Decisions adopted by UNESCO Executive Board – 184th session – Decision 10 on Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi/Tomb of Patriarchs and Bilal Ibn Raball Mosque/Rachel’s Tomb – UNESCO document (excerpts)

DECISIONS ADOPTED

BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AT ITS 184th SESSION

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37 The two Palestinian sites of al-Haram al-Ibrāhīmī / Tomb of the Patriarchs in al-Khalīl / Hebron and the Bilāl ibn Rābāh Mosque / Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem (184 EX/37;

184 EX/42 Add.)

The Executive Board,

1. Having examined item 37 of its agenda, as well as 184 EX/PX/DR.5 (text attached),

2. Requests the Director-General to report to it at its 185th session on this matter;

3. Expresses its commitment to exert its utmost efforts to resolve this issue at its 185th session;

4. Decides to include this item in the agenda of its forthcoming session (185th).

(184 EX/SR.9)

The Executive Board,

1. Having examined document 184 EX/37 and Add.,

2. Recalling resolutions and decisions of UNESCO on the protection of the cultural heritage in the occupied Arab territories, as well as the provisions of the four Geneva Conventions (1949), the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) and the related Protocols and the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972),

3. Also recalling the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970),

4. Affirming that nothing in the present decision, which aims at the safeguarding of the cultural heritage located in the occupied Arab territories, shall in any way affect the relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, in particular the relevant Security Council resolutions,

5.  Sharing the concern expressed by the Director-General regarding the announcement made by the Israeli authorities that two sites, namely al-Haram al-Ibrahimi/Tomb of the Patriarchs in the city of al-Khalil/Hebron and the Mosque of BUN bin Rabah (Tomb of Rachel), in Bethlehem, both located in the occupied Palestinian territories, are to be included in the Israeli national heritage list,

6. Sharing as well the conviction affirmed by the international community that the two sites are of religious significance for Judaism, Christianity and Islam,

7. Reaffirms that the two sites are an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and that any unilateral action by the Israeli authorities is to be considered a violation of international law, the UNESCO conventions and the United Nations and Security Council resolutions;

8. Regrets the Israeli authorities' decision to include the two sites on its national heritage list;

9. Urges the Israeli authorities to abide by international law and the relevant international conventions and decisions;

10. Also urges the Israeli authorities to remove the two sites from its national heritage list;

11. Thanks the Director-General for her commitment to strengthening UNESCO's financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian educational and cultural institutions in compliance with the UNESCO General Conference resolution at its 35th session;

12. Invites the Director-General to submit to it a follow-up report at its 185th session and decides to include this item on the agenda of the 185th session of the Executive Board.

^* After the publication of the draft decision, the following Board Members added their signatures: Bangladesh, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger and Zimbabwe

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http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001879/187904E.pdf