CEIRPP meeting – Summary record

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights

of the Palestinian People 

Summary record of the 264th meeting

Held at Headquarters, New York, on Wednesday, 19 June 2002, at 10.30 a.m.

 Chairman:   Mr. Fall ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..  (Senegal) 

Contents

Adoption of the agenda

Developments in the Middle East peace process and the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem

United Nations African meeting in support of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, to be held on 24 and 25 June 2002, and workshop of African NGOs on the question of Palestine, to be held on 26 June 2002, in Rabat

The meeting was called to order at 10.40 a.m.

Adoption of the agenda 

1.   The agenda was adopted.

2.  The Chairman informed the Committee about some activities that had taken place since its previous meeting on 15 May. The Committee had adopted a statement on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, issued as a press release (GA/PAL/889) and circulated by the Secretariat. Because the already grave situation had continued to deteriorate, the Security Council had met on 13 June at the request of the Group of Arab States to consider the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, and he had made a statement on behalf of the Committee to the Council (S/PV.4552 (Resumption 1)).

Developments in the Middle East peace process and the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem

3.   Mr. Al-Kidwa (Observer for Palestine) said that the bloody military campaign Israel had begun in September against the Palestinian people had gone on without interruption, and that since 29 March 2002, there had been a substantial increase in the use of lethal force. Throughout the entire period, it could be clearly seen that the campaign’s objective was to revert to the stage prior to the Oslo Accords, destroy the Palestinian Authority and ensure that no progress whatsoever would be made towards a final settlement — in other words, the systematic, unremitting destruction of the Palestinian people as a whole. The Israeli forces had reoccupied the city of Ramallah and had twice occupied the headquarters of President Arafat, bombing all the buildings except the President’s office, and blockading the site. They had also tried to blockade population centres and prevent communications between them. The occupying Power was seeking to re-esta blish in the Palestinian territories the Israeli civil administration whose dismantling had been one of the basic principles of the Oslo Accords. The Israeli Government had adopted an official decision to reoccupy territories which had by treaty been placed under Palestinian control, but on that latest occasion its political intentions were as clear as its military actions on the ground.

4.   The position of the Palestinian people was equally clear. Mr. Sharon had repeatedly stated his political position, and even his personal feelings, with respect to the Palestinian people and to President Arafat himself. Mr. Sharon had taken part in war crimes and massacres. He was to be considered to be an enemy of peace, and the international community must restrain him if it wanted to put an end to the tragic developments on the ground and see to it that the two parties returned once more to a stage of negotiations aimed at a final settlement of the conflict.

5.   He hoped that the report of the Secretary-General on the tragic events that had occurred in the Jenin refugee camp, among other Palestinian localities, would expose what was happening on the ground, and that the concrete evidence of the atrocities that the Israeli Government was committing would move the international community to act so that such events were never repeated. Although there was no doubt whatsoever that war crimes had been committed, he hoped that the report would testify to the scope of the events so that the liability of the perpetrators would be established under international human rights law. The report, which would have input on the issue from Palestine and Member States, would be considered by the General Assembly, after which it was hoped that the necessary measures would be taken immediately.

6.   The fact that the Security Council was currently marking time, which he hoped it would do only briefly, reflected the inertia that would continue to prevail on a larger international scale until such time as the Government of the United States of America publicly made a policy statement on the Middle East. Progress could be made only if a specific timetable was set for reaching a final settlement. Once that was done, agreements could be concluded on other questions, such as the possible mechanisms and procedures for future negotiations, or perhaps a peace conference at the international level; but if there were doubts about the final settlement, any interim step could give rise to delaying tactics that would again impede the peace process.

7.  The Chairman , referring to the fait accompli policy behind the Israeli occupation, said that he termed it the Israelization of the Palestinian Territories. He agreed with the Observer for Palestine that the point was not to ascertain whether atrocities had been committed but rather what had been their scope and how they would legally be characterized under international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. He hoped the report that the General Assembly had requested of the Secretary-General would be issued as soon as possible.

United Nations African meeting in support of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, to be held on 24 and 25 June 2002, and workshop of African NGOs on the question of Palestine, to be held on 26 June 2002, in Rabat (WP. No. 3)

8.   The Chairman drew the Committee’s attention to the provisional agendas of the two meetings contained in working paper No. 3.

9.  The provisional agendas were adopted.

10.   The Chairman informed the Committee that the delegation to the meeting and the workshop would be composed of its two Vice-Chairmen, Mr. Parilla (Cuba) and Mr. Farhâdi (Afghanistan), its Rapporteur, Mr. Balzan (Malta), together with Mr. Benouna (Morocco), Mr. Al-Kidwa (Observer for Palestine) and himself.

The meeting rose at 11.15 a.m.

This record is subject to correction. Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages. They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record. They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Chief, Official Records Editing Section, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza. Any corrections to the record of this meeting and of other meetings will be issued in a corrigendum.