CEIRPP meeting – Summary record

COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS

OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 189th MEETING

Held at Headquarters, New York,

on Tuesday, 7 July 1992, at 10.30 a.m.

Chairman:                       Mr. CISSE                     (Senegal)

CONTENTS

Expression  of  sympathy  in  connection  with  the  death  of  the  President of  Algeria

Adoption of  the  agenda

Report on the United Nations North American Seminar and NGO Symposium on the    Question of Palestine, held at New York from 22 to 26 June 1992              

United Nations European Seminar on the Question of Palestine to be held at     Malta from 27  to  29  July  1992

Other matters

                                                                            

     This  record  is  subject   to   correction.

     Corrections   should  be   submitted  in  one  of   the   working  languages.   They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record.  They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Chief, Official Records Editing Section, Office of Conference Services, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza.                     

     Any corrections to the record of this meeting and of other meetings  will   be issued  in  a  corrigendum.

                 The meeting was called to order at 10.50 a.m.

EXPRESSION OF SYMPATHY IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT OF ALGERIA

1.   The CHAIRMAN, on behalf of the Committee, expressed sympathy to the

Government of Algeria in connection with the tragic death of the President of

Algeria.

2.   On the proposal of the Chairman, the members of the Committee observed a

minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Mr. Mohamed Boudiaf, President

of Algeria.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

3.   The agenda was adopted.

REPORT ON THE UNITED NATIONS NORTH AMERICAN SEMINAR AND NGO SYMPOSIUM ON THE

QUESTION OF PALESTINE, HELD AT NEW YORK FROM 22 TO 26 JUNE 1992

4.   Mr. CAMILLERI (Malta), Rapporteur, who had served as Chairman of both

meetings, said that, for the Seminar, the Committee had decided to focus on a

single theme, namely, "Enforcing the fourth Geneva Convention for ensuring the

protection of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory,

including Jerusalem".  The opening session had been addressed by the President

of the General Assembly, the Under-Secretary-General and Special

Representative for Public Affairs on behalf of the Secretary-General, the

Chairman of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting

the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied

Territories, the Permanent Observer for Palestine to the United Nations and

the Rapporteur himself, in addition to the representative of Bahrain on behalf

of the Arab Group, the representative of Egypt and the representatives of the

League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference.  A total

of 4 meetings had been held and 7 eminent experts from North America,

Palestine and Israel had presented papers.  Representatives of 51 Governments,

9 United Nations specialized agencies, 3 intergovernmental organizations and

14 non-governmental organizations had attended the meeting.

5.   The discussions had covered all aspects of the applicability of the

fourth Geneva Convention to the occupied Palestinian territory, including

Jerusalem, as well as the responsibility of each high contracting party to

ensure respect for the provisions of the Convention.  In their conclusions and

recommendations, participants had taken note of persistent violations of the

Convention by Israel, the occupying Power, especially through intensified

illegal settlement.  They had declared that it was the duty of the high

contracting parties to ensure respect by Israel for its obligations under the

Convention and had noted that Security Council resolutions 672 (1990) and

681 (1990) had requested the Secretary-General to develop further the idea of

convening a meeting of the high contracting parties and to monitor and observe

the situation regarding Palestinian civilians under Israeli occupation and to

report periodically on the matter.  They had urged further action pursuant to

the provisions of those resolutions.  The participants had suggested that the

high contracting parties should utilize their consular presence for monitoring

purposes and that a United Nations monitoring organization should be

established through which the parties would carry out their responsibilities

under article 1 of the Convention.  They had recommended that the idea of

seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice should be

developed further and that concrete support should be requested from

non-governmental organizations.  They had expressed their deep appreciation to

the International Committee of the Red Cross and to the United Nations Relief

and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  Finally,

they had expressed the hope that the Seminar would result in effective action

by the United Nations and the international community to ensure the protection

of the Palestinian people under occupation.

