Palestine question/Inalienable rights – SecCo debate – Verbatim record (excerpts)

OFFICIAL RECORDS

T H I R T Y – S E C O N D  Y E A R

2041st  MEETING: 27 OCTOBER 1977

NEW YORK

CONTENTS

    Page

Provisional agenda (S/Agenda/2041)……………………………. 1

Adoption of the agenda………………………………………. 1

The question of the exercise by the Palestinian people of its

inalienable rights:

Letter dated 13 September 1977 from the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to the President of the Security Council (S/12399)……… 1

2041st MEETING

Held in New York on Thursday, 27 October 1977, at 3 p.m.

President:  Mr. Rikhi JAIPAL (India)

Present: The representatives of the following States:  Benin, Canada, China, France, Germany, Federal Republic of, India, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritius, Pakistan, Panama, Romania, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America and Venezuela.

Provisional agenda (S/Agenda/2041)

1. Adoption of the agenda

2. The question of the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights:

Letter dated 13 September 1977 from the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to the President of the Security Council (S/12399)

The meeting was called to order at 3.40 p.m.

Adoption of the agenda

The agenda was adopted.

The question of the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights:

Letter dated 13 September 1977 from the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to the President of the Security Council (S/12399)

1. The PRESIDENT:  I should like to inform the members of the Council that I have received a letter dated 24 October from the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People which reads as follows:

"I have the honour to refer to the forthcoming meeting of the Security Council on the question of the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights and to request you to make the necessary arrangements to enable me to address the Council in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People."

2. It will be recalled that when the Security Council dealt with this matter on the last occasion, it extended an invitation to the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.  I propose, therefore, if there is no objection that the Council should follow the same practice on this occasion and extend an invitation, under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure, to the Chairman of the Committee.

At the invitation of the President, Mr. Fall, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, took a place at the Council table.

3. The PRESIDENT:  I have also received a letter dated 25 October from the representative of Senegal which reads as follows:

"I have the honour to refer to the forthcoming meeting of the Security Council on the question of the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights and to request that the Palestine Liberation Organization be invited to participate in the debate in accordance with the previous decisions of the Council in this matter."

4. I place before the Council the proposal that the Palestine Liberation Organization should be invited to participate in the debate.  It should be noted that this proposal is not being put forward under rule 37 or rule 39 of the provisional rules of procedure.  If it is adopted, the invitation to the Palestine Liberation Organization will confer on it the same rights of participation as those conferred on a Member State when it is invited to participate under rule 37.

5. Does any member of the Council wish to speak on the proposal that I have placed before it?

6. Mr. LEONARD (United States of America):  I wish to state that my Government is not able to agree to the proposal to invite the representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization to participate in the debate in the Security Council with the same rights of participation as a Member State would have.  We considered the terms of the Council's invitation inappropriate on past occasions and we want to repeat our opinion.  For this reason we should like the proposed invitation put to the vote.

7. The PRESIDENT:  In view of the statement made by the representative of the United States and his request for a vote, I put the proposal to the vote.

A vote was taken by show of hands.

In favour: Benin, China, India, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritius, Pakistan, Panama, Romania, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Venezuela.

Against:  United States of America.

Abstaining:  Canada, France, Germany, Federal Republic of, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The proposal was adopted by 10 votes to 1, with 4 abstentions.

8. The PRESIDENT:  I invite the representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization to take the seats reserved for them at the side of the Council chamber.

At the invitation of the President, Mr. Terzi and the other members of the delegation of the Palestine Liberation Organization took the places reserved for them at the side of the Council chamber.

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