Palestine question – Draft CEIRPP programme of work for 2014

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable

Rights of the Palestinian People

   Draft programme of work for 2014

 I.  Mandate of the Committee

1.  The mandates of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and of the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat for 2014 are contained in General Assembly resolutions 68/12 and 68/13 of 26 November 2013 respectively.

2.  In its resolution 68/12, entitled “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People”, the General Assembly expressed its appreciation to the Committee for its efforts in performing the tasks assigned to it by the Assembly, took note of its annual report (A/68/35), including the conclusions and valuable recommendations contained therein, and requested the Committee to continue to exert all efforts to promote the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, to support the Middle East peace process for the achievement of the two-State solution on the basis of the pre-1967 borders and the just resolution of all final status issues and to mobilize international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people. The Assembly authorized the Committee to make such adjustments in its approved programme of work as it may consider appropriate and to report to the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session and thereafter. It also requested the Committee to continue to keep under review the situation relating to the question of Palestine and to report and make suggestions to the Assembly, the Security Council, or the Secretary-General, as appropriate. It further requested the Committee to continue to extend its cooperation and support to Palestinian and other civil society organizations and to continue to involve additional civil society organizations and parliamentarians in its work, and welcomed the reactivation of the Working Group of the Committee. It requested the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine and other relevant United Nations bodies to cooperate fully with the Committee. It invited all Governments and organizations to extend their cooperation to the Committee. It requested the Secretary-General to circulate the report of the Committee to all competent bodies of the United Nations and urged them to take the necessary action, as appropriate. It decided to proclaim 2014 the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and requested the Committee to organize activities to be held during the year, in cooperation with Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations. It requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Committee with all the necessary facilities for the performance of its tasks.

3.  In its resolution 68/13, entitled “Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat”, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Division with the necessary resources and to ensure that it continues to carry out its programme of work as detailed in relevant earlier resolutions, in consultation with the Committee and under its guidance. It requested the Division to continue to monitor developments relevant to the question of Palestine, to organize international meetings and conferences in various regions with the participation of all sectors of the international community and ensure, within existing resources, the continued participation of eminent persons and international renowned experts in these meetings and conferences, to be invited on par with the members of the Committee, to liaise and cooperate with civil society and parliamentarians, including through the revitalized Working Group of the Committee, to develop and expand the “Question of Palestine” website and the documents collection of the United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine, to prepare and widely disseminate publications and information materials and to develop and enhance the annual training programme for staff of the Government of the State of Palestine. It also requested the Division, as part of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to continue to organize an annual exhibit on Palestinian rights or a cultural event in cooperation with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine, and encouraged Member States to continue to give the widest support and publicity to the observance of the Day of Solidarity. It also requested the Secretary-General to ensure the continued cooperation with the Division of the relevant United Nations system entities and invited all Governments and organizations to extend their cooperation to the Division. 

 II.  Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem

4.  Since the submission to the General Assembly of the report of the Committee covering the period from October 2012 to October 2013 (A/68/35), the Committee has strongly supported the resumed negotiations between the parties towards a permanent status agreement. It remains encouraged by the unprecedented level of diplomatic engagement demonstrated by the international community, primarily by the United States of America, supported by the Quartet, the League of Arab States, the European Union and countries in the region. The Committee is mindful at the same time of the risks of escalation should the current round of negotiations prove unsuccessful. It calls on all parties to act responsibly to create an appropriate climate for successful talks. The Committee looks forward to good-faith, productive and time-bound negotiations, which will resolve all final status issues in line with international law and United Nations resolutions, bringing about an end to the Israeli occupation, a total Israeli military withdrawal from the Palestinian Territory occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, and the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of self-determination.

5.  The Committee remains deeply concerned about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the ongoing violations by Israel, the occupying Power, including continued settlement construction, arbitrary arrests, torture and mistreatment of prisoners and detainees, including children, demolitions of housing and expulsions, particularly in East Jerusalem, forced displacement of civilians, settler violence and vandalism, which peaked during the olive harvesting season, as well as incitement and provocative actions around the holy sites in Jerusalem, which raised tensions and undermined negotiations. The Committee wishes to underscore its total rejection of all attacks against civilian targets, be they in the form of air strikes, bombings, rocket fire or the shooting of unarmed civilians. 

