General Assembly2023-04-20T16:38:35-04:00

The Question of Palestine and the General Assembly

Empty GA Hall

A general view of the General Assembly Hall. UN Photo/Sophia Paris

The General Assembly is the main deliberative organ of the United Nations, composed of representatives of all Member States.  The question of Palestine was first brought before the General Assembly in 1947. By resolution 181 (II), the Assembly decided to partition Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem placed under a special international regime. After the 1948 war, the Assembly by resolution 194 (III) of 1949 established the Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP) to help the parties reach a final settlement, while reaffirming the rights of Palestine refugees to return and restitution. UNRWA, a Palestine refugee agency, was established by the Assembly the same year.

In 1974, the question of Palestine was re-introduced in the Assembly’s agenda. Resolution 3236 (XXIX) reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, and the right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property. In 1975, the Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The question of Palestine and related issues have been the subject of numerous resolutions and decisions adopted by the Assembly’s regular, special and emergency sessions.

On 29 November 2012 the Assembly granted Palestine non-member observer State status in the UN. The relevant issues on the agenda of the Assembly and its subsidiary organs, such as the Human Rights Council include the right of Palestinians to self-determination, their sovereignty over natural resources, assistance, refugees, IDPs, UNRWA, human rights, Israeli settlements, peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, and Jerusalem, among others.

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GA’s Resolutions on Question of Palestine

Date Title Subject Symbol
16-Dec-1981 Israel’s Mediterranean-Dead Sea canal project – GA resolution Agenda Item, Economic issues, Environmental issues, Water A/RES/36/150
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

16-Dec-1981 Palestine refugees/UNRWA reports – GA resolution Land, Legal issues, Refugees and displaced persons A/RES/36/146(A-H)
Sources:

General Assembly, United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Type

Multimedia, Resolution

10-Dec-1981 Palestine question/CEIRPP/ICQP/CEIRPP to act as ICQP PrepCttee/Inalienable rights in Palestine/Jerusalem – GA resolutions Agenda Item, Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Jerusalem, PLO/Palestine, Palestine question, Peace conference, Peace proposals and efforts A/RES/36/120(A-F)
Sources:

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR), General Assembly, United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP), United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)

Type

Multimedia, Resolution

09-Dec-1981 Nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Mideast – GA resolution Agenda Item, Arms control and regional security issues A/RES/36/87 (A+B)
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

04-Dec-1981 Assistance to the Palestinian people – GA resolution Assistance A/RES/36/70
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

04-Dec-1981 Living conditions of the Palestinian people – GA resolution Economic issues, Social issues A/RES/36/73
Sources:

General Assembly, United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS - Habitat)

Type

Resolution

28-Oct-1981 Jerusalem/Excavations – GA resolution Holy places, Jerusalem A/RES/36/15
Sources:

General Assembly, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Type

Resolution

28-Oct-1981 Right of peoples to self-determination – GA resolution Agenda Item, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Palestine question, Self-determination A/RES/36/9
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

16-Dec-1980 Mideast situation/Inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people/Rejection of partial agreements – GA resolution Armed conflict, Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Incidents, Jerusalem, Middle East situation, Negotiations and agreements, Occupation, Palestine question, Self-determination, Statehood-related A/RES/35/207
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

15-Dec-1980 Observer status of national liberation movements recognized by OAU and/or by LAS – GA resolution Middle East situation, PLO/Palestine, Palestine question, Self-determination A/RES/35/167
Sources:

General Assembly, Organization of African Unity (OAU)

Type

Resolution

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