CEIRPP – FRG, US response – Note by the Chairman

NOTE BY THE CHAIRMAN

Addendum

The substantive portion of replies received from the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States of America to the Secretary-General's letter dated 4 February 1977[Link] are reproduced below in conformity with the Committee's decision.

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY –

[Original:  English]

1 March 1977

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was created by resolution 3376 (XXX) of the General Assembly.  The delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany voted against this resolution.  The reasons for this vote were explained at the 2399th meeting of the General Assembly by the Permanent Representative of Italy in his capacity as representative of the country which, at the time, was exercising the presidency of the European Communities (doc. A/PV.2399, pp. 43-46).  The Federal Republic likewise voted against General Assembly resolution 31/20, which endorsed the recommendations contained in the report of the Committee.  The reasons for this were lined out in the statement made at the 77th meeting of the General Assembly by the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the nine member States of the European Communities (doc. A/31/PV.77, P- 27).

The position of the Federal Republic of Germany on the question of Palestine has been made clear,, within and outside the United Nations, on various occasions. Special attention is drawn, in this connexion, to the following more recent statements:

The statement of the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany made at the 7th meeting of the thirty-first session of the General Assembly on 28 September 1976 (doc. A/31/PV.7, p. 37).

The statement of the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the nine member States of the European Communities at the 7th meeting of the thirty-first session of the General Assembly on 28 September 1976 (doc. A/31/PV.7, pp. 22-25).

The statement of the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on behalf of the nine member States of the European Communities at the 71st meeting of the thirty-first session of the General Assembly on 18 November 1976 (doc. A/31/PV.71, pp. 63-67).

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[Original: English]

[15 March 1977]

With regard to your note of 4 February 1977 transmitting a letter from the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I wish to state that the position of the United States remains as that conveyed to you last year on this matter.

The United States voted against General Assembly resolution 3376 of 10 November 1975, which created the Committee, just as we voted against General Assembly resolution 3236 of 22 November 1974 which General Assembly resolution 3376 seeks to implement.  The United States also voted against General Assembly resolution 31/20 of 24 November 1976 which endorsed the recommendations of the report of the Committee. We therefore do not plan to submit suggestions er proposals to this Committee.

United States policy on the Middle East and on the question of the Palestinians has been set forth by the President and the Secretary of State. Secretary of State Vance's public statements in connexion with his trip to the Middle East last month and the exchange of letters

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