Permanent sovereignty over natural resources in the OPT – Second Cttee debate – Summary record (excerpts)

Second Committee

Summary record of the 7th meeting

Held at Headquarters, New York, on Thursday, 5 October 2000, at 3 p.m.

Contents

General debate (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m.

General debate (continued)

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33. Mr. A’Ala (Syrian Arab Republic)  …

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37. In the past few years, international consensus had been reached on the close link between peace and development. The tragic events currently being witnessed in the occupied Palestinian territories and, in particular, occupied Jerusalem, and the massacres that had followed the visit of the Israeli opposition leader, Ariel Sharon, to the Haram al-Sharif, had demonstrated that peace, which was an essential precondition for security and comprehensive and sustainable development in the Middle East, was still a long way off. In any consideration of development and globalization, it was impossible not to question how development could be achieved when a people was still under occupation and subject to aggression. In that context, he wished to make a number of observations.

38. Israel’s most recent onslaught on the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, had been deliberately planned by the Israeli Government; that Government had been voted into office on the basis of its alleged support for peace. No one could possibly believe that the use of heavy weapons against unarmed civilians could serve the cause of peace.

39. The Israeli Government was determined to continue to expropriate Palestinian land, commandeer water resources and build new and expand existing settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, as documented in A/55/84.

40. Continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories seized in 1967, including Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan was completely incompatible with the spirit of international cooperation. None of the endeavours being exerted in the region with a view to peace and development could succeed if Israeli practices and disregard for and violations of the most basic rules of international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, continued to be condoned. His delegation would deliver a detailed statement on the issue when the Committee discussed agenda item 98.

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The meeting rose at 6.30 p.m.

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This record is subject to correction. Corrections should be sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned within one week of the date of publication to the Chief of the Official Records Editing Section, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza, and incorporated in a copy of the record.  Corrections will be issued after the end of the session, in a separate corrigendum for each Committee.