United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee)
Rapporteur: Mr. Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoué (Côte d'Ivoire)
1. At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 15 September 1998, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled "United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" and to allocate it to the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee).
2. The Fourth Committee considered the item at its 17th, 18th and 24th meetings, on 9, 11 and 19 November 1998 (see A/C.4/53/SR.17, 18 and 24). The general debate on the item was held at the 17th and 18th meetings, on 9 and 11 November (see A/C.4/53/SR.17 and 18).
3. For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the following documents:
(a) Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998; 1/
(b) Report of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 52/59 (A/53/471);
(c) Report of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 52/60 (A/53/472);
(d) Report of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 52/63 (A/53/551);
(e) Report of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 52/62 (A/53/644);
(f) Report of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (A/53/569);
(g) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, in accordance with paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 512 (VI) and paragraph 3 of Assembly resolution 52/57 (A/53/518 and Corr.1).
4. At its 17th meeting, on 9 November, the Committee heard a statement by the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who introduced his report (see A/C.4/53/SR.17).
5. At the same meeting, the representative of Norway, in his capacity as Rapporteur of the Working Group on the Financing of UNRWA, introduced the report of the Working Group (see A/C.4/53/SR.17).
6. Also at the same meeting, the Permanent Observer of Palestine made a statement (see A/C.4/53/SR.17).
7. At the 18th meeting, on 11 November, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA made a concluding statement (see A/C.4/53/SR.18).
II. Consideration of proposals
A. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.9
8. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Austria, on behalf of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, introduced a draft resolution entitled "Assistance to Palestine refugees" (A/C.4/53/L.9).
9. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.9 by a recorded vote of 122 to 1, with 1 abstention (see para. 22, draft resolution I). The voting was as follows:2/, 3/
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against:
United States of America.
B. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.10
10. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of the Netherlands, on behalf of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, subsequently joint by Australia, introduced a draft resolution entitled "Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" (A/C.4/53/L.10).
11. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.10 without a vote (see para. 22, draft resolution II).
C. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.11
12. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Indonesia, on behalf of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, the Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled "Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities" (A/C.4/53/L.11).
13. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.11 by a recorded vote of 122 to 2 (see para. 22, draft resolution III). The voting was as follows: 2/, 3/
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Against:
Israel, United States of America.
Abstaining:
None.
D. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.12
14. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Indonesia, on behalf of Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, the Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled "Offers by Member States of grants and scholarships for higher education, including vocational training, for Palestine refugees" (A/C.4/53/L.12).
15. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.12 by a recorded vote of 126 to none, with 1 abstention (see para. 22, draft resolution IV). The voting was as follows: 2/
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against:
None.
Abstaining:
Israel.
E. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.13
16. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Indonesia, on behalf of Bahrain, Bangladesh, the Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled "Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East" (A/C.4/53/L.13).
17. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.13 by a recorded vote of 124 to 2, with 1 abstention (see para. 22, draft resolution V). The voting was as follows: 2/
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Against:
Israel, United States of America.
Abstaining:
Zambia.
F. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.14
18. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Indonesia, on behalf of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, the Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled "Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues" (A/C.4/53/L.14).
19. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.14 by a recorded vote of 123 to 2 (see para. 22, draft resolution VI). The voting was as follows: 2/, 4/
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Israel, United States of America.
Abstaining:
None.
G. Draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.15
20. At the 24th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Indonesia, on behalf of Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, the Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Palestine, introduced a draft resolution entitled "University of Jerusalem 'Al-Quds' for Palestine refugees" (A/C.4/53/L.15).
21. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.4/53/L.15 by a recorded vote of 125 to 2, with 1 abstention (see para. 22, draft resolution VII). The voting was as follows: 2/
In favour:
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Israel, United States of America.
Abstaining:
Zambia.
