Special Political and Decolonization Committee
(Fourth Committee)
Summary record of the 10th meeting
Held at Headquarters, New York, on Thursday, 15 October 2009, at 10 a.m.
Chairperson: Mr. Al-Nasser …………………………………………………………………. (Qatar)
later: Mr. Valladores (Vice-Chairperson) …………………………………………………. (Honduras)
later: Mr. Al-Nasser (Chairperson) …………………………………………………………. (Qatar)
Contents
Agenda item 34: Questions relating to information (continued)
The meeting was called to order at 10.20 a.m.
Agenda item 34: Questions relating to information (continued ) (A/64/21 and 262)
1. Mr. Elsherbini (Egypt) …
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4.4. His delegation encouraged the Department to continue its focus on programmes and activities relating to the achievement of economic and social development by Member States, especially in Africa, and called upon it to continue its information programme on the Palestinian issue, reporting the suffering of the Palestinian people under the occupation and the violations of international law, international humanitarian law and human rights law to which they were subjected by the Israeli occupying authority. He reaffirmed the importance of the Department’s role, through its all-inclusive, objective information service, in promoting a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and an end to Israeli occupation of Arab lands.
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9. Mr. Valladores (Honduras), Vice-Chairperson, took the Chair.
10. Mr. Al-Zayani (Bahrain) …
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13. … He hoped that the Department would continue its activities, backed by the General Assembly, in the Special Information Programme on the Question of Palestine, including the training programme for Palestinian journalists, until an equitable resolution of that question was achieved.
14. Mr. Al-Aqil (Saudi Arabia) …
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16. … Saudi Arabia hoped that, in accordance with General Assembly resolutions, the Department would devote greater attention to Middle East issues and in particular the suffering of the Palestinian people. …
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46. Mr. Al-Nasser (Qatar) resumed the Chair.
47. Mr. Hosseini (Islamic Republic of Iran) …
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48. The Department’s emphasis on emerging global issues should not deflect its attention from older but vital issues such as the realization of the rights of self-determination and development. In that context the occupation of Palestine and the denial of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination were the main reasons for the continued conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Department should address the issue of the gross violation of the human and humanitarian rights of the Palestinian people living under occupation, especially the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and should endeavour better to inform the public of the negative impact of the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Organization’s work to alleviate it.
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52. Mr. Jomaa (Tunisia) …
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53. The lack of resources invoked in the report of the Secretary-General (A/64/262) should not impede the quest for achievement of the goal of parity among the Organization’s official languages, a high priority for the Department and for the majority of Member States. Commending the Department’s endeavours on the question of Palestine, he encouraged it to pursue its efforts within the framework of the Special Information Programme in order to educate the international community on that important issue.
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The meeting rose at 12.25 p.m.
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Corrections will be issued after the end of the session, in a separate corrigendum for each Committee.
Document Type: Summary record
Document Sources: General Assembly Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization)
Subject: Agenda Item, Palestine question, Public information
Publication Date: 15/10/2009