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The Question of Palestine and the General Assembly

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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
15-Dec-1978 Palestine refugees/Children/Health needs – GA resolution Assistance, Children, Economic issues, Health, Refugees and displaced persons, Social issues A/RES/33/81
Sources:

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

Type

Resolution

14-Dec-1978 Military and nuclear collaboration with Israel – GA resolution (excerpts) Arms control and regional security issues, Middle East situation A/RES/33/71
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

14-Dec-1978 Nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Mideast – GA resolution Arms control and regional security issues A/RES/33/64
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

07-Dec-1978 Mideast situation/Early convening with all parties of Mideast Peace Conference under S/RES/338 (1973) – GA resolution Agenda Item, Middle East situation, Palestine question, Peace conference, Peace proposals and efforts A/RES/33/29
Sources:

General Assembly, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)(See also - Committee on Palestine)

Type

Resolution

07-Dec-1978 Palestine question/CEIRPP/Special Unit – GA resolutions Agenda Item, Palestine question A/RES/33/28(A-C)
Sources:

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), General Assembly, Special Unit on Palestinian Rights (SUPR) (See also - CEIRPP > DPR)

Type

Resolution

29-Nov-1978 Right of peoples to self-determination/Struggle by all available means – GA resolution Agenda Item, Armed conflict, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Occupation, Palestine question, Self-determination A/RES/33/24
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

03-Nov-1978 UNIFIL – GA resolution Peacekeeping A/RES/33/14
Sources:

General Assembly, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

Type

Resolution

03-Nov-1978 UNDOF, UNEF II/Financing – GA resolutions Peacekeeping A/RES/33/13(A-F)
Sources:

General Assembly, United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), United Nations Emergency Force II (UNEF II)

Type

Resolution

21-Apr-1978 Credentials to the GA special session – Resolution Agenda Item, Peacekeeping A/RES/S-8/1
Sources:

General Assembly

Type

Resolution

21-Apr-1978 UNIFIL finance – GA special session – Resolution Peacekeeping A/RES/S-8/2
Sources:

General Assembly, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

Type

Resolution

Showing 10 documents of 897 found.

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