Economic & social repercussion of the Israeli occupation/Palestinian women – ECOSOC 2008 report

Report of the Economic and Social Council for 2008**

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* A/63/150 and Corr.1.

** The present report is a preliminary version of those sections of the report of the Economic and Social Council relating to the organizational and resumed organizational sessions for 2008 and the substantive session of 2008. The section relating to the resumed substantive session will be issued as an addendum to the present report. The entire report will be issued in final form as Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-third Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/63/3/Rev.1).

The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Council at the organizational and resumed organizational sessions for 2008 and the substantive session of 2008 are being issued initially in documents E/2008/INF/2 and Add.1. Those adopted at the resumed substantive session will be issued in document E/2008/INF/2/Add.2. The resolutions and decisions will be issued in final form as Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2008, Supplement No. 1 (E/2008/99).

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Chapter I

Matters calling for action by or brought to the attention of the General Assembly

1. In 2008, the Economic and Social Council adopted resolutions and decisions that call for action by, or are to be brought to the attention of, the General Assembly. The relevant paragraphs of those resolutions and decisions are summarized below.

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Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan (item 11)

5. By its resolution 2008/31, the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session, through the Economic and Social Council, a report on the implementation of the resolution and to continue to include in the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority an update on the living conditions of the Palestinian people, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies.

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Chapter VIII

General segment

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D. Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations

70. The Council considered agenda item 9 at its 38th and 42nd meetings, on 22 and 24 July 2008. An account of the discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (E/2008/SR.38 and 42).

71. At its 38th meeting, on 22 July, the Council discussed agenda item 9 jointly with items 10 (Regional cooperation) and 11 (Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan). For its consideration of item 9, the Council had before it the following documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General on implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations (A/63/61);

(b) Report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people (A/63/75-E/2008/52);

(c) Report of the President of the Council on consultations with the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples: information submitted by the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system on their activities with regard to the implementation of the Declaration (E/2008/47).

72. At the 38th meeting, on 22 July, the representative of the Office of the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process made an introductory statement.

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Document considered by the Council under agenda item 9

77. At its 42nd meeting, on 24 July, on the proposal of the Vice-President of the Council, Jean-Marc Hoscheit (Luxembourg), the Council decided to take note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people (A/63/75-E/2008/52). See Council decision 2008/243.

F. Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

91. The Council considered agenda item 11 at its 38th, 43rd and 44th meetings, on 22, 24 and 25 July 2008. An account of the discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (E/2008/SR.38, 43 and 44).

92. At its 38th meeting, on 22 July, the Council discussed agenda item 11 jointly with items 9 (Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations) and 10 (Regional cooperation). For its consideration of item 11, the Council had before it a note by the Secretary-General transmitting a report prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (A/63/74-E/2008/13).

93. At the same meeting, the representative of the Regional Commissions New York Office made an introductory statement.

Action taken by the Council

94. Under agenda item 11, the Council adopted resolution 2008/31 and decision 2008/253.

Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

95. At the 43rd meeting, on 24 July, the representative of Algeria, also on behalf of Bahrain,¹ Cuba, Djibouti,¹ Egypt,¹ Iraq, Jordan,¹ Kiribati,¹ Lebanon,¹ Mauritania, Morocco,¹ Qatar,¹ Saudi Arabia, South Africa,¹ the Sudan, the United Arab Emirates,¹ Yemen¹ and Palestine,³ introduced a draft resolution entitled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” (E/2008/L.26) and orally corrected operative paragraph 12 by inserting the word “mother” before the word “homeland”. Subsequently, Indonesia and Malaysia joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.

96. At the 44th meeting, on 25 July, the representative of Algeria orally revised the draft resolution as follows:

(a) After the sixteenth preambular paragraph, the following new preambular paragraph was inserted:

“Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all civilians, and calling for the cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction, and all firing of rockets,”;

(b) In the nineteenth preambular paragraph, after the words “damaged institutions”, the words “and promote good governance” were inserted, and at the end of the paragraph the words “and to ameliorate economic and social conditions” were added;

(c) At the end of paragraph 5, the words “and expresses deep concern at any actions that threaten the integrity of the border crossings and the distribution of fuel” were added.

97. At the same meeting, the Council adopted draft resolution E/2008/L.26, as orally revised, by a roll-call vote of 49 to 2, with 2 abstentions. See Council resolution 2008/31. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

Algeria, Angola, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, China, Congo, Cuba, Czech Republic, El Salvador, France, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Moldova, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Uruguay.

Against:

Canada, United States of America.

Abstaining:

Cameroon, Japan.

98. Before the vote, statements were made by the representatives of Algeria and the United States of America; after the vote, statements were made by the representatives of Canada and Japan and by the observers for Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic. The observer for Palestine also made a statement. At a subsequent meeting, the representative of Mauritania made a statement.

Document considered by the Council in connection with agenda item 11

99. At its 44th meeting, on 25 July, on the proposal of the Vice-President of the Council, Jean-Marc Hoscheit (Luxembourg), the Council decided to take note of the note by the Secretary-General (A/63/74-E/2008/13). See Council decision 2008/253.

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I. Social and human rights questions

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1. Advancement of women

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Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

204. At its 40th meeting, on 22 July, the Council adopted a draft resolution recommended by the Commission, entitled “Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women”, (see E/2008/27, chap. I.B) by a roll-call vote of 25 to 2, with 17 abstentions. See Council resolution 2008/11. The voting was as follows:

In favour:

Algeria, Angola, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Brazil, Cape Verde, China, Congo, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mozambique, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan.

Against:

Canada, United States of America.

Abstaining:

Austria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Saint Lucia, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

205. At the same meeting, before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements were made by the representative of the United States and by the observer for Israel. After the adoption of the draft resolution, the observer for Palestine made a statement.

206. At the 41st meeting, on 23 July, statements were made by the representatives of Uruguay and the Philippines regarding the vote on the draft resolution that had been adopted.

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¹ In accordance with rule 72 of the rules of procedure of the Economic and Social Council.

³ In accordance with General Assembly resolution 52/250.