Israeli practices – SecGen report

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ISRAELI PRACTICES

AFFECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE POPULATION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Report of the Secretary-General

(in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 43/58 A)

1. The General Assembly, at its forty-third session, adopted resolutions 43/58 A to G on 6 December 1988 concerning the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories (A/43/694).  By resolution 43/58 A, the General Assembly, inter alia, demanded that Israel desist forthwith from a number of policies and practices mentioned in the resolution.

2. On 30 May 1989, the Secretary-General addressed a note verbale to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel, in which he requested, in view of his reporting responsibilities under the resolution, that the Minister for Foreign Affairs inform him of any steps his Government had taken or envisaged taking in implementation of the relevant provisions of the resolution.

3. By a note verbale dated 18  August 1989, the Acting Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations replied with regard to General Assembly resolution 43/58 A as follows:

"Israel categorically rejects all allegations contained in this resolution and in the Special Committee's report (A/43/694).  The position of the Government of Israel was set out fully in the statement made by Israel's representative in the Special Political Committee on 22 Novembe 1988 (A/SPC/43/SR.32)."

4. In paragraph 23 (d) of resolution 43/58 A the Assembly requested the Secretary-General:

"(d) To ensure the widest circulation of the reports of the Special Committee and of information regarding its activities and findings by all means available, through the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat and, where necessary, to reprint those reports of the Special Committee that are no longer available."

5. In response to paragraph 23 (d) of resolution 43/58 A, the Department of Public Information undertook the following activities:

(a) A booklet published by the Department in 1985, in describing the work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories, deals specifically with the human rights situation in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip and the Syrian Arab Golan.  Another booklet, published in 1986, deals generally with the question of Palestine and also covers the subject of human rights in the occupied territories.  Both publications were printed in five languages and distributed world wide.  Currently, revised and updated versions of both booklets are in the process of production and should be issued by the end of 1989.  As soon as they are produced they will be distributed world wide;

(b) As in previous years, a press officer from the Department of Public Information accompanied the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories in its trip to the Middle East and provided full coverage for its activities;

(c) Fact-finding missions to the Middle East, organized annually, bring around 10 to 15 high-level journalists from all over the world to the region, allowing them an opportunity to understand the Middle East conflict first-hand.  In addition, media representatives also participate in two annual regional encounters and two series of national encounters organized by the Department.  The fact-finding missions and encounters both deal comprehensively with the situation in the Middle East, in general, and the question of Palestine in particular, which include an assessment of the human rights conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory.  During 1989, regional encounters were held in Singapore for the Asia and Pacific region, and Kingston, Jamaica for the North and Latin American regions.  Three series of national encounters were held in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

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