6.   Turning to the Ninth North American Regional NGO Symposium on the

Question of Palestine, he said that around 200 representatives of

84 non-governmental organizations, three NGO coordinating committees,

15 Governments, two intergovernmental organizations and one other organization

had attended.  He had addressed the opening session, and a message had been

received from Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the

Palestine Liberation Organization.  The Chairman of the North American

Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine and Moderator of

the Symposium also had made a statement.  The theme had been "Peace is the

Fruit of Justice, 25 years of Occupation".  Two panels had discussed the

topics "25 years of Occupation:  Overcoming the Obstacles" and "Preparing the

Way for Palestine", respectively.  There had also been a "teach-in" on the

Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a resource fair, and eight workshops.  One of

the recommendations emerging from the workshops was that North American

non-governmental organizations should intensify their mobilization efforts and

continue to raise public awareness of the needs of Palestinian children and

the plight of prisoners and expelled persons.  They had also recommended that

issues related to the problems of Palestinians living in Israel should be

addressed.  The peace process should be promoted with members of Congress,

Jewish organizations and the general public, and special assistance programmes

for women also should be developed.

7.   Both the Seminar and the Symposium, which had coincided with the

twenty-fifth anniversary of the Israeli occupation and the tenth anniversary

of the invasion of Lebanon, had enabled members and observers of the Committee

and non-governmental organizations to analyse the current situation, to

evaluate the strategies pursued thus far and to discuss new strategies for the

future.

8.   The reports of both meetings would be issued as publications of the

Division for Palestinian Rights and a brief account also would be included in

the monthly bulletin prepared by the Division.  In addition, in accordance

with past practice, the conclusions and recommendations of the Seminar would

be annexed to the report of the Committee to the General Assembly at its

forty-seventh session.

9.   The CHAIRMAN said that, if he heard no objection, he would take it that

the Committee wished to take note of the report on the seminar.

10.  It was so decided.

UNITED NATIONS EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE TO BE HELD AT

MALTA FROM 27 TO 29 JULY 1992

11.  The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had before it Working Paper No. 5,

containing the draft programme for that seminar.  If he heard no objection, he

would take it that the Committee approved the draft programme as contained in

Working Paper No. 5.

12.  It was so decided.

13.  The CHAIRMAN read out the list of the members of the Committee delegation

to be sent to the seminar.

OTHER MATTERS

14.  The CHAIRMAN said that, since the dates of the European NGO Symposium and

the International NGO Meeting overlapped partially with the summit meeting of

the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Committee had attempted to change

the dates, but it was impossible.  Therefore, the Bureau would hold

consultations on the composition of the delegation in order to ensure that the

Committee would be represented until the last day of those meetings.

15.  Mr. AL-KIDWA (Observer for Palestine) expressed his condolences to the

delegation of Algeria on the tragic death of its President.  With respect to

the Seminar and the Symposium, he congratulated those who had made possible

the success of those meetings and noted especially the importance of the theme

selected, the necessity of protecting the Palestinian people of the occupied

territories, including Jerusalem.  He also appreciated the efforts of the

members of the Committee and the participants.  With reference to changes

being introduced in some United Nations bodies, it was essential to examine

methods for ensuring the maximum efficiency in the work of the Committee.  He

therefore proposed that the matter should be considered and perhaps informal

meetings held.  It must be borne in mind that the summit meeting of the

Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, to be held before the forty-seventh session

of the General Assembly, would have a direct bearing on the resolutions which

the Assembly would adopt.  Therefore, the Committee must be in a position to

face those possibilities and adapt to change.  His delegation was available to

anyone who wished to hold bilateral or multilateral consultations on the

subject.

16.  The CHAIRMAN, referring to the meeting of the Organization of African

Unity (OAU) which had just been held in Dakar, Senegal, said that the

questions of the Middle East and Palestine had been considered by the Council

of Ministers of OAU.  Several ministers had expressed their solidarity with

the Palestinian and Arab cause.  After hearing the report of the

Secretary-General of OAU, he had made a statement on behalf of Senegal and had

presented the Committee's point of view.  The Council of Ministers had adopted

a resolution at the end of the meeting.  During the summit meeting,

Mr. Yasser Arafat had made a statement behind closed doors to African Heads of

State or Government.  All that documentation would be included in the monthly

bulletin of the Division for Palestinian Rights.

                        The meeting rose at 11.20 a.m.


2021-10-20T18:39:05-04:00

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