CEIRPP meeting – Summary record

COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS

OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 167th MEETING

Held at Headquarters, New York,

on Thursday, 30 November 1989, at 3 p.m.

Chairman:  Mrs. DIALLO (Senegal)

CONTENTS

Adoption  of  the  agenda

Draft  resolution  on  the  question  of  Palestine

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,  Department  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 4.05 p.m.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

1.   The agenda was adopted.

DRAFT RESOLUTION ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE

2.   Mr. TERZI (Observer for Palestine), introducing a draft resolution,^* said that it was substantially similar to General Assembly resolution 43/176. However, two changes should be noted.  In the second preambular paragraph, the words "head of the delegation of Palestine" replaced the words "Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization" in the earlier text.  In addition, the draft contained a new sixth preambular paragraph, as follows:

   "Preoccupied by the increasingly serious situation in the occupied Palestinian territory as a result of the persistent policies and practices of Israel, the occupying Power, and by the continuing lack of progress in achieving peace in the Middle East."

3.   The paragraph had been included in response to the reports of the Secretary-General in documents A/44/731 and A/44/737.  The same operative paragraphs had been approved almost unanimously by the General Assembly the previous year.  A substantial number of countries had sponsored the draft resolution.

4.   Mr. KHANI (Observer for the Syrian Arab Republic) said that, as the draft

resolution contained a new paragraph, the Committee would need time to study it.

5.   Mr. BORG OLIVIER (Malta) expressed appreciation for the draft resolution

prepared and submitted by the Palestinian delegation.  The new paragraph was fully in accordance with previous resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council.  There was no reason for any further delay in the consideration of the draft resolution.

6.   Mr. AWAWDEH (Observer for Jordan) noted that, in the third preambular paragraph, the word "will" had been substituted for the word "would" in the resolution previously adopted by the General Assembly, and he requested clarification.

7.   Mr. TERZI (Observer for Palestine) said that, during the previous year, doubts had persisted as to whether the International Peace Conference on the Middle East would contribute to international peace and security.  Now, however, in view of the reports of the Secretary-General, and the overwhelming support among the members of the Security Council for the convening of such a conference, the wording of the paragraph had become more emphatic.

8.   The CHAIRMAN said that her country, Senegal, had co-sponsored the draft resolution.  If she heard no objection, she would take it that the Committee decided to endorse the draft resolution submitted by the Palestinian delegation.

9.   It was so decided.

OTHER MATTERS

10.  Mr. TERZI (Observer for Palestine) drew attention to draft resolution A/44/L.50, which had been sponsored by a number of Arab States, and invited the members of the Committee to take cognizance and become sponsors of the draft, which dealt directly with the status of the Palestinian Mission to the United Nations and was in conformity with the decisions of the General Assembly. Concerning the recent threats by the host country Government, as reported in the press, to take action against the United Nations if the draft resolution was adopted, it should be noted that the law being invoked by the United States Government, i.e., HR 2145, prohibited United States contributions to the United Nations or any of its affiliated organizations if full membership as a State was granted to any organization or group which did not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood.  However, draft resolution A/44/L.50 nowhere requested full membership for the State of Palestine; hence, the law was not applicable.  The United States Government was simply making empty threats.

                           The meeting rose at 4.20 p.m.

     ^*    Subsequently circulated as document A/44/L.51.