Right of people to self-determination – GA Third Cttee approves draft resolution – Press release (excerpts)

SELF-DETERMINATION SHOULD COME SOON TO PALESTINIANS

 IN CURRENT PEACE PROCESS, SOCIAL COMMITTEE ASSERTS

Text Would Have Assembly Seek Wide Support for Quest; Debate on Human
Rights Continues, High Commissioner Welcomes Endorsement of Her Mandate

The General Assembly would express the  hope that  the Palestinian people would soon exercise their right to  self-determination in the current peace process, by the terms of one of three draft resolutions approved this afternoon by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).

The draft was approved by a vote of 141 in favour, to 2 against (Israel, United  States), with 7 abstentions (El Salvador, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Georgia, Norway, Uruguay).  By the text, the Assembly  would urge all States and the specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system to continue supporting and assisting the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination.  The representatives of Israel, United States, Syria, Lebanon, Norway and Iran spoke in explanation of vote.  The Observer for Palestine also spoke.

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Draft Texts for Action

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Under a draft resolution  on the right of  the Palestinian people to self-determination (document  A/C.3/52/L.41),  the Assembly would express deep concern over the deterioration of the Middle East peace process, including the lack of implementation of the agreements signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and  the Government of Israel.  It would urge all States and the United Nations system to continue supporting and assisting the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination.

The draft is sponsored by Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam and Yemen.

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Action on Drafts

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The Committee then took up the draft resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

Mr. BUSACCA (Italy), Committee Chairman, said  the draft had no  programme budget implications.  He reminded the  Committee that Brunei Darussalam had been added to the list of co-sponsors when the draft  text was introduced (on 13 November).

Additional co-sponsors were added as follows:   Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Angola.

The Chairman said a recorded vote had been requested.

The representative of the United States, speaking in explanation of vote, said he opposed the  draft because it  injected the United Nations into  the Middle East peace process on a final status issue that was to be the subject of direct  negotiation among the parties to the conflict.  It singled out one group of people for self-determination.  There were numerous other groups of people throughout the world, some of whom regarded themselves as being  under foreign  occupation,  yet no  resolution singled them out for special treatment.  Adoption of a politicized resolution would not contribute to a  reinvigoration of the peace process; it might have the opposite effect.

The representative of Israel said the draft would have an adverse effect on  the outcome of the final status talks between Israel and the Palestinians.  The matter should be dealt with on a bilateral basis.  Israel looked forward to progress in the talks between the two parties.

The draft resolution was approved by a recorded vote of  141 in  favour, 2 against (Israel  and the  United States), with 7 abstentions (El Salvador, Federated States  of Micronesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Georgia, Norway and Uruguay) (See Annex).

Speaking in explanation of vote, the  representative of Syria welcomed the approval of the draft.  The overwhelming  majority indicated the resolve of the international community to end to the suffering of the Palestinian people. He hoped negotiations between the two parties  would lead to a final and just solution to the situation in the Middle East, on the basis of the relevant  Security Council resolution.   He  had a reservation  on the fifth preambular paragraph  because it did not  reflect the  provisions of Council resolution 242 of 1967.

The representative of Lebanon said he had voted in favour of the draft resolution, which expressed support of the  people of Lebanon to the Palestinian people for an end to their suffering.  They had the right to self-determination. On  preambular  paragraph  4, concerning the peace process, he  said the Israelis had  been responsible  for its deterioration.  He also had a reservation  on preambular paragraph 5 because it did not call for the withdrawal of Israel from all territory taken by force.

The representative of Norway said he supported the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.   Norway continued to encourage the parties  to step  up their  negotiations and  to start the final status negotiations as  soon as possible.  Nevertheless, Norway's  position on the issue had not changed, and he had, therefore, abstained.

The representative  of  Iran  said  he  voted  in  favour  of  the  draft resolution, but he had a reservation on preambular paragraph  5 because what was stated therein would  not lead to the full resolution of the Palestinian situation.

