International Day of Solidarity (1989) – Special bulletin

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 SPECIAL BULLETIN ON THE COMMEMORATION

OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY

WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

1989

CONTENTS

I.  Commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

II. Texts of statements made and messages received on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, 1988

I. COMMEMORATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

On 29 November 1989, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People was observed at United Nations Headquarters, New York, and at Geneva, Vienna and several other cities. Once again, the commemoration focused on the uprising in the occupied Palestinian territory as the latest stage in the Palestinian struggle to achieve implementation of General Assembly resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947.

A solemn meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was held on 29 November at Headquarters, in accordance with the provisions of General Assembly resolution 32/40 B of 2 December 1977. All States Members of the United Nations, specialized agencies and observers were invited to attend.

At the meeting, statements were made by H.E. Mrs. Absa Claude Diallo (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; H.E. Major-General Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), President of the General Assembly; H.E. Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations; H.E. Mr. Li Luye (China), President of the Security Council for the month of November; Mr. Zuhdi Labib Terzi, Observer of Palestine, who read out a message from Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization; H.E. Mr. Daya Perera (Sri Lanka), Chairman of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories; H.E. Mr. Dragoslav Pejic (Yugoslavia), representative of the Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, who read out a message from H.E. Dr. Janez Drnovsek, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia; H.E. Mr. Samir S. Shihabi (Saudi Arabia), representative of the Chairman of the Eighteenth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, who read out a message from King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud; H.E. Mr. Mohammad A. Abulhasan (Kuwait), Chairman of the Group of Arab States; H.E. Dr. Clovis Maksoud, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States; and Ms. Jeanne Butterfield, representative of the International Co-ordinating Committee for Non-Governmental Organizations on the Question of Palestine.

Concluding statements were made by the Chairman and Mr. Farouk Kaddoumi, head of the Political Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Messages to commemorate the occasion were received from 33 heads of State, 11 heads of Government, 15 Ministers for Foreign Affairs, 5 Governments, 2 inter­governmental organizations, 2 national liberation movements and 3 non-governmental organizations.

In further commemoration of the International Day, the Committee arranged the screening of a series of films during the week beginning 29 November in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium and sponsored the presentation of an exhibit entitled "Tents and Stones" by the office of the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations.

II. TEXTS OF STATEMENTS MADE AND MESSAGES DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION

OF THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

Statement by H.E. Mrs. Absa Claude Diallo,

Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the

Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

[Original: French]

Today the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is holding a solemn meeting to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in keeping with General Assembly resolution 32/40 B of 2 December 1977.

It is my pleasure to welcome His Excellency Mr. Joseph N. Garba, President of the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session; His Excellency Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations; His Excellency Mr. Li Luye, President of the Security Council; His Excellency Mr. Daya Perera, Chairman of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories; Mr. Ronald I. Spiers, Under-Secretary­General for Political and General Assembly Affairs and Secretariat Services; and Mr. Farouk Kaddoumi, representative of Palestine. I should also like to welcome representative of Member States, intergovernmental organizations and liberation movements as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations and members of the press – indeed all those who accepted the Committee's invitation to participate in this solemn meeting.

I now invite everyone here to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of all those who have given their lives for the cause of the Palestinian people.

I shall now make a statement on behalf of the Committee.

It is exactly 42 years since the General Assembly, on 29 November 1947, adopted resolution 181 (II), which provided for the creation of two independent States, a Jewish one and an Arab one, joined in economic union, with a special international status for Jerusalem. It is also just over 70 years since the Covenant of the League of Nations provisionally recognized the existence of Palestine as an independent nation subject, however, to a period of tutelage by a Mandatory Power.

The sister country of Namibia, similarly placed under the League's Mandate System, is now well on the road to freedom and independence. After so many years of suffering and struggle, the valiant people of Namibia has now successfully completed the first stage of the independence process, with the holding of free and fair elections and the establishment of a Constituent Assembly, Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters of Namibia, who are now happily celebrating the event resulting from their sacrifices.

