CEIRPP – Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic statement

Statement made by the representative of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic at the 15th meeting of the Committee on 11 May 1976*

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is now turning to the consideration and approval of the draft report and recommendations prepared by the drafting group, and in this connexion I should like to express our gratitude to the Rapporteur and to those who worked in the drafting group for the important work they have done in preparing this document.

During the general debate in the Committee the delegation of the Ukrainian SSR has already affirmed that in drawing up recommendations the Committee must work on the premise that the solution of the Palestine problem is a key element in the achievement of a just and lasting political settlement in the Middle East. Unless this problem is solved and unless the Palestinian people are allowed the practical exercise of their inalienable rights, it will be impossible to achieve a genuine and lasting peace in that part of the world.

In this connexion my delegation would like to draw the attention of members of the Committee to the statement by the Soviet Government of 28 April 1976 on the Middle East distributed as an official document of the General Assembly and the Security Council — document A/31/84-S/12063, dated 29 April 1976. In its statement the Soviet Government again stresses the concern caused by the continued English failure to settle the Middle East conflict and reveals the causes of the crisis and the blocking of its solution and of the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Arab people of Palestine.  The document stresses:

"'The ruling circles in Israel are impeding the exercise by the Arab people of Palestine of their inalienable right to establish their own State. The 3 million Palestinian Arabs, who have the same right as any other people in the Middle East and any other people in the world, to their own State continue to be in the position of an exiled people. And all this despite the fact that their right to establish their own State in the territory of Palestine has been confirmed by the United Nations and that the Palestine Liberation Organization is widely recognized as the lawful representative of the Palestinian people and has the support of the popular masses in the territories occupied by Israel."  (A/31/84, annex, p. l)

The statement stresses that the policy of imperialism in the Middle East is one of encouraging and supporting aggression, of weakening the position of national progressive forces, of undermining their unity and of asserting its domination in that area.  This contains the danger of a further complication and worsening of the situation. Thus it is essential to make decisive efforts with a view to a comprehensive political settlement, instead of separate deals on separate aspects, for it is perfectly clear that separate deals are designed to , weaken the Arab States to the maximum, to set them against one another and to force them to act in disunity. Noting that the peoples of the Middle East must have the opportunity to live in conditions of independence, freedom and peace, the statement goes on to say that a radical political settlement of the Middle East conflict is perfectly attainable, and the relevant decisions of the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly have made clear the basis on which such a settlement can and must be achieved. This basis consists of three organically related elements: first, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all Arab territories occupied as a result of Israel's aggression in 1967; secondly, satisfaction of the legitimate national demands of the Arab people of Palestine, including its inalienable right to establish its own State; thirdly, international guarantees for the security and inviolability of the frontiers of all States of the Middle East and their right to independent existence and development.

This basis is just for the Arab States which have been subjected to Israeli aggression:  it provides for the return of the territories belonging to them, restoration of their sovereignty over these territories and removes the danger of a new aggression.

This basis for a settlement is just, too, for the Palestinian Arab people; it stems from that people's right to establish its own independent State. On the basis of such a settlement the Arab people of Palestine will find its way out of the refugee camps, free itself from the forces of occupation and build its own State in its own native land.

A comprehensive and radical political settlement in the Middle East will bring a peaceful life and an opportunity for development and fulfilment to all the peoples of that part of the world.  It will create a lasting foundation for peace in the future.

The statement of the Soviet Government notes that there is an international mechanism for working out the necessary agreements. This is the Geneva Peace Conference on the Middle East.

The Soviet Union is in favour of the resumption of the work of the Geneva Peace Conference with the participation of all the parties directly concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization as the representative of the Arab people of Palestine.

The delegation of the Ukrainian SSR believes that the provisions of the statement of 28 April 1976 by the Soviet Government on the Middle East should be taken into account and reflected in the Committee's report and recommendations.  In its previous statement, on 13 April, my delegation had already expressed its beliefs and made certain comments concerning the draft recommendations. With regard to the draft submitted today by the Rapporteur, we have some doubts and some comments to make concerning certain provisions. In this connexion, we reserve the right to make these comments at a subsequent meeting. We think that, on the whole, the recommendations are acceptable, we support the proposals which have been made by previous speakers and we shall not object to their adoption by the Committee.

* Distributed in accordance with a decision of the Committee, text based on the interpretation from the Russian.

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