REPORT OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
Report of the Second Committee (Part III)*
Rapporteur: Mr. Martin WALTER (Czechoslovakia)
1. The Second Committee held a substantive debate on item 12 (see A/43/750) at its 10th to 15th meetings, on 11, 13 and 14 October 1988. An account of the Committee’s discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (A/C.2/43/SR.10-15)
II. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS
A. Draft resolutions A/C.2/43/L.13 and Rev.1 and 2
2. On 21 October, Algeria, Bahrain, Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia submitted a draft resolution (A/C.2/43/L.13) entitled “Assistance to the Palestinian people”. The draft resolution read as follows:
“The General Assembly,
“Recalling its resolution 42/166 of 11 December 1987,
“Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolution 1988/54 of 26 July 1988,
“Bearing in mind the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 1/
“Recalling the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights, adopted by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, 2/
“Taking into account the uprising of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories against the Israeli occupation including its economic and social policies and practices,
“Taking into consideration the recent steps taken by Jordan concerning the occupied Palestinian West Bank,
“Affirming that the Palestinian people cannot develop their national economy as long as the Israeli occupation persists,
“Aware of the increasing need to provide economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people,
“1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian people; 3/
“2. Regrets that the programme of economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people has not been developed as requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 42/166;
“3. Requests the Secretary-General to charge the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) with supervising the development of the programme and to provide it with the funds needed to engage twenty experts to prepare an adequate programme, in close co-operation with the Palestine Liberation Organization, taking into account the uprising of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories and its implications;
“4. Expresses its appreciation to those States, United Nations bodies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that have provided assistance to the Palestinian people;
“5. Urges the international community, the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to disburse their aid or any other forms of assistance to the occupied Palestinian territories solely for the benefit of the Palestinian people and in a manner that will not serve to prolong the Israeli occupation;
“6. Calls for the provision of emergency assistance to the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the dispatch of teams of orthopaedic surgeons;
“7. Requests the international community, the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to sustain and increase their assistance to the Palestinian people in close co-operation with the Palestine Liberation Organisation;
“8. Requests all Member States and donors that provided any form of assistance to the occupied Palestinian West Bank to sustain and increase that assistance and channel it to the Palestinian people through their representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization;
“9. Decides to extend to the occupied Palestinian territories the same preferential treatment accorded the least developed countries, pending the elimination of the Israeli occupation and the assumption of full control by the Palestinian people over their national economy without external interference;
“10. Calls for treating on a transit basis Palestinian exports and imports passing through neighbouring ports and points of exit and entry;
“11. Also calls for the granting of trade concessions and concrete preferential measures for Palestinian exports;
“12. Further calls for the implementation of development projects in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the projects mentioned in General Assembly resolution 39/223 of 18 December 1984;
“13. Condemns the occupying Power, Israel, for its brutal economic and social policies and practices against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories;
“14. Requests the United Nations bodies not to extend any form of assistance to the occupying Power, Israel;
“15. Stressed that aid is not and cannot be a substitute for a genuine and just solution to the question of Palestine;
“16. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.”
3. At the 24th meeting, on 26 October, the representative of Pakistan, on behalf of Algeria, Bahrain, Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia subsequently joined by Mauritania introduced a revised draft resolution (A/C.2/43/L.13/Rev.1) entitled “Assistance to the Palestinian people”.
4. At the 32nd meeting, on 4 November, the Vice-Chairman of the Committee, Mr. José Fernandez (Philippines), reported on the results of the informal consultations that had been held on revised draft resolution A/C.2/43/L.13/Rev.1.
5. At the same meeting, the Committee had before it revised draft resolution A/C.2/43/L.13/Rev.2, sponsored by Algeria, Bahrain, Cuba, Democratic Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia which called for the addition of the following words at the end of operative paragraph 11: “on the basis of certificates of origin issued by Palestinian bodies designated by the Palestine Liberation Organization”.
6. At that meeting, the Secretary of the Committee made a statement on the programme budget implications of revised draft resolution A/C.2/43/L.13/Rev.2 (see A/C. 2/43/SR.32).
7. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements were made by the representatives of Iraq, Kuwait, Malawi, Israel and the United States of America (see A/C.2/43/SR.32).
8. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted revised draft resolution A/C.2/43/L.13/Rev.2 by a recorded vote of 90 to 14, with 14 abstentions (see para. 24, draft resolution I). The voting was as follows: 4/
In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Yemen, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, German Democratic Republic, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Against: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Federal Republic of, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.
Abstaining: Austria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Fiji, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago.
9. After the adoption of the draft resolution, statements were made by the representatives of Australia, Norway, Uruguay, Iceland, Venezuela, Sweden, Colombia, Argentina, Greece (on behalf of the States Members that are members of the European Economic Community), Malta, Finland. Côte d’Ivoire, Canada, Bolivia, Barbados, Ecuador, Austria, Fiji, Peru, Mexico, the Central African Republic, the Philippines and Chad (see A/C.2/43/SR.32).
III. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE
24. The Second Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolutions:
Assistance to the Palestinian people
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 42/166 of 11 December 1987,
Recalling also Economic and Social Council resolution 1988/54 of 26 July 1988,
Bearing in mind the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 5/
Recalling the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights, adopted by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, 6/
Taking into account the intifadah of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, against the Israeli occupation. including it. economic and social policies and practices,
Affirming that the Palestinian people cannot develop their national economy as long as the Israeli occupation persists,
Taking into consideration the recent steps taken by Jordan concerning the occupied Palestinian West Bank,
Aware of the increasing need to provide economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance to the Palestinian peoples; 7/
2. Regrets that the programme of economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people has not been developed as requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 42/166;
3. Requests the Secretary-General to charge the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) with supervising the development of the programme and to provide it with the funds needed to engage 20 experts to prepare an adequate programme, in close co-operation with the Palestine Liberation Organization, taking into account the intifadah of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and its implications;
4. Expresses its appreciation to those States, United Nations bodies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that have provided assistance to the Palestinian people;
5. Urges the Member States, the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to disburse their aid or any other forms of assistance to the occupied Palestinian territory solely for the benefit of the Palestinian people and in a manner that will not serve to prolong the Israeli occupation;
6. Calls for the provision of emergency assistance to the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the dispatch of teams of orthopaedic surgeons;
7. Requests the Member States, the organizations of the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to sustain and increase their assistance to the Palestinian people, in close co-operation with the Palestine Liberation Organization;
8. Request all Member States and donors that provide any form of assistance to the occupied Palestinian West Bank to sustain and increase that assistance and to channel it to the Palestinian people through their representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization;
9. Decides to extend to the occupied Palestinian territory the same preferential treatment accorded the least developed countries, pending the elimination of the Israeli occupation and the assumption of full control by the Palestinian people over their national economy without external interference;
10. Calls for treating on a transit basis Palestinian exports and imports passing through neighbouring ports and points of exit and entry;
11. Also calls for the granting of trade concessions and concrete preferential measures for Palestinian exports on the basis of certificates of origin issued by Palestinian bodies designated by the Palestine Liberation Organization;
12. Further calls for the implementation of development projects in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the projects mentioned in General Assembly resolution 39/223 of 18 December 1984;
13. Condemns the occupying Power, Israel, for its brutal economic and social policies a practices against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory;
14. Requests the United Nations bodies not to extend any form of assistance to the occupying Power, Israel;
15. Stresses that aid is not and cannot be a substitute for a genuine and just solution to the question of Palestine;
16. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.
__________________
1/ General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV).
2/ Report of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, Geneva, 29 August-7 September 1983 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.83.I.21), chap. I, sect. B.
3/ A/42/289-E/1987/86 and Add.1 and Add.2 and Add.2/Corr.1.
4/ The representative of Oman stated that, while his delegation had voted in favour of the revised draft resolution, it did not appear to be reflected in the voting record. The representatives of Angola, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Syrian Arab Republic stated that, had they been present, they would have voted in favour of the revised draft resolution. The Chairman made a statement concerning the vote registered mechanically by the Syrian Arab Republic.
5/ General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV).
6/ Report of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, Geneva. 29 August-7 1083 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.83.I.21), chap. I, sect. B.
7/ A/43/367-E/1988/82 and Corr.1 and 2.
* The report of the Committee on this item will be issued in four parts (see also A/43/750 and Add.1 and 3).