The same day as we saw those pictures of joy on our television screens – 15 November – was the anniversary of another declaration of independence, that of the Palestinian State. Agence France Presse reported from Jerusalem that:

The Palestinian people, nevertheless, celebrated the event peacefully. By their spirit and determination they told the international community that it must intensify its efforts on all fronts until the hopes of the Palestinians for a State of their own, like those of the Namibians, are finally realized.

Every year in observing the anniversary of the partition of Palestine, we are reminded of the historic responsibility of the United Nations towards the Palestinian people, and of the fact that the pledge made in resolution 181 (II) has been fulfilled only with regard to the creation of a Jewish State. The establishment of an Arab State has remained an unfulfilled objective whose realization becomes more urgent every day.

Nearly 1 million Palestinians were driven into a life of exile in 1947. Later another half a million fled their homes in the 1967 war.  Today, nearly 3 million Palestinians live in host countries, waiting patiently for the day when they can have their own independent, sovereign State. For more than 20 years Israel has persisted in its military occupation of Palestinian territory, which is increasingly brutal and constantly violates international norms No security or other needs can justify the systematic refusal to recognize the Palestinian national aspirations and rights and the daily violence against Palestinian civilians, including women and children.

The experience of Namibia clearly shows that a political process assisted by the United Nation's can be successful in bringing about the exercise by a whole people of its right to self-determination, once the parties recognize that a military solution is impossible, being self-defeating by its very nature, and agree in good faith to set out on the path to self-determination.

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People has continued to appeal to the Israeli Government to end its intransigent opposition to United Nations efforts to bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine based on international legality and on recognition of the rights and interests of all the parties. Israel must understand that its continued occupation and continued intolerable policies and practices towards the Palestinians in the occupied territory not only are in violation of its obligations under the fourth Geneva Convention, but also increase its isolation from the community of nations and render peace efforts increasingly difficult by further escalating tension and violence in the region.

Our Committee has expressed full support for the uprising of the Palestinian people, the intifadah, as the latest stage in its long-standing struggle to attain the exercise of its inalienable rights as enunciated by the General Assembly – the right to self-determination without external interference, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to return.

The historic declaration by the Palestine National Council on 15 November 1988, of the independent State of Palestine and the subsequent peace initiative launched by President Yasser Arafat in his statement at Geneva marked a turning point of indisputable importance in the long history of Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Israel can no longer try to deny that its counterpart in any efforts and negotiations to achieve a settlement is the Palestinian people, through its authentic representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization.

In the view of the Committee, which it is my privilege to serve as Chairman on behalf of Senegal, the United Nations and the international community as a whole must now redouble their efforts to bring about the realization of the Palestinian State, the legal foundation for which was laid by the General Assembly in 1947.

In the Committee's view, the International Peace Conference on the Middle East under United Nations auspices, in conformity with General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988, remains the most comprehensive and widely accepted proposal. It would provide a way of bringing the parties together in a negotiating framework capable of satisfying everyone's concerns and interests The Committee will therefore continue to make the convening of that Conference a priority objective for the coming year. It calls on all parties concerned to bring about the changes of viewpoint that will make it possible to convene the Conference.

In that connection, I wish to express the Committee's gratitude for the tireless efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, to facilitate the convening of the Conference, and for the constant support he has lent the Committee.

Until a settlement is achieved, the immediate concern remains the protection of Palestinian civilians under Israeli occupation and the provision of emergency assistance. The Committee appeals to the international community as a whole – Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations – to do everything in their power to support the valiant Palestinian people in its struggle against occupation and for self- determination and independence, which is a struggle for the achievement of the very purposes of the United Nations Charter, so that the wall between Israel and the Palestinian people may also fall.

Statement by M.E. Major-General Joseph N. Garba, President

of the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly

Today we commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Recognizing the need to strengthen and consolidate international support for the Palestinian people, the General Assembly, by its resolution 32/40 B, requested the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. In commemorating this occasion, therefore, we are renewing our pledge to the Palestinian people that their just demands and aspirations will continue to be supported by the international community.