6.  Since the Committee submitted its report to the General Assembly, Israel has continued its settlement campaign in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in East Jerusalem. On 3 and 4 November 2013, in blatant disregard of international law, the Government of Israel issued tenders to build another 1,061 housing units in the West Bank and 1,225 in East Jerusalem. In a further unprecedented escalation, on 12 November the Government of Israel published planning tenders for the construction of some 24,000 settlement units, including 1,200 in the sensitive “E-1” corridor, which triggered the submission of resignations by the Palestinian negotiating team and an immediate and strong diplomatic response by the international community. The plans of 12 November were subsequently frozen.

7.  The Committee reiterates that all settlement construction, including so-called “natural growth”, is illegal under international law and must be halted immediately. Settlement activities constitute grave breaches under the Fourth Geneva Convention and war crimes under article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. They also severely undermine the credibility of the peace process. The Committee calls on all Member States to bring their regulations into line with international law on settlements and to implement them fully.

8.  Having monitored the situation closely, the Committee would like to register its concern about the grave financial crisis besetting the Government of the State of Palestine, which undermines the accomplishments of its national institution-building programme. The Committee is calling on all donors to expedite the delivery of pledged aid. The Committee is deeply concerned that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is facing escalating humanitarian needs in the Syrian Arab Republic and elsewhere, is grappling with a financial crisis, forcing programme cutbacks and staff retrenchment and triggering protests by the refugees and strike action by UNRWA employees. The Committee calls on both traditional and new UNRWA donors to step up their contributions to the Agency, which, in addition to carrying out a vital humanitarian mission, continues to serve as a vital anchor of stability in the region.

9.  The Committee remained deeply concerned about the critical situation in the blockaded Gaza Strip, aggravated by floods that displaced some 10,000 people and the ongoing fuel and electricity crises. The highly welcome donations of fuel by Qatar and Turkey have allowed the Gaza power plant to resume operation after more than a month, but the population continues to face blackouts on a daily basis. The Committee calls on all parties concerned to work together in a constructive way to resolve the long-term energy crisis in Gaza.

10.  While the ceasefire of November 2012 has mostly held, recent cross-border attacks have underscored its fragile nature. The Committee calls for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009), including the sustained opening of Gaza crossings and Palestinian reconciliation. The ban on the entry of construction materials that was reimposed by Israel in October 2013 following the discovery of a cross-border tunnel was partially reversed on 9 December, allowing United Nations projects to continue. However, the ban with regard to the private sector remains in place, effectively suspending the majority of construction projects.

11.  While welcoming the three rounds of releases of Palestinians imprisoned before 1993, the most recent of which took place on 30 December, the Committee remains of the view that Israel must release, immediately and unconditionally, all remaining Palestinian political prisoners, particularly children, women, the sick and legislators.

 III.  Priority issues in the programme of work of the Committee for 2014

12.  In its resolution 68/12, the General Assembly requested the Committee to organize activities to be held during the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to be observed in 2014, in cooperation with Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations. The Committee is of the view that the Assembly made the proclamation at a particularly opportune time, as 2014 promises to be a critical year in the history of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. The Committee, supported by the Division for Palestinian Rights, will accord the highest priority to this task.

13.  According to established practice, national Governments, the United Nations system entities, intergovernmental organizations and civil society undertake the bulk of the activities under international years. The Committee intends to act as a catalyst in mobilizing these constituencies so that relevant activities will proceed on a worldwide basis in a coordinated way. The Committee will promulgate the logo and the main themes of the International Year.

14.  The objective of the International Year is to promote solidarity with the Palestinian people and generate further momentum and international support for the realization of their inalienable rights, which have been denied for too long. The Year will help to place the following elements at the top of the international agenda:

 (a)  The core themes regarding the question of Palestine, as prioritized by the Committee, such as the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination and independence, and support for the peace process towards a permanent settlement in accordance with international law and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations;

 (b)  Developments regarding obstacles to the ongoing peace process, particularly those requiring urgent action, such as settlements, the situation in Jerusalem, the blockade of Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;

 (c)  Mobilization of international, regional and national action towards the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine.

