Palestinian women, assistance – CSW 46th session report – resolutions (excerpts)

Commission on the Status
of Women

Report on the forty-sixth session
(4-15 and 25 March 2002)

Economic and Social Council 

Official Records, 2002
Supplement No. 7 (E/2002/27-E/CN.6/2002/13)

Chapter I

    Matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council or brought to its attention

 A.  Draft resolutions for adoption by the Council

1.   The Commission on the Status of Women recommends to the Economic and Social Council the adoption of the following draft resolutions:

Draft resolution I
The situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

The Economic and Social Council,

Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women, ¹

Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, ² in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action ³ adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”, ⁴ 

Recalling also its resolution 2001/2 of 24 July 2001 and other relevant United Nations resolutions,

Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women ⁵ as it concerns the protection of civilian populations,

Stressing the need for compliance with the existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements concluded within the context of the Middle East peace process and the need to resume peace negotiations, as soon as possible, in order to reach a final settlement,

Concerned about the continuing dangerous deterioration of the situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and about the severe consequences of continuous illegal Israeli settlements activities as well as the harsh economic conditions and other consequences for the situation of Palestinian women and their families, resulting from the frequent closures and isolation of the occupied territory,

Expressing its condemnation of acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,

1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts towards ensuring the immediate resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvements in the difficult situation on the ground and living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families;

2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development planning of their society;

3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ⁶ the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention of 1907 ⁷ and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, ⁸ in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;

4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;

5. Urges Member States, financial organization of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions to intensify their efforts to provide financial and technical assistance to Palestinian women, especially during the transitional period;

6. Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action, and the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation and to assist Palestinian women by all available means, and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its forty-seventh session a report on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.

/…

Chapter III 

Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”

1. The Commission considered agenda item 3 at its 1st to 6th, 9th, 12th, 14th and 16th meetings, from 4 to 6, and on 11, 15 and 25 March 2002. It had before it the following documents:

/…

(b) Report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women (E/CN.6/2002/3);

/…

Action taken by the Commission

/…

The situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

33. At the 9th meeting, on 11 March, the observer for Venezuela,¹⁰ on behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China, introduced a draft resolution entitled “The situation of and assistance to Palestinian women” (E/CN.6/2002/L.2).

34. At the 12th meeting, on 15 March, the Commission was advised that the draft resolution contained no programme budget implications.

35. At the same meeting, the Commission approved the draft resolution by a recorded vote of 38 to 1, and recommended it to the Economic and Social Council for adoption (see chap. I, sect. A, draft resolution I). The voting was as follows: ¹¹

In favour:

Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania.

Against:

United States of America.

36.   Statements in explanation of vote after the vote were made by the representatives of the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

37.   The observer for Israel made a statement after the adoption of the draft resolution.

38.   The observer for Palestine also made a statement.

 /…

Notes

1/ E/CN.6/2002/3.

2/ Report of the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, 15-26 July 1985 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.85.IV.10), chap. I, sect. A.

3/ Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.96.IV.13), chap. I, resolution 1, annex I.

4/ See General Assembly resolution S-23/3, annex.

5/ See General Assembly resolution 48/104.

6/ General Assembly resolution 217 A (III).

7/ See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1915).

8/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.

9/ In accordance with rule 69 of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

10/ The delegation of Burundi subsequently stated that, had it been present during the vote, it would have voted in favour of the draft resolution.