Official Records
General Assembly
Sixty-fifth session
71st plenary meeting
Tuesday, 21 December 2010, 3 p.m.
New York
|
President: |
Mr. Deiss ……………………………………………………. |
(Switzerland) |
The President (spoke in French): The General Assembly will now consider the reports of the Third Committee on agenda items 27, 28, 61, 63 to 68, 105, 106, 118 and 130.
/…
The President (spoke in French): The Assembly has before it two draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 14 of its report.
We will now consider draft resolutions I and II.
I call on the representative of Turkey in explanation of vote before the voting.
Mr. Akram (Turkey): Turkey shall vote in favour of draft resolution I on the report of the Human Rights Council contained in document A/65/53 and A/65/53/Add.1, as we did in the voting in the Third Committee last month. We shall do so for the following reasons.
The report and its addendum contain many important resolutions and decisions. However, I wish to focus in particular on Human Rights Council resolution 15/1 on the follow-up to the report of the independent international fact-finding mission on the incident of the humanitarian flotilla of 31 May. The resolution endorses the report of the independent international fact-finding mission, which was tasked to investigate violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law resulting from the Israeli attack in international waters on the international humanitarian convoy to Gaza. During the attack, Israeli forces killed nine civilians and wounded many others.
The independent international fact-finding mission consisted of highly reputable international legal personalities and issued its report after having interviewed 112 witnesses, representing over 20 nationalities, in Geneva, London, Istanbul and Amman. Therefore, the findings and conclusions of the report reflect a meticulous study and analysis of the situation. It also contains compelling legal arguments in the context of international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.
Among other things, the mission concluded in the report that
The report further states that
We see that the vast majority of members of the international community support the findings and conclusions of the report, which gives a fair account of the events based on solid facts and legal documents.
In the meantime, our commitment to the Panel of Inquiry established by the Secretary-General in accordance with the statement issued by the President of the Security Council of 1 June (S/PRST/2010/9) continues. On 1 September, we submitted our interim report to the Panel of Inquiry with its substantive attachments, including autopsy reports and witness accounts. Our interim report was the result of an objective study carried out by the Turkish commission of investigation by inspecting three of the ships in the convoy, soliciting verbal and written testimony from any available witness, and examining the legal implications of the attack.
After it received the Turkish interim report, the Panel submitted its first progress report to the Secretary-General in mid-September. However, four months later, Israel is yet to present its own report to the Panel. Israel must acknowledge its mistakes and act accordingly. We expect a formal apology and compensation for the wounded and the families of the deceased. Until then, we will not let this matter rest, and neither should the international community.
The President (spoke in French): The Assembly will now take action on draft resolutions I and II.
Draft resolution I is entitled “Report of the Human Rights Council”. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
In favour:
Against:
Israel.
Abstaining:
/…
The President (spoke in French): The Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 63.
/…
The President (spoke in French): The Assembly has before it three draft resolutions recommended by the Third Committee in paragraph 18 of its report.
We will now take decisions on draft resolutions I to III, one by one.
/…
The President (spoke in French): Draft resolution II is entitled “The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
In favour:
Against:
Abstaining:
/…
This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the interpretation of speeches delivered in the other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-506. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.
Document Type: Meeting record, Provisional verbatim record, Verbatim Record, Voting record
Document Sources: General Assembly
Subject: Closures/Curfews/Blockades, Gaza Strip, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Humanitarian relief, Legal issues, Self-determination
Publication Date: 21/12/2010