15.  Given the paramount importance of the issue of Palestinian political prisoners, the Committee also intends to promote an in-depth analysis of the status of these prisoners in accordance with international law, examine the issue in the context of the peace process and identify practical steps to promote a solution.

16.  The Committee will also promote a thorough legal analysis of the implications of General Assembly resolution 67/19, adopted on 29 November 2012, by which Palestine was accorded non-member observer State status in the United Nations. It stands ready to support efforts by the Palestinian leadership to achieve widespread international recognition of the State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, and achieve full membership in the United Nations and in United Nations agencies at an appropriate time.

17.  The Committee will mobilize urgent international support to mitigate the financial crisis and safeguard the accomplishments of the Palestinian State-building programme. The Committee will mobilize international aid for use in alleviating humanitarian hardship, stimulating Palestinian economic recovery and supporting United Nations agencies’ programmes on the ground. It will continue to raise awareness of the economic costs to the Palestinians of the Israeli occupation and will explore appropriate institutional arrangements within the United Nations framework to document them. 

18.  The Committee wishes to continue to promote the empowerment of women and youth organizations in the peace process. The Committee will reach out to countries and organizations that have not yet engaged fully in its programme of work.

 IV.  Activities of the Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights

  A.  Action by the Committee

19.  The Committee will coordinate the observance of the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at the intergovernmental level, while engaging with the broader United Nations system and membership. It requests the Secretary-General to encourage all United Nations system entities to participate in observing the International Year by organizing specific activities or incorporating components related to the Year into planned activities and to appoint focal points who will coordinate activities through an inter-agency working group.

20.  The Division for Palestinian Rights will support the Committee in the coordination of the International Year, ensuring that all related activities are reflected on the calendar of events to be established on the “Question of Palestine” website. The Division will coordinate with the relevant units of the Department of Public Information, in order to engage the media and raise global awareness, and prepare additional information and graphic materials. It will also coordinate with other relevant United Nations entities to ensure system-wide coherence and avoid duplication of efforts.

21.  Governments will be encouraged by the Committee to organize new activities or link already planned activities at the national or regional level to the observance of the International Year; such activities may be steered by national committees, as appropriate. Intergovernmental organizations will be asked by the Committee to organize regional and international activities. Since there is no separate budgetary provision for the Year, activities will have to be undertaken within existing or extrabudgetary resources. A trust fund will be established to receive extrabudgetary funding.

22.  Civil society organizations will be encouraged by the Committee to establish steering committees at the national and regional levels, as appropriate. Existing international, regional and local umbrella organizations will take the lead in mobilizing the public for specific events. Accredited organizations and observers to the Committee will initiate activities to mark the Year. The United Nations “Platform for Palestine” website (http://unpfp.un.org/ ), a recently launched online tool of the Committee, and the reactivated Working Group will be leveraged to catalyse and coordinate civil society efforts and hold events.

23.  In pursuance of its mandate, the Committee will continue to keep the situation relating to the question of Palestine under review and to participate in relevant meetings of the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Committee will also continue to monitor the situation on the ground and draw the attention of the international community to critical developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, requiring international action.

24.  The Committee, through its Bureau, will continue to participate in relevant intergovernmental and other conferences and meetings, as necessary. The Committee considers such participation to be an important aspect of its work to promote international support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The holding of high-level meetings by relevant intergovernmental organizations with the participation of the Committee within the framework of the International Year will be encouraged.

25.  In cooperation with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, the Committee will continue to maintain contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Government of the State of Palestine and other institutions, as well as Palestinian civil society. Following the practice of previous years, the Committee will continue to invite prominent personalities, United Nations system entities and civil society representatives to its meetings at United Nations Headquarters to further enrich the substantive content and improve the format of the Committee’s deliberations. In this regard, the Committee will call the attention of the Secretariat to the need to ensure, within existing resources, the continued participation of eminent persons and international renowned experts in these meetings and conferences, to be invited on par with the members of the Committee, as mandated by General Assembly resolution 68/13 . 

26.  The Bureau of the Committee will continue to hold consultations with Governments and intergovernmental organizations interested in its programme of work. These exchanges should help to promote understanding of the mandate and objectives of the Committee. 

