CEIRPP meeting – Summary record

COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS

OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 190th MEETING

Held at Headquarters, New York,

on Monday, 5 October 1992, at 10.30 a.m.

Chairman:                      Mr. CISSE                 (Senegal)

CONTENTS

Adoption  of  the  agenda

Election of a Vice-Chairman of the Committee                        

Report on the United Nations European Seminar on the Question of Palestine,    

Malta, 27-29 July 1992                                  

Report on the European NGO Symposium and International NGO Meeting on the      Question of Palestine, Geneva, 24-28 August 1992                   

Report  on  the  Tenth  Summit  Conference  of  Heads  of  State  or Government of  the Non-Aligned   Countries,   Jakarta,   1-6  September  1992

Other matters

     This  record  is  subject   to   correction.

     Corrections   should  be   submitted  in  one  of  the   working  languages.   They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record.  They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Chief, Official Records Editing Section, Office of Conference Services, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza.                     

     Any corrections to the record of this meeting and of other  meetings will   be issued in a corrigendum.                                     

                 The meeting was called to order at 10.55 a.m.  

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

1.   The agenda was adopted.

ELECTION OF A VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE

2.   The CHAIRMAN said that Mr. Alarcón de Quesada, Permanent Representative

of Cuba to the United Nations and Vice-Chairman of the Committee, had left New

York a few months earlier in order to take up the post of Minister for Foreign

Affairs of Cuba.  Mr. Hidalgo Basulto, First Deputy Minister in the Ministry

of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, was the new Permanent Representative of Cuba to

the United Nations, and he had expressed his readiness to serve as

Vice-Chairman of the Committee.

3.   Mr. Hidalgo Basulto (Cuba) was elected Vice-Chairman by acclamation.

REPORT ON THE UNITED NATIONS EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE,

MALTA, 27-29 July 1992.

4.   The CHAIRMAN said that the Seventh European Seminar on the Question of

Palestine had been held from 27 to 29 July in Malta.  The Committee had been

represented by a delegation consisting of himself as Chairman of the Seminar

and head of delegation; Mr. Camilleri (Malta) as Vice-Chairman and Rapporteur

of the Seminar; Mr. Batiouk (Ukraine) as Vice-Chairman of the Seminar, and

Mr. Al-Kidwa (Permanent Observer of Palestine).

5.   The formal opening session had been addressed by Mr. de Marco, Deputy

Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malta; Mr. Abu Hejla,

Director-General of the Political Department of the Palestine Liberation

Organization, who had read out a message from Mr. Arafat, Chairman of the

Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization; and himself on

behalf of the Committee.  The Secretary-General had been represented by

Mr. Giacomelli, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, who

had read out an address by the Secretary-General at a plenary meeting of the

Seminar.  The closing session had been addressed by Mr. Aquilina, Secretary of

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the representative of Palestine, and himself,

on behalf of the Committee.

6.   A total of six meetings had been held and 15 experts from Europe and the

United States, as well as Palestinians and Israelis, had presented papers at

two round tables:  Round Table I:  "International action to ensure the safety

and protection of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian

territory" and Round Table II:  "Efforts to promote the implementation of

United Nations resolutions on the Question of Palestine and the Situation in

the Middle East".  Representatives of 10 Governments, Palestine, one United

Nations body, one United Nations specialized agency, one intergovernmental

organization and nine non-governmental organizations had attended the

Seminar.  For the first time the Commission of the European Communities had

assigned an expert to participate in the Seminar and make a statement on

humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.

7.   The documents containing the conclusions and recommendations of the

Seminar had been distributed to all members and observers of the Committee;

the report on the Seminar proceedings would be issued in due course as a

publication of the Division for Palestinian Rights.  A brief account of the

Seminar had also been included in the monthly bulletin prepared by the

Division for Palestinian Rights.  In addition, the conclusions and

recommendations would be annexed to the report of the Committee to the General

Assembly at its forty-seventh session.

8.   The Committee delegation had been pleased that the deliberations in the

Seminar had been marked by a sense of urgency and determination to work

together in order to develop concrete ideas for the future.  It had felt that

the discussions were substantive and productive and covered a wide range of

topics, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the positions of the

parties to the conflict, and helping to identify important issues for further

discussion.

9.   If he heard no objection, he would take it that the Committee decided to

take note of the conclusions and recommendations of the Seminar.

