Human rights questions: human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms
Report of the Third Committee*
Rapporteur : Mr. Abdulla Eid Salman Al-Sulaiti (Qatar)
1. At its 2nd plenary meeting, on 19 September 2003, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include in the agenda of its fifty-eighth session, under the item entitled “Human rights questions”, the sub-item entitled “Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms” and to allocate it to the Third Committee.
2. The Third Committee considered the sub-item at its 37th to 55th, 57th, 58th and 61st meetings, from 10 to 14 and from 17 to 21, and on 24 and 26 November and 1 December 2003. At its 37th to 48th meetings, the Committee held a general discussion on sub-item 117 (b) jointly with sub-items (c) and (e). An account of the Committee’s discussion is contained in the relevant summary records (A/C.3/58/SR.37-55, 57, 58 and 61).
3. For the documents before the Committee under this item, see A/58/508.
* The report of the Committee on this item will be issued in six parts, under the symbol A/58/508 and Add.1-5.
II. Consideration of proposals
A. Draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.1 and Rev.2 and amendments contained in documents A/C.3/58/L.59 and L.81
10. At the 42nd meeting, on 12 November, the representative of Israel introduced a draft resolution entitled “Situation of and assistance to Israeli children” (A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.1), which read:
“The General Assembly,
“Recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
“Recalling also the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children and the Plan of Action for Implementing the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children in the 1990s, adopted by the World Summit for Children, held in New York on 29 and 30 September 1990,
“Recalling further the Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-seventh special session,
“Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all children in the whole Middle East region,
“Concerned that Israeli children suffering from the effects of terrorism are deprived of many basic rights under the Convention,
“Concerned also about the continuous grave threat to Israeli children from terrorism, and about the severe consequences of continuing terrorist attacks by terrorist groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade directed against Israeli civilians, including children,
“ Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence and incitement to violence and terrorism, resulting in extensive loss of human life and injuries, including among Israeli children,
“Deeply concerned about the severe consequences, including psychological consequences, of terrorist attacks on the present and future well-being of Israeli children,
“1. Stresses the urgent need for Israeli children to live a normal life free from terrorism, destruction and fear;
“2. Demands that the Palestinian Authority respect its obligations to undertake effective operations aimed at confronting all those engaged in terror and the dismantlement of terrorist capabilities and infrastructure and to guarantee that those responsible for terrorist acts are brought to justice.”
11. At its 49th meeting, on 18 November, the Committee had before it a revised draft resolution (A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.2) submitted by the sponsor of draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.1, in which the sixth preambular paragraph had been revised to read:
“Concerned also about the continuous grave threat to Israeli children from terrorism and about the severe consequences of continuing terrorist attacks directed against Israeli civilians, including children”.
12. At the 50th meeting, on 19 November, the representative of Egypt, subsequently joined by Indonesia, introduced amendments (A/C.3/58/L.59) to draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.1, by which:
(a) The title of the draft resolution would be revised to read “The situation of and assistance to children in the Middle East Region”;
(b) The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth preambular paragraphs would be replaced by the following text:
“Concerned that Middle East children suffering from the effects of occupation, violence and terrorism are deprived of many basic rights under the Convention,
“Emphasizing that foreign occupation, violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, and violations of instruments relevant to the well-being of the child, as well as deprivation, hostility and confrontation, are the main sources of the suffering and hardship of children in the whole Middle East region,
“ Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, military assaults, excessive use of force and incitement of violence and terrorism, resulting in extensive loss of human life and injuries, including among children,
“Affirming the obligations of Israel, the occupying Power, under the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949”;
(c) Operative paragraphs 1 and 2 would be replaced by the following text:
“1. Stresses the urgent need for Middle East children to live a normal life free from occupation, deprivation, terrorism, destruction and fear;
“2. Expresses its support for all efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and to ensure peace and prosperity for the peoples of the region, including children”.
13. At the 54th meeting, on 21 November, the representative of Egypt, on behalf of Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, the Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, introduced amendments (A/C.3/58/L.81) to draft resolution (A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.2, by which:
(a) The title of the draft resolution would be revised to read “The situation of and assistance to children in the Middle East region”;
(b) The fifth preambular paragraph would be replaced by:
“Concerned that Middle East children suffering from the effects of occupation, violence and terrorism are deprived of many basic rights under the Convention”;
(c) After the fifth preambular paragraph, a new paragraph would be added, reading:
“Emphasizing that foreign occupation, violations of international law, including international humanitarian law, violations of instruments relevant to the well-being of the child, and deprivation, hostility and confrontation are the main sources of the suffering and hardship of children in the whole Middle East region”;
(d) The seventh and eighth preambular paragraphs would be replaced by the following text:
“Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, military assaults, excessive use of force and incitement to violence and terrorism, resulting in extensive loss of human life and injuries, including among children,
“Affirming the obligations of Israel, the occupying Power, under the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949”;
(e) Operative paragraphs 1 and 2 would be replaced by:
“1. Stresses the urgent need for Middle East children to live a normal life free from occupation, deprivation, terrorism, destruction and fear,
“2. Expresses its support for all efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East and to ensure peace and prosperity for the peoples of the region, including children”.
14. At the same meeting, the representative of Egypt withdrew document A/C.3/58/L.59 (see A/C.3/58/SR.54).
15. At the 58th meeting, on 26 November, the representative of Israel made a statement, in the course of which he withdrew draft resolution A/C.3/58/L.30/Rev.2.
16. In the light of the statement made by the representative of Israel, no action was taken on the amendments contained in document A/C.3/58/L.81.
17. At the same meeting, statements were made by the representatives of Egypt and the United States of America (see A/C.3/58/SR.58).