III. Recommendations of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee)
22. The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolutions:
Assistance to Palestine refugees
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 52/57 of 10 December 1997 and all its previous resolutions on the question, including resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948,
Taking note of the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East covering the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, 5/
Welcoming the signature in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993 by the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the people of Palestine, of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements 6/ and the subsequent implementation agreements, and also the signature of the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip at Washington, D.C., on 28 September 1995, 7/
Encouraging the Multilateral Working Group on Refugees of the Middle East peace process to continue its important work,
Welcoming the completion of the transfer of the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to Gaza, to its area of operations,
1. Notes with regret that repatriation or compensation of the refugees, as provided for in paragraph 11 of its resolution 194 (III), has not yet been effected and that, therefore, the situation of the refugees continues to be a matter of concern;
2. Expresses its thanks to the Commissioner-General and to all the staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, recognizing that the Agency is doing all it can within the limits of available resources, and also expresses its thanks to the specialized agencies and to private organizations for their valuable work in assisting refugees;
3. Notes with regret that the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine has been unable to find a means of achieving progress in the implementation of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III), and requests the Commission to exert continued efforts towards the implementation of that paragraph and to report to the Assembly as appropriate, but not later than 1 September 1999;
4. Notes the significant success of the Peace Implementation Programme of the Agency since the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, 6/ and stresses the importance that contributions to this Programme are not at the expense of the General Fund;
5. Welcomes strengthened cooperation between the Agency and the World Bank and other specialized agencies, and calls upon the Agency to make a decisive contribution towards giving a fresh impetus to the economic and social stability of the occupied territories;
6. Urges all Member States to extend and expedite aid and assistance with a view to the economic and social development of the Palestinian people and the occupied territories;
7. Reiterates its deep concern regarding the persisting critical financial situation of the Agency, as outlined in the report of the Commissioner-General; 5/
8. Commends the efforts of the Commissioner-General to move towards budgetary transparency and internal efficiency, and hopes that such moves will continue;
9. Notes with profound concern that the structural deficit problem confronting the Agency portends an almost certain decline in the living conditions of the Palestine refugees and that it, therefore, has possible consequences for the peace process;
10. Calls upon all Governments, as a matter of urgency, to make the most generous efforts possible to meet the anticipated needs of the Agency, urges non-contributing Governments to contribute regularly, and encourages contributing Governments to consider increasing their regular contributions;
11. Decides to extend the mandate of the Agency until 30 June 2002, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III).
Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 2656 (XXV) of 7 December 1970, 2728 (XXV) of 15 December 1970, 2791 (XXVI) of 6 December 1971, 52/58 of 10 December 1997 and the previous resolutions on this question,
Recalling also its decision 36/462 of 16 March 1982, by which it took note of the special report of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 8/
Having considered the report of the Working Group, 9/
Taking into account the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, 10/
Deeply concerned about the persisting critical financial situation of the Agency, which has affected and affects the continuation of the provision of the necessary Agency services to Palestine refugees, including the emergency-related programmes,
Emphasizing the continuing need for extraordinary efforts in order to maintain, at least at the current minimum level, the activities of the Agency, as well as to enable the Agency to carry out essential construction,
1. Commends the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for its efforts to assist in ensuring the financial security of the Agency;
2. Takes note with approval of the report of the Working Group; 9/
3. Requests the Working Group to continue its efforts, in cooperation with the Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General, for the financing of the Agency for a further period of one year;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the necessary services and assistance to the Working Group for the conduct of its work.
Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 2252 (ES-V) of 4 July 1967 and 2341 B (XXII) of 19 December 1967 and all subsequent related resolutions,
Recalling also Security Council resolutions 237 (1967) of 14 June 1967 and 259 (1968) of 27 September 1968,
Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of its resolution 52/59 of 10 December 1997, 11/
Taking note also of the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, 12/
Concerned about the continuing human suffering resulting from the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities,
Taking note of the relevant provisions of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, signed in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993 by the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, 13/ with regard to the modalities for the admission of persons displaced in 1967, and concerned that the process agreed upon has not yet been effected,
1. Reaffirms the right of all persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities to return to their homes or former places of residence in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967;
2. Expresses the hope for an accelerated return of displaced persons through the mechanism agreed upon by the parties in article XII of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements; 13/
3. Endorses, in the meanwhile, the efforts of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to continue to provide humanitarian assistance, as far as practicable, on an emergency basis, and as a temporary measure, to persons in the area who are currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities;
4. Strongly appeals to all Governments and to organizations and individuals to contribute generously to the Agency and to the other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned for the above purposes;
5. Requests the Secretary-General, after consulting with the Commissioner- General, to report to the General Assembly before its fifty-fourth session on the progress made with regard to the implementation of the present resolution.
Offers by Member States of grants and scholarships for higher education, including vocational training, for Palestine refugees
Recalling its resolution 212 (III) of 19 November 1948 on assistance to Palestine refugees,
Recalling also its resolutions 35/13 B of 3 November 1980, 36/146 H of 16 December 1981, 37/120 D of 16 December 1982, 38/83 D of 15 December 1983, 39/99 D of 14 December 1984, 40/165 D of 16 December 1985, 41/69 D of 3 December 1986, 42/69 D of 2 December 1987, 43/57 D of 6 December 1988, 44/47 D of 8 December 1989, 45/73 D of 11 December 1990, 46/46 D of 9 December 1991, 47/69 D of 14 December 1992, 48/40 D of 10 December 1993, 49/35 D of 9 December 1994, 50/28 D of 6 December 1995, 51/127 of 13 December 1996 and 52/60 of 10 December 1997,
Cognizant of the fact that the Palestine refugees have, for the last five decades, lost their homes, lands and means of livelihood,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General, 14/
Having also considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, 15/
1. Urges all States to respond to the appeal in its resolution 32/90 F of 13 December 1977 and reiterated in subsequent relevant resolutions in a manner commensurate with the needs of Palestine refugees for higher education, including vocational training;
2. Strongly appeals to all States, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to augment the special allocations for grants and scholarships to Palestine refugees, in addition to their contributions to the regular budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East;
3. Expresses its appreciation to all Governments, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations that responded favourably to its resolutions on this question;
4. Invites the relevant specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to continue, within their respective spheres of competence, to extend assistance for higher education to Palestine refugee students;
5. Appeals to all States, specialized agencies and the United Nations University to contribute generously to the Palestinian universities in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including, in due course, the proposed University of Jerusalem "Al-Quds" for Palestine refugees;
6. Appeals to all States, specialized agencies and other international bodies to contribute towards the establishment of vocational training centres for Palestine refugees;
7. Requests the Agency to act as the recipient and trustee for the special allocations for grants and scholarships and to award them to qualified Palestine refugee candidates;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session on the implementation of the present resolution.
Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, 212 (III) of 19 November 1948, 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 and all subsequent related resolutions,
Recalling also the relevant Security Council resolutions,
Having considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, 16/
Taking note of the letter dated 28 September 1998 from the Chairman of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East addressed to the Commissioner-General, contained in the report of the Commissioner-General, 17/
Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of its resolutions 48/40 E, 18/ 48/40 H 19/ and 48/40 J 20/ of 10 December 1993 and 49/35 C of 9 December 1994, 21/
Recalling Articles 100, 104 and 105 of the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, 22/
Affirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, 23/ to the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem,
Aware of the fact that Palestine refugees have, for over five decades, lost their homes, lands and means of livelihood,
Also aware of the continuing needs of Palestine refugees throughout the occupied Palestinian territory and in the other fields of operation, namely, in Lebanon, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic,
Further aware of the valuable work done by the refugee affairs officers of the Agency in providing protection to the Palestinian people, in particular Palestine refugees,
Deeply concerned about the critical financial situation of the Agency and its effect on the continuity of provision of necessary Agency services to the Palestine refugees, including the emergency-related programmes,
Aware of the work of the new Peace Implementation Programme of the Agency,
Recalling the signing in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993 of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by the Government of the state of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, 24/ and the subsequent implementation agreements, including the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, signed in Washington, D.C., on 28 September 1995, 25/
Taking note of the agreement reached on 24 June 1994, embodied in an exchange of letters between the Agency and the Palestine Liberation Organization, 26/
Aware of the establishment of a working relationship between the Advisory Commission of the Agency and the Palestine Liberation Organization in accordance with General Assembly decision 48/417 of 10 December 1993,
1. Expresses its appreciation to the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, as well as to all the staff of the Agency, for their tireless efforts and valuable work;
2. Also expresses its appreciation to the Advisory Commission of the Agency, and requests it to continue its efforts and to keep the General Assembly informed of its activities, including the full implementation of decision 48/417;
3. Welcomes the completion of the transfer of the headquarters of the Agency to Gaza and the signing of the Headquarters Agreement between the Agency and the Palestinian Authority;
4. Acknowledges the support of the host Government and the Palestine Liberation Organization for the Agency in the discharge of its duties;
5. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to accept the de jure applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, 23/ and to abide scrupulously by its provisions;
6. Also calls upon Israel to abide by Articles 100, 104 and 105 of the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations 22/ with regard to the safety of the personnel of the Agency and the protection of its institutions and the safeguarding of the security of the facilities of the Agency in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem;
7. Calls once again upon the Government of Israel to compensate the Agency for damage to its property and facilities resulting from actions by the Israeli side;
8. Requests the Commissioner-General to proceed with the issuance of identification cards for Palestine refugees and their descendants in the occupied Palestinian territory;
9. Notes that the new context created by the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization 24/ and subsequent implementation Agreements has had major consequences for the activities of the Agency, which is henceforth called upon, in close cooperation with the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories, the specialized agencies and the World Bank, to continue to contribute towards the development of economic and social stability in the occupied territory;
10. Notes also that the functioning of the Agency remains essential in all fields of operation;
11. Notes further the significant success of the Peace Implementation Programme of the Agency;
12. Expresses concern over the remaining austerity measures which have affected the quality and level of some of the services of the Agency;
13. Requests the Commissioner-General to consider the possibility of modernizing the archives of the Agency;
14. Urges all States, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to continue and to increase their contributions to the Agency so as to ease current financial constraints and to support the Agency in maintaining the provision of the most basic and effective assistance to the Palestine refugees.
Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, 36/146 C of 16 December 1981 and all its subsequent resolutions on the question,
Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General in pursuance of its resolution 52/62 of 10 December 1997,
Taking note also of the report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine for the period from 1 September 1997 to 31 August 1998, 27/
Recalling that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 28/ and the principles of international law uphold the principle that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his or her property,
Recalling in particular its resolution 394 (V) of 14 December 1950, in which it directed the Conciliation Commission, in consultation with the parties concerned, to prescribe measures for the protection of the rights, property and interests of the Palestine Arab refugees,
Taking note of the completion of the programme of identification and evaluation of Arab property, as announced by the Conciliation Commission in its twenty-second progress report, 29/ and of the fact that the Land Office had a schedule of Arab owners and file of documents defining the location, area and other particulars of Arab property,
Recalling that, in the framework of the Middle East peace process, the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Government of Israel agreed, in the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements of 13 September 1993, 30/ to commence negotiations on permanent status issues, including the important issue of the refugees, and calling for the commencement of those negotiations,
1. Reaffirms that the Palestine Arab refugees are entitled to their property and to the income derived therefrom, in conformity with the principles of justice and equity;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to take all appropriate steps, in consultation with the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, for the protection of Arab property, assets and property rights in Israel, expresses its appreciation for the work done to preserve and modernize the existing records of the Commission, and requests the Secretary-General to complete this task;
3. Calls once more upon Israel to render all facilities and assistance to the Secretary-General in the implementation of the present resolution;
4. Calls upon all the parties concerned to provide the Secretary-General with any pertinent information in their possession concerning Arab property, assets and property rights in Israel that would assist him in the implementation of the present resolution;
5. Urges the Palestinian and Israeli sides, as agreed between them, to deal with the important issue of Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues in the framework of the final status negotiations of the Middle East peace process;
6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session on the implementation of the present resolution.
University of Jerusalem "Al-Quds" for Palestine refugees
Recalling its resolution 36/146 G of 16 December 1981, 37/120 C of 16 December 1982, 38/83 K of 15 December 1983, 39/99 K of 14 December 1984, 40/165 D and K of 16 December 1985, 41/69 K of 3 December 1986, 42/69 K of 2 December 1987, 43/57 J of 6 December 1988, 44/47 J of 8 December 1989, 45/73 J of 11 December 1990, 46/46 J of 9 December 1991, 47/69 J of 14 December 1992, 48/40 I of 10 December 1993, 49/35 G of 9 December 1994, 50/28 G of 6 December 1995, 51/130 of 13 December 1996 and 52/63 of 10 December 1997,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General, 31/
Having also considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 1998, 32/
1. Emphasizes the need for strengthening the educational system in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 5 June 1967, including Jerusalem, and specifically the need for the establishment of the proposed university;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take all necessary measures for establishing the University of Jerusalem "Al-Quds", in accordance with General Assembly resolution 35/13 B of 3 November 1980, giving due consideration to the recommendations consistent with the provisions of that resolution;
3. Calls once more upon Israel, the occupying Power, to cooperate in the implementation of the present resolution and to remove the hindrances that it has put in the way of establishing the University of Jerusalem "Al-Quds";
4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
1/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/53/13).
2/ The delegation of the Republic of Moldova subsequently indicated that, had it been present, it would have voted in favour of draft resolutions A/C.4/53/L.9 to A/C.4/53/L.15. The delegation of Nigeria subsequently indicated that, had it been present, it would have voted in favour of draft resolutions A/C.4/53/L.9 to A/C.4/53/L.14.
3/ The delegation of the Congo subsequently indicated that it had intended to vote in favour.
4/ The delegation of Italy subsequently indicated that it had intended to vote in favour.
5/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/53/13).
6/ A/48/486-S/26560, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Forty-eighth Year, Supplement for October, November and December 1993, document S/26560.
7/ A/51/889-S/1997/357, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Fifty-second Year, Supplement for April, May and June 1997, document S/1997/357.
8/ A/36/866 and Corr.1; see also A/37/591.
9/ A/53/569.
10/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/53/13).
11/ A/53/471.
12/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/53/13).
13/ A/48/486-S/26560, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Forty-eighth Year, Supplement for October, November and December 1993, document S/26560.
14/ A/53/472.
15/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/53/13).
16/ Ibid.
17/ Ibid., p. ix.
18/ A/49/440.
19/ A/49/442.
20/ A/49/443.
21/ A/50/451.
22/ Resolution 22 A (I).
23/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.
24/ A/48/486-S/26560, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Forty-eighth Year, Supplement for October, November and December 1993, document S/26560.
25/ A/51/889-S/1997/357, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Fifty-second Year, Supplement for April, May and June 1997, document S/1997/357.
26/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/49/13), annex I.
27/ A/53/518 and Corr.1, annex.
28/ Resolution 217 A (III).
29/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Nineteenth Session, Annexes, Annex No. 11, document A/5700.
30/ A/48/486-S/26560, annex; see Official Records of the Security Council, Forty-eighth Year, Supplement for October, November and December 1993, document S/26560.
31/ A/53/551.
32/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-third Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/53/13).
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