10.  It was so decided.

REPORT ON THE EUROPEAN NGO SYMPOSIUM AND INTERNATIONAL NGO MEETING ON THE

QUESTION OF PALESTINE, GENEVA, 24-28 AUGUST 1992

11.  The CHAIRMAN said that the delegation of the Committee to the European

NGO Symposium and the International NGO Meeting, in addition to himself, had

consisted of Mr. Camilleri (Malta), Rapporteur of the Committee, Mr. Batiouk,

Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, and Mr. Al-Kidwa,

Permanent Observer of Palestine.  Mr. Ennaceur, Permanent Representative of

Tunisia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, had also joined the delegation.

12.  The Sixth United Nations European NGO Symposium had had the theme

"Working for Peace – European Coordination".  It had been attended by

99 non-governmental organizations (47 as participants and 52 as observers).  

A number of representatives from Governments, United Nations bodies and

international governmental organizations had also attended the Symposium as

observers.  The formal opening session had been addressed by himself, on

behalf of the Committee, by the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United

Nations Office at Geneva and by the Chairman of the European Coordinating

Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine (ECCP).

13.  Eight panelists and resource persons had made presentations at the

Symposium.  The programme of the Symposium had included two plenary sessions

which had considered "The Responsibilities of European Governmental and

Non-governmental Bodies Towards the Palestinian People" and "Report by the

ECCP Members on their Committee's Activities During the Period August 1991 to

August 1992".  Two workshops had discussed "Lobbying of Governments and

Parliamentarians" and "Raising of Public Awareness of the Palestine Issue by

European NGOs".  The Symposium had also heard three reports on ongoing

projects by NGOs, namely "Olive Trees", "Palestinian Family Reunification" and

"Protection of Palestinian Children".  The Symposium had adopted a

declaration, copies of which had been distributed by the Secretariat.

14.  It would be recalled that the two NGO meetings had been prepared in

consultation with the European Coordinating Committee and the International

Coordinating Committee of NGOs, respectively.  The themes chosen and the

speakers invited had been decided upon in the light of current developments,

keeping in mind the needs and activities of the NGO community in the European

and other regions.

15.  The theme of the International NGO Meeting on the Question of Palestine

had been "Protection and Statehood".  The meeting had been attended by

255 non-governmental organizations (176 participants and 59 observers), as

well as representatives of 41 Governments, six United Nations bodies and three

intergovernmental organizations.

16.  The opening session had been addressed by Mr. Blanca, Director-General of

the United Nations Office at Geneva and Under-Secretary-General for Human

Rights, on behalf of the Secretary-General; by the Chairman of the

International Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine

(ICCP); and by himself on behalf of the Committee.  Addresses had been made by

Mr. Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation

Organization, and Mr. Tambo, National Chairman of the African National

Congress of South Africa.

17.  Twenty-eight panelists and resource persons had made presentations on the

panels and in the workshops.  The programme had consisted of three panels

which dealt with "Protection", "Statehood" and "The NGO Process".  Twelve

working groups and task forces had been established to consider specific

topics.  A final declaration had been adopted, copies of which had been

distributed by the Secretariat.

18.  The delegation of the Committee was satisfied with the outcome of the two

meetings and had pledged the Committee's continued cooperation with the work

of the NGOs and their coordinating committees.

19.  If he heard no objection, he would take it that the Committee decided to

take note of the declarations adopted at the two events.

20.  It was so decided.

REPORT ON THE TENTH SUMMIT CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF STATE OR GOVERNMENT OF THE

NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES, JAKARTA, 1-6 SEPTEMBER 1992

21.  The CHAIRMAN said that the final document of the Tenth Summit Conference

of Heads of State or Government of the Non-Aligned Countries would be issued

as a working document of the General Assembly.  The Summit Conference had been

preceded by a Ministerial Meeting from 28 to 30 August 1992.  He had

represented the Committee as a guest of the Indonesian Government;

Mr. Al-Kidwa, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, had

participated as a member of the delegation of Palestine, and Mr. Camilleri

(Malta) had attended as a member of the delegation of Malta.

22.  In his statement to the Ministerial Meeting he had stressed aspects that

were a source of hope in the current situation, while cautioning that prudence

was needed so as to avoid exaggerated optimism.  He had reiterated the

Committee's view that, although all the United Nations resolutions on the

subject were being taken into account in the ongoing negotiations, the direct

involvement of the United Nations was essential.  There had been a long debate

on the Palestinian question at the ministerial level and at the Summit.  The

Committee of Six on Palestine had met concurrently with the Summit and had

submitted a report; the position of the non-aligned countries on the question

of Palestine had been broadly reflected in the final document of the

Conference.  The Palestinian delegation, led by Mr. Arafat, had carried out

remarkable work and had greatly inspired the participants at the Conference.

