Human rights situation in the OPT – CHR – Summary record (excerpts)

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Fiftieth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 66th MEETING

(First Part)*

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

on Wednesday, 9 March 1994, at 7.00 p.m.

Chairman:  Mr. WULFFTEN PALTHE  (Netherlands)

CONTENTS

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Question of the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in any part of the world, with particular reference to colonial and other dependent countries and territories, …

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*The summary record of the second part of the meeting appears as document E/CN.4/1994/SR.66/Add.1.

The meeting was called to order at 7.30 p.m.

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND OTHER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES, INCLUDING:…

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Draft resolution on the situation of human rights in southern Lebanon (E/CN.4/1994/L.96)

19. Mr. ENNACEUR (Tunisia), introducing the draft resolution on behalf of its sponsors, which had been joined by the observer for the United Arab Emirates, said that the text was basically the same as that of a similar resolution adopted at the Commission's previous session.    

20. A number of changes had been made in the text of the draft resolution.  In the penultimate line of the first preambular paragraph, the word "Fourth" should be added before the words "Geneva Convention".  The third preambular paragraph should begin with the word "Deploring" instead of "Denouncing".  In the second line of the fifth preambular paragraph, the words "the occupied region of" should be inserted before the words "southern Lebanon".

21. In operative paragraph 2, the word "relevant" in the second line should be replaced by the words "above-mentioned".  In the third line of operative paragraph 4, the word "those" should replace the word "the" before "Lebanese and other prisoners"; and the words "other rules of" should be inserted before the words "international law" in the fourth line.

22. At the request of the representative of the United States of America, a vote was taken on draft resolution E/CN.4/1994/L.96.

23. At the request of the representative of Tunisia, the vote was taken by roll-call.

24. Sudan, having been drawn by lot by the Chairman, was called upon to vote first.

In favour: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Ecuador, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Against: United States of America.

Abstaining: Angola, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire.

25. Draft resolution E/CN.4/1994/L.96, as orally revised, was adopted by 48 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions.

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74. Mr. MARUYAMA (Japan) said that, although his delegation had voted in favour of draft resolution E/CN.4/1994/L.96 as a whole, it had certain reservations regarding the third preambular paragraph, which denounced "the repeated Israeli aggression in southern Lebanon".  His Government's position was that all the parties should exercise the utmost self-restraint and refrain from the use of force, so as to avoid a deterioration of the situation in the region.  

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77. Mr. BROTODININGRAT (Indonesia) said that his delegation had, in fact, abstained in the roll-call vote on the draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Iraq (E/CN.4/1994/L.82), but its vote had somehow been misrecorded.  He asked for the record to be corrected.

78. In joining the consensus on the draft resolution on human rights violations in the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville (E/CN.4/1994/L.93/Rev.1), his delegation wished to reaffirm its recognition that Bougainville formed part of the territorial integrity of Papua New Guinea.  It also had reservations regarding operative paragraph 7 (b) since it considered it was not appropriate for the Commission to give instructions to the Secretary-General on matters pertaining to peace-keeping and peacemaking.

79. Mr. FLINTERMAN (Netherlands) …

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81. In his delegation's view, the draft resolution on the situation of human rights in southern Lebanon (E/CN.4/1994/L.96) did not reflect the actual situation in that area in a balanced way.  However, following the adoption of the Tunisian amendments, it had voted in favour of the draft resolution despite its concern that all acts of violence in southern Lebanon, whatever their origin, should have been reflected therein.

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