Organizational and Procedural Matters
Report of the human rights council on its seventh session
Vice-President and Rapporteur: Mr. Alejandro Artucio (Uruguay)
Draft report of the Council*
/…
VII. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND
OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES
A. Follow-up to Human Rights Council resolutions S-1/1, S-1/3, S-3/1 and S-6/1
346. At the 9th meeting, on 6 March 2008, the President of the Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on their efforts for the implementation of Council resolutions S-1/1 and S-3/1 and on the compliance of Israel, the occupying Power, with these two resolutions, as requested by the Council in its resolution 6/18 of 28 September 2007. The High Commissioner also reported on her efforts to implement resolutions S-1/3 and S-6/1. The representatives for Israel, Palestine and the Syrian Arab Republic made statements, as concerned countries or parties.
347. During the ensuing general debate on the follow-up to Council resolutions S-1/1, S-3/1 and S-6/1 on item 7, at the 9th and 10th meetings on the same day, the following made statements:
(a) Representatives of States members of the Council: Bangladesh, China, Cuba (on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement), Djibouti, Egypt (also on behalf of the Group of African States), France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference), Palestine 1 (on behalf of the Group of Arab States), Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovenia (on behalf of the European Union, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Ukraine), Sri Lanka, Switzerland;
(b) Observers for the following States: Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Iceland, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Norway, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Yemen;
(c) Observers for intergovernmental organizations: African Union, League of Arab States;
(d ) Observers for the following non-governmental organizations: Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man (also on behalf of Adalah – Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights), Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, B’nai B’rith International (also on behalf of the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations), Comité international pour le respect et l’application de la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, Defence for Children International, Indian Movement Tupaj Amaru (also on behalf of the World Peace Council), International Association of Democratic Lawyers, International Commission of Jurists, International League for the Rights and Liberation of Peoples, Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples, Union of Arab Jurists (also on behalf of Arab Lawyers Union, General Arab Women Federation and the International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination), Nord-Sud XXI, United Nations Watch.
B. Consideration and action on draft proposals
Human rights violations emanating from Israeli military attacks and incursions
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the recent ones in the occupied Gaza Strip
348. At the 10th meeting, on 6 March 2008, the representative of Pakistan introduced draft resolution A/HRC/7/L.1, sponsored by Pakistan (on behalf of States members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference that are members of the Council) and Palestine 1 (on behalf of States members of the Group of Arab States that are members of the Council). Subsequently, Belarus, Cuba, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) joined the sponsors.
349. At the same meeting, the representative of Pakistan orally revised the draft resolution by modifying preambular paragraphs 2 and 5, and by modifying operative paragraphs 2 and 3.
350. Statements in connection with the draft resolution were made by the representatives of Brazil (also on behalf of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) and Jordan.
351. A statement in connection with the draft resolution was made by the observers for Israel and Palestine, as concerned parties.
352. Statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of Canada, the Netherlands, Slovenia (on behalf of States members of the European Union that are members of the Council) and Switzerland.
353. A vote was taken by roll call and the resolution was adopted, by 33 votes to 1, with 13 abstentions. The voting was as follows:
354. At the 11th meeting, on 7 March 2008, statements in explanation of vote after the vote were made by Brazil, Japan and Uruguay.
Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination
355. At the 40th meeting, on 27 March 2008, the representative of Pakistan introduced draft resolution A/HRC/7/L.3, sponsored by Palestine (on behalf of the Group of Arab States) and co-sponsored by Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference). Subsequently, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cuba, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) joined the sponsors.
356. At the same meeting, the representative of Pakistan orally revised the draft resolution by modifying operative paragraph 1.
357. The observers for Israel and Palestine, as the concerned countries, made statements in relation to the draft resolution.
358. Statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of Slovenia (on behalf of States members of the European Union that are members of the Council).
359. The draft resolution as orally revised was adopted without a vote.
360. A statement in explanation of vote after the vote was made by the representative of Canada.
Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan
361. At the 40th meeting, on 27 March 2008, the representative of Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference) introduced draft resolution A/HRC/7/L.4, sponsored by Palestine (on behalf of the Group of Arab States) and co-sponsored by Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference). Subsequently, Cuba and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) joined the sponsors.
362. At the same meeting, the representative of Pakistan orally revised the draft resolution by modifying preambular paragraph 8 and operative paragraph 1.
363. The observers for Israel, Palestine and the Syrian Arab Republic, as the concerned countries, made statements in relation to the draft resolution.
364. Statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of Canada and Slovenia (on behalf of States members of the European Union that are members of the Council).
365. At the request of the representative of Canada, a recorded vote was taken on the draft resolution. The draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted, by 46 votes to 1, with no abstentions. The voting was as follows:
366. At the 43rd meeting, on 1 April 2008, a general comment was made by the representative of the United States of America on the resolutions under item 7.
Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan
367. At the 41st meeting, on 28 March 2008, the representative of Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference) introduced draft resolution A/HRC/7/L.2, sponsored by Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference) and Palestine 1 (on behalf of the Group of Arab States), and co-sponsored by Belarus, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Subsequently, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) joined the sponsors.
368. At the same meeting, the representative of Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference) orally revised the draft resolution by modifying operative paragraph 5.
369. The observers for Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic, as the concerned countries, made statements in relation to the draft resolution.
370. Statements in explanation of vote before the vote were made by the representatives of Canada and Slovenia (on behalf of States members of the European Union that are members of the Council).
371. At the request of the representative of Slovenia, a recorded vote was taken on the draft resolution. The draft resolution, as orally revised, was adopted, by 32 votes to 1, with 14 abstentions. The voting was as follows:
372. At the 42nd meeting, on 28 March 2008, a statement in explanation of vote after the vote was made by Canada.
/…
—–
Document Type: Draft resolution, Report
Document Sources: General Assembly, Human Rights Council
Subject: Golan Heights, Human rights and international humanitarian law
Publication Date: 04/04/2008