Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country – Corrigendum

General Assembly

Distr.

GENERAL

A/43/26/Add.l/Corr.1

30 November 1988

ORIGINAL: ENGLISH/FRENCH/

Forty-third session

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON RELATIONS WITH THE HOST COUNTRY

Addendum

Corrigendum

1. Not applicable to English.

2. Page 2, paragraph 7

Replace the existing text with the following:

7. The representative of Spain expressed the concern of his Government at the fact that the host country, by denying a visa, prevented the Chairman of the PLO from appearing before the General Assembly to deal with matters which the Organization itself had been established to discuss. After recalling General Assembly resolution 3237 (XXIX) of 22 November 1974, which granted observer status to the PLO and invited it to participate in the work of the Assembly, he stated that the Headquarters Agreement contained clear and unequivocal provisions regarding the host country's obligation not to deny persons invited by the United Nations access to the Headquarters district. Compliance with those obligations was imperative and indispensable, and for Spain a matter of primary importance which could not be avoided. The Spanish Government, along with the Governments of the European Community, had welcomed the positive developments represented by the resolutions recently adopted by the Palestine National Council, and was concerned that the new situation might have an adverse effect on the development of initiatives to attain peace in the Middle East. On behalf of his Government, he urged the host country to reconsider its position and take a decision that was fully in accordance with the provisions of the Headquarters Agreement.

3. Page 3, paragraph 12

Replace the existing text with the following:

88-31846 0592g (E) /

A/43/26/Add.l/Corr.1 English Page 2

12. The representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stated that he would have liked to hear Mr. Arafat confirm to the General Assembly that the PLO wished for an international conference on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and rejects terrorism. The decision of the Palestine National Council had been a modest, but a significant step forward. He looked to the Palestinians and Arab Governments to carry the process forward, and to Israel to show a constructive response. He understood that the United States had serious concerns, but hoped that a way could be found for Mr. Arafat to speak to the Assembly.

4. Page 4. paragraph 13, tenth and eleventh sentences

The sentences should read

Similar denials had occurred in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988. There was no objection to this United States position, which has been reconfirmed by United Nations practice.

5. Not applicable to English.

6. Page 4, paragraph 18

Replace the existing text with the following:

18. The representative of Mali said that his delegation had noted with deep concern the decision by the United States Government to oppose the visit to New York of Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to participate in the work of the forty-third session of the United Nations General Assembly. The refusal by the host country to grant an entry visa to Mr. Arafat was a violation of the provisions of sections 11 to 13 of the Headquarters Agreement of August 1947, and came after Algiers, where the Palestinian leadership had taken important decisions in favour of peace. That process should be encouraged. It was against that background that his delegation appealed to the United States Government to reconsider its position so as to enable active and high-level participation by the PLO in the work of the session.

7. Page 5, paragraph 22

Replace the existing text with the following:

22. The representative of Senegal expressed his country's concern at the refusal by the United States to grant a visa to Chairman Yasser Arafat. That decision constituted a regrettable non-fulfilment of obligations to which the United States had solemnly subscribed under the Headquarters Agreement. Senegal appealed to the United States to reconsider its action. Senegal, which chaired the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, considered that the Algiers decisions of the Palestine National Council had opened the way for the peace process in the Middle East.

A/43/26/Add.l/Corr.1 English Page 3

8. Page 6, paragraph 24

Replace the existing text with the following:

24. The representative of the United States responded that the Government of the United States did not share the view of the Legal Counsel with respect to the provisions of the Headquarters Agreement relating to matters of security. The United States also had a different view with respect to other parts of the Legal Counsel's statement but would not go into detail at the present meeting. The position of the United States on the matter was well known. She also pointed out that the PLO had not been prevented from expressing its views at the United Nations.