Report of the Economic and Social Council for 2006*
* 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 2006 and the substantive session of 2006. 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-first Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/61/3/Rev.1).
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Council at the organizational and resumed organizational sessions for 2006 and the substantive session of 2006 are being issued initially in documents E/2006/INF/2 and Add.1. Those adopted at the resumed substantive session will be issued in document E/2006/INF/2/Add.2. The resolutions and decisions will be issued in final form as Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2006, Supplement No. 1 (E/2006/99).
Matters calling for action by or brought to the attention
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)
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
7. By resolution 2006/43 , the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, through the 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.
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
69. The Council held a discussion on the 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 (agenda item 9) at its 36th, 39th and 41st meetings, on 24, 26 and 27 July 2006. An account of the discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (E/2006/SR.36, 39 and 41). The Council had before it the following documents:
(c) Report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people (A/61/80-E/2006/72);
F. Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living c onditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan
85. The Council held a discussion on the 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 (agenda item 11) at its 35th, 36th and 42nd meetings, on 21, 24 and 27 July 2006. An account of the discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (E/2006/SR.35, 36 and 42). The Council had before it a note by the Secretary-General (A/61/67-E/2006/13) transmitting the report prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan.
86. At the 35th meeting, on 21 July, the Chief of the Regional Commissions New York Office made an introductory statement.
Action taken by the Council
87. Under agenda item 11, the Council adopted resolution 2006/43 and decision 2006/249.
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
88. At the 36th meeting, on 24 July, the representative of Saudi Arabia, on behalf of Algeria, 1 Azerbaijan,1 Bahrain,1 Bangladesh, Chad, Cuba, Indonesia, Jordan,1 Malaysia,1 Mauritania, Morocco,1 Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine,3 introduced a draft resolution (E/2006/L.17) 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”, which read as follows:
“ The Economic and Social Council,
“Recalling General Assembly resolution 60/183 of 22 December 2005,
“Also recalling its resolution 2005/51 of 27 July 2005,
“Guided by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and recalling relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 252 (1968) of 21 May 1968, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981,
“ Recalling the resolutions of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, including ES-10/13 of 21 October 2003, ES-10/14 of 8 December 2003 and ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,
“ Reaffirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949 to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967,
“Stressing the importance of the revival of the Middle East peace process on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 425 (1978), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003) and 1544 (2004) and the principle of land for peace as well as compliance with the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people,
“ Reaffirming the principle of the permanent sovereignty of peoples under foreign occupation over their natural resources,
“ Convinced that the Israeli occupation has gravely impeded the efforts to achieve sustainable development and a sound economic environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan,
“ Gravely concerned about the deterioration of the economic and living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan and the exploitation by Israel, the occupying Power, of their natural resources,
“ Gravely concerned also by the formidable impact on the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people caused by Israel’s construction of the wall and its associated regime inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and the resulting violation of their economic and social rights, including the right to work, to health, to education and to an adequate standard of living,
“ Recalling in this regard the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Syrian Golan,
“ Gravely concerned at the extensive destruction by Israel, the occupying Power, of agricultural land and orchards in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in particular as a result of its unlawful construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in and around East Jerusalem,
“ Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory , recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15, and stressing the need to comply with the obligations mentioned therein,
“ Extremely concerned at the dire humanitarian crisis and the dangerous situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a result of current Israeli military operations, the economic siege imposed on the Palestinian people, and Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues,
“ Expressing grave concern at the escalating indiscriminate Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians, which have led to many deaths and injuries, including of children,
“Commending the important work being done by the United Nations and the specialized agencies in support of the economic and social development of the Palestinian people, as well as the assistance being provided in the humanitarian field,
“ Conscious of the urgent need for the reconstruction of the economic and social infrastructure of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as the urgent need to address the dire humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people,
“1. Calls for the lifting of the economic siege imposed on the Palestinian people and for other urgent measures to be taken to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
“2. Demands that Israel transfer urgently Palestinian tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority in compliance with the Paris Economic Agreement of 1994;
“3. Stresses the need to preserve the national unity and the territorial integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to guarantee the freedom of movement of persons and goods in the Territory, including the removal of restrictions on going into and from East Jerusalem, and the freedom of movement to and from the outside world;
“4. Deplores the continuous Israeli destruction of vital infrastructure in the occupied Gaza Strip, including the only power station, water networks, schools, bridges, the airport, the seaport and Palestinian ministries and institutions, which aggravates the harsh humanitarian and socio-economic conditions therein;
“5. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, ensure the passage of foodstuffs and other essential supplies through commercial crossings and lift forthwith the restrictions on the movement and access of United Nations agencies to and within the Occupied Palestinian Territory;
“6. Demands also that Israel, the occupying Power, put an immediate end to its military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and refrain from imposing collective punishment on the Palestinian people;
“7. Affirms that ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Syrian Golan is a prerequisite for economic and social development therein;
“8. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan to all their natural and economic resources, and calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, not to exploit, endanger or cause loss or depletion of these resources;
“9. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to cease the dumping of all kinds of waste materials in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, which gravely threaten their natural resources, namely the water and land resources, and pose an environmental hazard and health threat to the civilian populations;
“10. Reaffirms that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, are illegal and an obstacle to economic and social development, and calls for the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions;
“11. Stresses that the wall being constructed at an accelerated pace by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, is contrary to international law and is isolating East Jerusalem, dividing up the West Bank and seriously debilitating to the economic and social development of the Palestinian people, and calls in this regard for full compliance with the legal obligations mentioned in the 9 July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and in General Assembly resolution ES-10/15;
“12. Emphasizes the importance of the work of the organizations and agencies of the United Nations and 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;
“13. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, through the Economic and Social Council, a report on the implementation of the present resolution and to continue to include in the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator an update on the living conditions of the Palestinian people, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies;
“14. Decides to include the item 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’ in the agenda of its substantive session of 2007.”
89. At its 42nd meeting, on 27 July, the Council had before it a revised draft resolution (E/2006/L.17/Rev.1) 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”, introduced by the representative of Saudi Arabia, on behalf of the sponsors of draft resolution E/2006/L.17 as well as Egypt. 1 The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela1 subsequently joined in sponsoring the draft resolution.
90. At the same meeting, the Council adopted the revised draft resolution by a roll-call vote of 45 to 3, with 3 abstentions. See Council resolution 2006/43. The voting was as follows:
In favour:
Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Chad, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania.
Against:
Australia, Canada, United States of America.
Abstaining:
Czech Republic, Poland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
91. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, a statement was made by the representative of the United States of America and the observer for Finland (on behalf of the European Union and the acceding countries Bulgaria and Romania, the candidate countries Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey and the countries of the stabilization and association process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova). A statement in explanation of vote before the vote was made by the representative of Costa Rica. Statements in explanation of vote after the vote were made by the representatives of the United States of America, the Russian Federation, Japan, India and Canada. Statements were made by the observer for the Syrian Arab Republic and the observer for Palestine.
Document considered by the Council in connection with agenda item 11
92. At its 42nd meeting, on 27 July, on the proposal of the President of the Council, the Council took note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (A/61/67-E/2006/13) on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan. See Council decision 2006/249.
1 In accordance with rule 72 of the rules of procedure of the Council.
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3 In accordance with General Assembly resolution 52/250.
