Permanent sovereignty over natural resources in the OPT, Golan – Second Committee approves draft resolution – Press release (excerpts)


General Assembly

GA/EF/3298


Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York


Sixty-fifth General Assembly

Second Committee

29th Meeting (PM)

SECOND COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT DEMANDING ISRAEL END DEPLETION,

 

ENDANGERMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN ARAB LANDS UNDER ITS OCCUPATION

 

Members Also Pass Draft Resolutions Relating

To Globalization, International Trade, Sustainable Development

/…

Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to take action on draft resolutions relating to the following agenda items:  international trade and development; sustainable development, including the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; globalization and interdependence; and permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.  It was also expected to hear a number of draft resolutions introduced for its consideration.

/…

Introduction of Draft Resolutions

The Committee then took up a draft headed “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources” (document A/C.2/65/L.31).

/…

Speaking in explanation of position, the representative of Israel said the Committee continued to engage in an “unfortunate annual ritual” of discussing a politicized draft resolution that deliberately omitted key facts.  In reality, Israel shared the vital interest of its neighbours in preserving and protecting the natural environment and addressing mutual concerns through existing mechanisms, joint working groups and joint capacity-development programmes focusing on agriculture and food security, forestry, desalination, and water management.  The text conveniently ignored numerous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, opting instead to advance the political agenda of condemning Israel.  The Committee’s annual exercise clearly did not improve the lives of Palestinians in any way.

The Committee then approved the text by a recorded vote of 162 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, United States), with 3 abstentions (Cote d’Ivoire, Panama, Papua New Guinea).

Making a general statement, a representative of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine, noted that most Committee members had voted in favour of the text, illustrating once again that the international community rejected Israel’s continuing colonial occupation of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.  Merely holding workshops on water and oil issues, did not give Israel the right to violate the Palestinian people’s right to sovereignty over their natural resources, he said, thanking all those who had voted in favour.

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For information media • not an official record 


2019-03-12T16:42:48-04:00

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