Mideast situation/Palestine question – SecCo meeting – Verbatim records

Provisional

Security Council

Fifty-eighth year

4862nd meeting

Wednesday, 19 November 2003, 12.20 a.m.

New York

Agenda

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

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    The meeting was called to order at 12.20 p.m.

Adoption of the agenda

   The agenda was adopted.

The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question 

  The President: I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Israel, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure.

  There being no objection, it is so decided.

  At the invitation of the President, Mr. Mekel (Israel) took a seat at the Council table.

 The President: I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter dated 19 November 2003 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, which will be issued as document S/2003/1102, and which reads as follows:

    “I have the honour to request that, in accordance with its previous practice, the Security Council invite the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations to participate in the meeting of the Security Council to be held today, Wednesday, 19 November 2003, regarding the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”

  I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite the Permanent Observer of Palestine to participate in the meeting in accordance with the rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard.

  There being no objection, it is so decided.

  At the invitation of the President, Mr. Al-Kidwa (Palestine) took a seat at the Council table.

 The President: I should like to inform Council members that Bulgaria, China, Germany, Guinea, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom have also joined as sponsors to the draft resolution contained in document S/2003/1100.

  Accordingly, members of the Council have before them document S/2003/1100, submitted by Bulgaria, Chile, China, France, Germany, Guinea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

  I welcome the presence of the distinguished Secretary-General at this meeting today.

  It is my understanding that the Security Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. If I hear no objection, I shall now put the draft resolution to the vote.

  There being no objection, it is so decided.

  A vote was taken by show of hands.

In favour:

  Angola, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chile, China, France, Germany, Guinea, Mexico, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America

  The President: The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1515 (2003).

  The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.

 The meeting rose at 12.25 p.m.

This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council . Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room C-154A.