The Observer for Palestine expressed appreciation  to all the States which had voted  in favour of the draft, and said she was particularly grateful to the  representative of  Egypt for  his  efforts which led to the positive outcome.  The additional  co-sponsors were welcomed.  The right of  the Palestinian people to self-determination was assured by the United Nations Charter and all  international human rights instruments.  Recognition of that  right would not prejudge the result of the peace process or its success.  The negotiation process did not mean that the Palestinian people should abandon their inalienable  rights.  She hoped that  the draft resolution would be adopted unanimously at a later stage.  The international community should work together to ensure the rights of the Palestinian people, as well as their independence.

The Committee concluded  its consideration of the agenda item on the rights of peoples to self-determination.

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Rights of Reply

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DANIEL TAUB (Israel) said this morning's statement by the Palestinian representative had brought back the sterile  statements that had not helped matters.  If Palestinians wanted to make progress, they should take serious
measures against terrorism.  They should  arrest terrorists and not  release them, and they should confiscate weapons.  Palestinians  should not just broadcast their grievances, but they should deal with them through negotiations.  The human rights of the Palestinians  was a serious  issue, but until they were willing to sit down for negotiation, it was hard to take them seriously.

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ANNEX

Vote on Right of Palestinian People to Self-Determination

The draft  resolution on the  right   of the Palestinian people to self-determination (document A/C.3/52/L.41)  was approved by a recorded vote of 142 in favour to 2 against, with 7 abstentions:

In  favour:   Afghanistan, Algeria,  Andorra, Angola,  Antigua and  Barbuda, Argentina,  Armenia, Australia,  Azerbaijan,  Bahamas,  Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados,  Belarus,  Belgium,  Belize,  Benin,  Bhutan,  Bolivia,  Botswana, Brazil, Brunei  Darussalam, Bulgaria,  Burkina Faso,  Burundi, Canada,  Cape Verde, Chile,  China, Colombia, Costa  Rica, Cote  d'Ivoire, Croatia,  Cuba, Cyprus, Czech  Republic, Democratic People's  Republic of Korea,  Democratic Republic  of the  Congo,  Denmark, Djibouti,  Dominican  Republic,  Ecuador, Egypt,  Eritrea,   Estonia,  Ethiopia,  Finland,  France,  Germany,  Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,  Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,  Hungary, Iceland,  India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,  Kenya, Kuwait,  Kyrgyzstan,  Lao People's  Democratic  Republic,  Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,  Liberia,  Libya,  Liechtenstein,  Lithuania,  Luxembourg,  Malawi, Malaysia,  Maldives,  Mali,  Malta, Mauritania,  Mexico,  Monaco,  Mongolia, Morocco,  Mozambique,  Myanmar, Namibia,  Nepal,  Netherlands,  New Zealand, Niger,  Nigeria,   Oman,  Pakistan,  Papua   New  Guinea,  Paraguay,   Peru, Philippines,  Poland,  Portugal,  Qatar,  Republic  of  Korea,  Republic  of Moldova,  Romania,  Russian Federation,  Saint  Lucia,  Samoa,  San  Marino, Senegal,  Sierra  Leone, Singapore,  Slovakia,  Slovenia,  Solomon  Islands, South Africa, Spain,  Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria,  Thailand, The  former  Yugoslav Republic  of  Macedonia,  Togo, Trinidad  and  Tobago, Tunisia,  Turkey,  Turkmenistan,  Uganda,  Ukraine,  United  Arab  Emirates, United Kingdom, United  Republic of  Tanzania, Venezuela,  Viet Nam,  Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Israel, United States.

Abstain:    El Salvador,  Federated  States  of  Micronesia, Fiji,  Georgia, Marshall Islands, Norway, Uruguay.

Absent:   Albania, Austria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros,  Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,  Ghana, Grenada, Honduras,  Madagascar, Mauritius, Nicaragua,  Palau, Panama, Republic  of the  Congo, Rwanda,  Saint Kitts and Nevis,  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles,
Suriname, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Zambia.

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