OTHER MATTERS

23.  The CHAIRMAN said that the Economic and Social Council, at its

substantive session of 1992 from 29 June to 31 July, had considered the item

entitled "Assistance to the Palestinian People" and had recommended to the

General Assembly the adoption of a draft resolution on the item which,

inter alia, would recognize the need for convening a seminar on assistance to

the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory; in that regard,

the General Assembly would also suggest to the Committee on the Exercise of

the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People that it consider, in its

programme for 1992-1993, convening such a seminar.  After the adoption of the

draft resolution by the General Assembly, the Committee, while considering its

programme of work for 1993, would obviously take that suggestion into

consideration.

24.  Mr. AL-KIDWA (Observer for Palestine) stated that, according to the

United Nations press release issued following the September press encounter

organized in Lisbon, Portugal, by the Department of Public Information in

connection with the Palestinian Programmes, the participants wished to hold

the next encounter in Jerusalem.  The Secretary-General, however, should note

that to do so would contravene all United Nations resolutions which regarded

as null and void any Israeli measure that changed the legal status of

Jerusalem.  Moreover, the statement made in the concluding session by

Mr. Giacomelli, the representative of the Secretary-General, did not reflect

the overall view of the participants, in particular the Palestinians.  His

delegation could not accept any attempts made to adopt positions which ran

counter to the basic positions held by the United Nations.

25.  The computer-based information system to be provided to the Division for

Palestinian Rights pursuant to resolution 46/74 B (1991) would qualitatively

improve and expedite the Committee's work.  He hoped that the Division would

be able to begin implementing the first part of the project during the current

General Assembly session.  Emphasizing the importance of the decision made by

the Economic and Social Council concerning a special seminar on assistance to

the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, he further hoped that the

Committee would adopt the relevant resolutions in that connection.

26.  The closing address at the Tenth Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement

had affirmed the Movement's commitment to the work of the Committee.

Moreover, the fact that the Palestinian cause was one of only two regional

items contained in the Jakarta Message demonstrated the Movement's political

commitment to that cause.

27.  The Ministerial Meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

held the previous week in New York had confirmed and renewed the commitment of

the member States to the Palestinian cause, notably by adopting the report

produced by the Palestine Committee.  The report had introduced several new

points:  first, it noted that the United Nations had a permanent

responsibility vis-à-vis the Palestinian people; second, it underscored the

need to implement United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council

resolution 681 (1990), and ensure that the General Secretariat fulfilled its

mandates; third, it called upon the States members of the Organization of the

Islamic Conference to devote more attention to the Committee's work.

28.  Turning to the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations, he said that his

delegation had been fully briefed on the sixth round of the bilateral talks

held in Washington by leading members of the Palestinian delegation and by

Arab foreign ministers.  Unfortunately, no progress had been achieved during

the talks, despite the optimism based, among other factors, on expectations of

the new Israeli Government.  Regrettably, Israel's present position on

territory was no different from that of the former Likud Government,

particularly where settlements were concerned.  In fact, the United

States-Israeli loan guarantee agreement, involving over US$ 10 billion, had

enabled the Israeli authorities to build 11,000 new settlements in the

occupied territories, including Jerusalem.  Furthermore, Israeli human rights

practices also remained unchanged.  For instance, over 5,000 Palestinians held

in Israeli prisons had recently been on hunger strike in protest at the

inhumane conditions of their detention.

29.  Referring to the address made before the General Assembly the previous

week by Shimon Peres, the Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs, he said,

firstly, that it reflected the views of Mr. Peres himself and not those of the

Israeli Government.  Secondly, it was negative in substance, particularly

given Israel's constant refusal to recognize Palestinian rights to

self-determination and to implement Security Council resolution 242 (1967), in

addition to its continued building of settlements and its refusal to accept

the notion of withdrawing from territory.

30.  As for the multilateral negotiations, they were in utter chaos:  none of

the five committees concerned had Syria or Lebanon as members, two committees

did not have Palestine as a member and two committees were under boycott from

Israel.  Furthermore, the United Nations was not a member of any committee, as

the Secretary-General was insistent that the Organization should be officially

invited to participate.  Although some effort had been made to improve the

situation, particularly concerning United Nations participation and

modification of Israel's position, it remained to be seen whether any

improvement would occur.  He would keep the Committee informed of any progress

achieved in that respect.

31.  The CHAIRMAN hoped that the press section of the Department of Public

Information would take note of the comments made by the Permanent Observer of

Palestine and thanked him for the important points he had communicated.

                       The meeting rose at 11.55 a.m.