 B.  International meetings and conferences

27.  Through its international meetings programme for 2014, the Committee intends to focus the world’s attention on the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. It seeks to further generate widespread support for a peaceful solution to the conflict, based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and to promote worldwide solidarity with the Palestinians and support for the realization of their rights. The Committee will continue to engage Governments, parliamentarians and civil society organizations, including youth and women’s groups, to mobilize support for a just solution to the conflict and solidarity with the Palestinian people.

28.  The Committee will focus its programme of international meetings and conferences in 2014 on, inter alia, promoting support for the objectives and themes of the International Year and widening international support for the permanent status negotiations for the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict. These meetings will contribute to the creation of an atmosphere conducive to the conduct of negotiations in good faith and will further raise the international community’s awareness of the substantive issues in this regard.

29.  The Committee intends to continue to draw the attention of the world community to the developments on the ground, including those which constitute obstacles to negotiations and the achievement of a peaceful solution, in particular the situation with regard to Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem; the need to compel Israel, the occupying Power, to end its settlement campaign, as well as all other illegal policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; and the legal obligation of third parties not to support or contribute to the breaches of international law by Israel and the responsibility to hold the occupying Power accountable for its breaches.

30.  The Committee will support peaceful civil society action worldwide challenging Israeli impunity and promoting the concept of Israel’s accountability for its illegal actions towards the Palestinian people. The Committee will pay special attention to highlighting the plight of the most disadvantaged Palestinians, such as refugees, the Palestinians living in Gaza and Palestinian political prisoners. The Committee will continue to mobilize support for the institution-building and State-building efforts of the State of Palestine and all other efforts to promote and strengthen the independence and viability of the Palestinian State.

31.  In so doing, and mindful of budgetary constraints, the Committee will make the most cost-effective utilization of resources a priority. It will endeavour to organize its events in cooperation with interested intergovernmental organizations and national Governments, with due regard to cost-sharing arrangements. It will invite the Division for Palestinian Rights to streamline documentation while making maximum use of modern information technologies. It will mobilize social media and bloggers to promote global coverage and interaction during these events in a cost-effective way. It will strive to achieve gender and geographic balance among invited experts, and it will encourage the active participation of Governments from all regional groups. The Committee, through its Bureau, will regularly assess the outcomes of the international meetings and conferences and, where required, decide on steps that could be taken to enhance their contribution to the mandated goals of the Committee, streamline the format of the meetings and of the documentation, and boost media exposure, attendance and interaction. It will disseminate the practical recommendations emanating from the conferences and meetings to the United Nations membership at large and systematically review them with a view to taking follow-up action, as appropriate.

32.  A special meeting of the Committee dedicated to the launch of the International Year, to which all United Nations Member States and observers will be invited, will be held at United Nations Headquarters on 16 January 2014.

33.  In 2014, the Committee intends to organize, among others, the following events, all of which are expected to be entirely dedicated to or incorporate a segment devoted to the International Year: 

 (a)  A high-level meeting of the League of Arab States, with the Committee, to be held in Cairo; 

 (b)  A United Nations seminar on assistance to the Palestinian people; 

 (c)  A United Nations international meeting on the question of Palestine, to be held in Quito; 

 (d)  A round table on the legal aspects of the new international status of the State of Palestine and on the status of Palestinian political prisoners under international law, to be held at the United Nations Office at Geneva. 

 C.  Cooperation with intergovernmental organizations

34.  In the course of 2014, the Committee will continue to cooperate on issues relevant to its mandate with the African Union, the European Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. The Committee will also reach out to the regional groups at the United Nations, in particular the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries, and other regional organizations, such as the Caribbean Community. Representatives of these groups and organizations will be invited to lend their support to and participate in the Committee’s programme of international meetings and conferences. The Committee will reach out to these organizations with a view to organizing joint events within the framework of the International Year.

