Economic & social repercussion of the Israeli occupation/Human rights in the OPT/Situation of Palestinian Women – ECOSOC report

   Report of the Economic and Social Council for 2004 *

*   The present report is a preliminary version of those sections of the report of the Economic and Social Council relating to the organizational and resumed organizational sessions for 2004 and the substantive session of 2004. The section relating to the resumed substantive session will be issued as an addendum to the present report. The entire report will be issued in final form as Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/59/3/Rev.1).

    The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Council at the organizational and resumed organizational sessions for 2004 and the substantive session of 2004 have been issued in documents E/2004/INF/2 and Add.1 and 2. Those adopted at the resumed substantive session will be issued in document E/2004/INF/2/Add.3. The resolutions and decisions will be issued in final form as Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2004, Supplement No. 1 (E/2004/99).

  Chapter I

    Matters calling for action by or brought to the attention of the General Assembly

  In 2004, the Economic and Social Council adopted resolutions and decisions that call for action by or that are to be brought to the attention of the General Assembly. The relevant paragraphs of those resolutions and decisions are summarized below.

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Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (item 11)

    Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

  By resolution 2004/54 , the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session, through the Council, a report on the implementation of the resolution and to continue to include in the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator an update on the living conditions of the Palestinian people, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies.

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    Social and human rights questions (item 14)

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   Human rights (item 14 (g))

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    Question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine

 By decision 2004/250, the Council took note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 2004/10 and approved the Commission’s request that the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 investigate Israel’s violations of the principles and bases of international law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949 and, in his capacity as a monitoring mechanism, follow up on the implementation of recommendations and report thereon to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session and to the Commission at its sixty-first session, until the end of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, as established in Commission resolution 1993/2 A of 19 February 1993.

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  Chapter VII

   General segment

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   Document considered by the Council in connection with agenda item 9 

58.   At its 50th meeting, on 23 July, on the proposal of the Vice-President of the Council, Jagdish Koonjul (Mauritius), the Council took note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people (A/59/121-E/2004/88). See Council decision 2004/297.

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F.   Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

72.   The Council held a discussion on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (agenda item 11) at its 43rd and 50th meetings, on 19 and 23 July 2004 (for the discussion, see E/2004/SR.43 and 50). It had before it the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (A/59/89-E/2004/21).

73.   At the 43rd meeting, on 19 July, the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia made an introductory statement (see E/2004/SR.43).

    Action taken by the Council

74.   Under agenda item 11, the Council adopted resolution 2004/54 and decision 2004/298.

    Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

75.   At its 43rd meeting, on 19 July, the representative of Tunisia, on behalf of Algeria, ¹ Bahrain,¹ Cuba, Djibouti,¹ Egypt,¹ Lebanon,¹ Morocco,¹ Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, ¹ Sudan,¹ Tunisia and Yemen² introduced a draft resolution entitled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” (E/2004/L.25). Subsequently, Malaysia, Palestine, ¹ Senegal and the United Arab Emirates joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.

76.   At its 50th meeting, on 23 July, the representative of the Netherlands (on behalf of the European Union), amended the draft resolution as follows:

 (a)   In the third preambular paragraph, the words “and ES-10/16 of 20 July 2004” were added at the end of the paragraph;

 (b)  In the tenth preambular paragraph, the word “Alarmed ” at the beginning of the paragraph, was replaced by the words “ Also gravely concerned”;

 (c)   In the twelfth preambular paragraph, the word “Welcoming ” at the beginning of the paragraph, was replaced by the word “ Acknowledging”;

 (d)   A new final preambular paragraph was added as follows: “Calling on both parties to fulfil their obligations under the Road Map, in cooperation with the quartet”.

77.   Also, at its 50th meeting, the Council adopted the draft resolution, as amended, by a recorded vote of 51 to 1, with 1 abstention. See Council resolution 2004/54. The voting was as follows:

In favour: 

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Burundi, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Against: 

United States of America.

Abstaining: 

Australia. 

78.   Before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of the United States of America and Australia. After the adoption of the draft resolution, statements in explanation of vote were made by the representatives of Japan, Canada and the Russian Federation. Statements were also made by the observers for the Netherlands (on behalf of the European Union, and on behalf of Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Iceland), Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic (see E/2004/SR.50).

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I. Social and human rights questions

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 1.  Advancement of women

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    Recommendations contained in the report of the Commission on the Status of Women

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    Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

163.   At its 51st meeting, on 23 July, the Council adopted draft resolution II recommended by the Commission, ¹⁰ entitled “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” by a recorded vote of 49 to 1, with 3 abstentions. See Council resolution 2004/56. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Burundi, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe.

Against: 

 United States of America.

Abstaining:

  Australia, Canada, Nicaragua.

164.   A statement in explanation of vote before the vote was made by the representative of the United States of America. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observer for Australia. After the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the observer for Israel.

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 Notes

 ¹   In accordance with rule 72 of the rules of procedure of the Economic and Social Council.

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