Palestinian women – CSW vote – Press release (excerpts)

Commission on the Status of Women

Forty-second Session

13th Meeting (Night) and

 Round-up of Session

COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN URGES STATES TO ACCORD FULL AND EQUAL

   RIGHTS TO WOMEN TO OWN LAND AND OTHER PROPERTY

   Approves 11 Other Texts, Including Draft Conclusions on Major

     Areas of Concern of 1995 World Women's Conference; Concludes Session

  The Commission on the Status of  Women concluded its forty-second  session

on  Friday  night,  13  March,  by   adopting  12  texts,  including  "draft

conclusions'  on four  of the  critical areas  of concern  contained  in the

Beijing  Platform  for  Action,  the  outcome   of  the  1995  Fourth  World

Conference on Women.

…

  By  a  vote  of  34  in  favour  to  1  against  (United  States), with  5

abstentions  (Lebanon,  Lesotho, Norway,  Rwanda,  Uganda),  the  Commission

approved  a  resolution  on  Palestinian  women, to  be    submitted to  the

Economic and Social Council for adoption — the only resolution approved  by

vote.  (See Annex for details of the vote.)

  By terms  of  that  text,  the Council  would  reaffirm that  the  Israeli

occupation  remains a  major obstacle  to Palestinian  women's  advancement,

selfreliance  and integration in the development planning  of their society.

Israel would  be called  on to  facilitate the  return of  all refugees  and

displaced Palestinian  women and children to  their homes  and properties in

the occupied Palestinian territory.

…

  A  draft  resolution  on  Palestinian  women  (document  E/CN.6/1998/L.9),

recommended for adoption by the Economic  and Social Council, was  sponsored

by Indonesia,  on  behalf of  the "Group  of  77"  developing countries  and

China.   By that text, the  Council would stress its support  for the Middle

East peace process and  the need for  speedy and full implementation of  the

agreements already reached  between the parties.  It would reaffirm that the

Israeli    occupation  remains  a  major  obstacle  to  Palestinian  women's

advancement, self-reliance  and integration in the  development planning  of

their  society.   It  calls upon  Israel to  facilitate  the return  of  all

refugees  and displaced Palestinian  women and  children to  their homes and

properties in the occupied Palestinian territory.

…

  Next,  the Commission took  up the  draft resolution  on Palestinian women

(document E/CN.6/1998/L.9).

  The Commission  Chairman, Ms.  FLOR (Germany),  said a  recorded vote  had

been requested on the draft resolution.

  Speaking  before the vote,  the representative  of the  United States said

parts of the resolution were unacceptable  because they addressed the status

of issues  that the  parties  had agreed  would  be  the subject  of  direct

negotiations in the Middle  East peace process.  The other language was one-

sided,  not objective  and  would not  advance the  status or  well-being of

women in society — the intended beneficiaries of the resolution.

  The observer of Israel said the  resolution was blatantly politicized  and

flagrantly one-sided,  to the extent that  it damaged the credibility of the

Commission  as an  advocate  for  women around  the world.    The resolution

unfairly and  without justification singled out  Israel and  stood in marked

contrast to the high principles upon  which the Commission was  established.

The Commission was not the forum for such discussion.

  He said Israeli and Palestinian women's  organizations met with each other

and were in the  process of building a greater degree of confidence  between

the parties.  It was not through such  dialogue  that  a new,  peaceful  co-

existence between  their two  peoples would  emerge.   The draft  resolution

would serve  no purpose other than to hamper the positive measures currently

in place.

  The  draft text  was approved,  as orally  revised,  by a  vote of  34  in

favour to 1 against (United States),  with 5 abstentions (Lebanon,  Lesotho,

Norway, Rwanda, Uganda).  (For details of the vote, see Annex.)

  Speaking  after the vote,  the representative of Lebanon said the text did

not mention  commitments  Israel had  not  respected.   His  delegation  had

abstained, but  Lebanon supported the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian

people.

  The representative of Norway  said her country shared  the concern for the

difficult  situation for Palestinian  women and their families, as described

in the  draft resolution.    That concern  was the underlying basis  for the

considerable efforts  her  Government had  made  and  continued to  make  in

providing assistance to the Palestinian people.

  Since the  signing of  the  Oslo accords  in  1993,  she said  Norway  had

transferred funds amounting to a total of  approximately $180 million to the

Palestinian  people.  Special  attention was  paid to  involving Palestinian

women  in the development  process.   Norway remained  strongly committed to

that  process.  The  Commission was  not the right forum  for addressing the

problems  pertaining  to  the  Middle  East  peace  process.    Norway  had,

therefore, abstained on the present resolution.

  The  representative of the  Russian Federation  said he  had supported the

draft.  His delegation believed its provisions reminded  all of the need for

progress in the Middle  East peace process.  It was important that decisions

and  resolutions  help  resolve  the  stalemate  that  had  emerged  in that

process.

  The  observer of Palestine  expressed thanks  for the  introduction of the

text  by Indonesia, on behalf  of the Group  of 77 and  China.   He said the

large vote in support  of the draft showed  the support of the international

community for the struggle of the Palestinian people.  He looked forward  to

the day Palestine would  participate fully as a  member in the  Commission's

work.

  The  representative  of  Syria reiterated  his country's  support  for the

struggle  of the Palestinian  people against  Israeli occupation.   He urged

the  United  Nations   to  support  the  Palestinian  people,   particularly

Palestinian women until they recovered their legitimate  rights  and  gained

their independence.

ANNEX

  Vote on Palestinian Women

  The draft resolution  on Palestinian women (document E/CN.6/1998/L.9)  was

adopted  by  a  recorded  vote  of  34  in  favour  to  1  against,  with  5

abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Angola, Belgium, Bolivia,  Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China,  Cote

d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican  Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece,  India,

Indonesia,  Iran,   Japan,  Malaysia,  Mali,   Mexico,  Morocco,   Paraguay,

Philippines,  Poland,  Portugal,  Republic  of  Korea,  Russian  Federation,

Rwanda, Slovakia, Sudan, Swaziland, Thailand, Togo, United Kingdom.

Against:  United States.

Abstain:  Lebanon, Lesotho, Norway, Rwanda, Uganda.

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