LETTER DATED 16 JULY 1997 FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL
As you are aware, the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly was resumed on Tuesday, 15 July 1997, pursuant to paragraph 13 of Assembly resolution ES-10/2 of 25 April 1997. It would be recalled that the emergency special session was convened as a result of the failure of the Security Council to adopt a position on the matter of illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Thirty-seven Member States and one observer participated in the debate on the "Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory". On Tuesday, 15 July 1997, by a recorded vote of 131 in favour to 3 against, with 14 abstentions, the General Assembly adopted resolution ES-10/3.
In that connection,I have the honour to draw your attention, in particular, to paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 13 of the resolution, in which the General Assembly:
"1. Condemns the failure of the Government of Israel to comply with the demands made by the General Assembly at its tenth emergency special session in resolution ES-10/2;
"2. Strongly deplores the lack of cooperation of the Government of Israel and its attempts to impose restrictions upon the intended mission of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem;
"3. Reaffirms that all illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially settlement activity, and the practical results thereof cannot be recognized irrespective of the passage of time;
"6. Recommends to Member States that they actively discourage activities which directly contribute to any construction or development of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, as these activities contravene international law;
"7. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, make available to Member States the necessary information about goods produced or manufactured in the illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem;
"8. Stresses that all Member States, in order to ensure their rights and benefits resulting from membership, should fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations;
"10. Recommends that the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War convene a conference on measures to enforce the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and to ensure its respect, in accordance with common article 1, and requests the Secretary-General to present a report on the matter within three months;
"11. Calls for the reinjection of momentum into the stalled Middle East peace process and for the implementation of the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, as well as for the upholding of the principles of the process, including the exchange of land for peace, and calls upon the two sides to refrain from actions that impede the peace process by pre-empting permanent status negotiations;
"13. Decides to adjourn the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly temporarily and to authorize the President of the most recent General Assembly to resume its meetings upon request from Member States."
I would like to request your assistance in bringing the contents of the resolution to the attention of the members of the Security Council and would also request that you circulate the text of the present letter as a document of the Security Council.