 D.  Cooperation with civil society

   Civil society organizations

35.  The Committee values highly the work of civil society organizations in support of the Palestinian people and fully intends to mobilize civil society in support of the international year. The Committee encourages civil society and coalitions of civil society organizations to form steering committees to coordinate activities during the international year, while making full use of already existing networks. It will call on civil society to launch a broad range of advocacy activities, such as conferences, lectures, briefings, workshops, forums, youth camps, exhibitions, competitions, concerts, cultural festivals, food festivals, film screenings, solidarity campaigns, petitions and social media events. The Committee also supports all humanitarian and assistance initiatives aimed at improving the daily lives of the Palestinian people. The Committee will continue to assess its programme of cooperation with civil society and consult them on ways to enhance their contribution during the International Year.

36.  The Committee intends to continue to invite civil society organizations to all international meetings and conferences organized under its auspices. The participation in such meetings of civil society organizations, eminent personalities and parliamentarians, women’s organizations, youth groups and their leadership, along with Governments and intergovernmental organizations, should offer a unique opportunity to promote the exchange of views and ideas, encourage people to people dialogue and develop and strengthen initiatives by all strata of the international community in support of the goals and themes of the International Year. The Committee believes that the meetings and conferences organized under its auspices promote dialogue among Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups and offer a unique platform for interaction between the two sides.

37.  The Committee will maintain and further develop its liaison activities with national, regional and international coordinating mechanisms on the question of Palestine, in addition to the established liaison activities it already carries out with a large number of civil society organizations. Through its revitalized Working Group, it will engage in regular consultations with accredited civil society organizations and observers. It will continue to accredit new organizations. Periodic meetings of consultations with civil society representatives held on the sidelines of the Committee’s international meetings and conferences will further contribute to the enhancement of the Committee’s programme of cooperation with civil society. The Committee considers its recently launched “Platform for Palestine” website to be an important outreach tool to catalyse and coordinate global action by civil society and intends to develop the platform further, in line with available resources.

38.  The Committee is of the view that it is important to continue to exchange information with civil society on current and planned activities. The Committee intends to request accredited civil society organizations to submit periodic reports on their activities in support of Palestinian rights to its Working Group. The Committee requests the Division to obtain information and report periodically on civil society initiatives in order to enhance interaction between civil society and the Committee. It also requests the Division to continue to issue the bimonthly NGO Action News and regularly update the civil society web page of the “Question of Palestine” website (www.un.org/Depts/dpa/qpal/ngo ) and the Division’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/UN.palestinianrights ) in order to promote the exchange of information and communication between the United Nations and civil society.

39.  In 2014, the resources available for cooperation with civil society will be used for the following activities: 

 (a)  Organization, whenever appropriate and feasible, of meetings of civil society organizations in conjunction with international meetings and conferences held under the auspices of the Committee, or separately, and in support of the International Year; 

 (b)  Participation of representatives of the Committee and the Division in important forums and other events on the question of Palestine organized by civil society organizations in the region and worldwide, in particular in the context of the International Year; 

 (c)  Periodic consultation meetings of the Working Group with civil society organizations with a view to keeping them apprised of the various activities of the Committee, encouraging better coordination and cooperation among them and with the Committee and other relevant United Nations entities, and receiving their views on the work of the United Nations and the Committee in particular, and information about their current activities; 

 (d)  Periodic side events of the Working Group with civil society speakers to raise the awareness of Member States and observers to the United Nations about specific issues pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; 

 (e)  Periodic briefings by representatives of Palestinian, Israeli and international civil society on the situation on the ground and their work in support of a peaceful realization of the two-State solution, to which all Member States and observers to the United Nations, as well as civil society organizations, are invited, to be held at United Nations Headquarters, including on the sidelines of major United Nations events, such as the sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women; 

 (f)  Assistance to Palestinian civil society organizations in facilitating the participation of their representatives in meetings held under the auspices or with the support of the Committee; 

 (g)  Continuous development of the “Platform for Palestine” website; 

 (h)  Preparation of a civil society toolkit to facilitate solidarity campaigns. 

