Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination – Report to ECOSOC on CHR 61st session (Excerpts)

REPORT TO THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL

ON THE SIXTY-FIRST SESSION OF THE COMMISSION

Draft report of the Commission

Rapporteur: Ms. Deirdre KENT (Canada)

CONTENTS* 

Chapter: 

V. The right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation

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* Documents E/CN.4/2005/L.10 and addenda will contain the chapters of the report relating to the organization of the session and the various items on the agenda. Resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission, as well as draft resolutions and decisions for action by, and other matters of concern to, the Economic and Social Council, will be contained in documents E/CN.4/2005/L.11 and addenda.

V.   The right of peoples to self-determination and its

application to peoples under colonial or alien

domination or foreign occupation 

1.   The Commission considered agenda item 5 at its 12th and 13th meetings on 18 March 2005, and at its 38th meeting on 7 April.

2.   For the documents issued under agenda item 5, see annex VI to the present report. For a list of all resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission and Chairperson’s statements, by agenda item, see annex V.

3.   At the 12th meeting, on 18 March 2005, Ms. Shaista Shameem, Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, introduced her report (E/CN.4/2005/14). During the ensuing interactive dialogue, the representative of Cuba addressed questions to the Special Rapporteur, to which she responded.

4.   In the general debate on agenda item 5, statements were made by members of the Commission, observers and representatives of non-governmental organizations. For a detailed list of speakers, see annex III to the present report.

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Situation in occupied Palestine

6.   Also at the 38th meeting, on 7 April 2005, the representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (on behalf of the Arab Group) introduced draft resolution E/CN.4/2005/L.5, sponsored by Indonesia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (on behalf of the Arab Group) and Turkey. Andorra, Austria, Belgium, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Guinea, Ireland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Zimbabwe subsequently joined the sponsors.

7.   The representative of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (on behalf of the Arab Group) orally revised the draft resolution by deleting the eighth and ninth preambular paragraphs as well as operative paragraphs 4, 5, 6 and 7 and by modifying operative paragraph 3 and renumbering the following paragraph accordingly.

8.   Statements in connection with the draft resolution were made by the observers for Israel and Palestine.

9.   At the request of the representative of the United States of America, a recorded vote was taken on the draft resolution, as orally revised, which was adopted by 49 votes to 1 with 2 abstentions. The voting was as follows:

In favour:   Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, China, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe.

 Against:   United States of America.

 Abstaining:   Burkina Faso, Costa Rica.

10.   Statements in explanation of vote after the vote were made by the representatives of Costa Rica, Guatemala and the United States of America.

11.   For the text of the resolution as adopted, see chapter II, section A, resolution 2005/1.

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