INF/3.

I wish to draw your attention to additions to the Assembly’s programme of work. On Wednesday, 8 December, in the morning, the Assembly will take up item 46, entitled "Causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa". On Tuesday, 14 December, in the morning, open-ended informal consultations of the plenary on item 49(b), "the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations", will be held in Conference Room 1. With regard to the scheduling of item 38, "Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters", the President informs the Assembly that he is still holding consultations and will inform the members in due time.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) is meeting this morning to conclude its general discussion on human resources management, including the issue of gratis personnel. Discussion will also conclude concerning revised estimates arising out of resolutions and decisions adopted by the Economic and Social Council. Items on programme planning and pattern of conferences will be introduced and discussed.

Today is election day in Namibia, and this morning Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab went to cast his vote, at the Namibian Mission, in the country’s national and parliamentary elections. This afternoon, the President will preside as the Assembly continues hearing statements on the situation in the Middle East. This evening, he will attend a reception hosted by the Permanent Representative of Slovenia, Danilo Turk, in his capacity as President of the Security Council for November, in honour of all those involved in the work of the Council.