   Parliaments and interparliamentary organizations

40.  The Committee views its cooperation with parliamentarians worldwide as one of its programmatic priorities and will continue to develop this aspect of its work. It firmly believes that national parliaments and interparliamentary organizations play an important role in shaping public opinion, formulating policy guidelines and upholding international legitimacy in support of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine. The Committee considers that the experience and political influence of lawmakers and their organizations can be instrumental in consolidating the democratic process and institution-building in the State of Palestine, strengthening political dialogue between the parties and applying the principles of international law to efforts aimed at resolving the conflict. The Committee reaffirms the continuing importance of developing closer cooperation and effective partnership with parliaments and representatives of interparliamentary bodies in order to encourage the discussion, within the respective parliaments and among all strata of society, of ways of advancing peace in the Middle East and resolving the question of Palestine. To that end, the Committee will strive to continue to involve parliamentarians and representatives of interparliamentary organizations in international conferences and meetings organized under its auspices and will work towards organizing joint events with interested interparliamentary organizations. Consultations between the Committee and representatives of parliaments and interparliamentary organizations, at Headquarters and worldwide, should improve cooperation between the two sides on issues of common concern. The Committee attaches special importance to involving members of the Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council in events organized under its auspices. 

 E.  Publications programme

41.  The Committee considers the Division’s publications programme to be an important source of information and outreach activity that contributes to raising awareness at the international level of the various aspects of the question of Palestine, the goals and objectives of the International Year, the role and efforts of the United Nations and the work of the Committee. The Division should continue to monitor and disseminate information on developments relevant to the question of Palestine and highlight information related to the International Year. It should also continue to issue, electronically and/or in print, the following publications: 

 (a)  A monthly bulletin on action by the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations relevant to the question of Palestine; 

 (b)  A periodic review of developments relating to the Middle East peace process; 

 (c)  A monthly chronological review of events relating to the question of Palestine; 

 (d)  An annual compilation of resolutions and decisions of the General Assembly and the Security Council relating to the question of Palestine; 

 (e)  Reports of international meetings and conferences held under the auspices of the Committee; 

 (f)  An annual bulletin on the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People; 

 (g)  A bimonthly summary of civil society activities on the question of Palestine, entitled NGO Action News, that is available on the civil society web page of the “Question of Palestine” website; 

 (h)  The Origins and Evolution of the Question of Palestine, part VI. 

42.  The Committee believes that the Division, in consultation with the Bureau, should continue to review the existing publications and make proposals with regard to those that require updating. 

 F.  United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine

43.  The Committee requests the Division for Palestinian Rights to continue its work on the further development, expansion and administration of the “Question of Palestine” website, including the United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL). The Committee requests the Division to launch, in collaboration with the Department of Public Information, a web page dedicated to the International Year. Special messages dedicated to the International Year will be posted on the Division’s social media sites. The Division will continue to ensure that the UNISPAL collection of United Nations and related documents is comprehensive and up to date and that it can be accessed easily and that its displays are user-friendly. It encourages the Division to develop this useful tool further so as to provide information to users worldwide on various aspects of the question of Palestine. The Division should also continue to provide information concerning activities for the International Year, as well as its own and the Committee’s activities, through Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds, and alert users about materials newly posted on UNISPAL. The Committee requests the Division to report periodically to the Bureau on the status of work accomplished on UNISPAL and progress achieved in its development.

 G.  International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

44.  As part of the International Year, the Committee will devote a month to mobilizing people throughout the world to take a variety of actions in solidarity with the Palestinian people. That month-long effort will end on 29 November 2014 (the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People) and be commemorated at United Nations Headquarters, the United Nations Offices at Geneva and Vienna, and other locations. A Palestinian exhibit and/or a cultural event will be organized at Headquarters in cooperation with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations. The Committee, in cooperation with the Mission, will explore the possibility of organizing a long-term (3-4 months) exhibit at a venue in New York City. 

 H.  Training programme for staff of the Government of the State of Palestine

 45.  The Committee considers that, in the light of the importance and usefulness of the annual training programme to the State of Palestine, the Division should continue to develop and enhance it further in 2014. The Committee remains of the view that, in selecting candidates for the programme, special consideration should be given to achieving gender balance. Training sessions will be held at United Nations Headquarters, at the United Nations Office in Geneva and possibly at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris, subject to the availability of funding. 

 I.  Continuing review and assessment

46.  The Committee will continue to review and assess its programme of work in the light of the situation on the ground and new political developments and will make adjustments as necessary. It will actively seek feedback from participants in the events organized under its auspices and from other partners, apply lessons learned and follow best practices. 

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