The Assembly's efforts to promote a peaceful solution to the question of Palestine require even greater urgency at the present time because of the exacerbation of an already tense atmosphere and further escalation of violence in that region, It is indeed, a matter of deep regret that violations of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 still persist despite the international outcry over the grave situation in that territory, and various General Assembly and Security Council resolutions requesting full compliance with that Convention.

On 6 October 1989 the Assembly adopted resolution 44/2, expressing its views on the extreme gravity of the developments in the occupied territory. That resolution, inter alia, condemned Israel's persistent policies and practices violating the human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the ransacking of personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons. It requested the Security Council to consider with urgency the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory with a view to considering measures to provide international protection to the Palestinian civilians.

We note with concern that, despite a notable improvement in international relations generally, the atmosphere of tension and confrontation in the occupied territories is deteriorating, Now more than ever before it is urgent, in the light of these developments, that we intensify our efforts to facilitate the implementa­tion of United Nations resolutions on the question of Palestine, and the situation in the Middle East. But more important, we must emphasize that those who seek support of the United Nations for their respective causes must also abide by the sanctions and resolutions of the United Nations.

At present there is broad consensus among the vast majority of the United Nations Member States on the need to convene without delay the International Peace Conference on the Middle East in conformity with the provisions of General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988. While, as the Chairman has noted, that Conference is overdue and would be most propitious, its successful convening and outcome will depend on the interested parties showing good faith and willingness to negotiate.

That resolution affirmed the urgent need to achieve a just and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the core of which is the question of Palestine. It also affirmed the principles for the achievement of a comprehensive peace, which among other things, include the withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, as well as Jerusalem, and from other occupied Arab territories; guaranteeing arrangements for the security of all States in the region, including those named in resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 and subsequent relevant resolutions; and resolving the problem of the Palestine refugees in conformity with General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948 and subsequent relevant resolutions All those are salient factors that would definitely enhance peace.

The Secretary-General, in his report on the work of the Organization (A/44/1), stated that hopes for early progress in the peace process have sadly given way to mistrust and doubt among the parties concerned, and that bilateral efforts to promote a dialogue between the Israelis and the Palestinians have not been successful. The Secretary-General's constant attempts to pave the way to an effective negotiating process, including contacts with the parties concerned and the permanent members of the Security Council, have also proved inconclusive.

Under the present circumstances, therefore, it has become imperative for the Security Council to take positive action towards the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East on the basis of resolution 43/176. The General Assembly should once again call on the Security Council, and in particular the permanent members, to consider measures needed to convene the Conference. Among such measures should be the establishment of a preparatory committee and the renewal of the mandate of the Secretary-General to continue his efforts with the parties concerned and with the Security Council to facilitate the convening of the Conference.

The international community is grateful to the Secretary-General for his tireless efforts and intensified contacts with the parties, and we wish him success in his endeavours in the future.

In response to this sentiment, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People has exerted all efforts to bring about the proposed early convening of the International Peace Conference, and in all the seminars, symposia and international meetings of non-governmental organizations organized by the Committee during the past few years, it has recognized the need for and urged international action to that end.

I wish warmly to congratulate the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and its Chairman, Her Excellency Mrs. Absa Claude Diallo of Senegal, for their continuing efforts to promote the solution of the problem of Palestine in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. The observance of this Day will certainly inspire hope in the minds and hearts of the Palestinians and convey to them once again that the United Nations remains committed to their just cause and the realization of their inalienable rights.

I want to take this opportunity, Madam Chairman, to extend to you and the Committee my best wishes for the success of your very important endeavours.

Statement by the H.E. Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General

[Original: French]

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People symbolizes the great importance which the General Assembly attaches to the question of Palestine, the attainment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the need to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement in the Middle East. There is a wide measure of agreement within the international community that such a settlement should be based on the following three considerations: withdrawal of Israeli forces from Arab territories occupied since June 1967; acknowledgement of and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all the States in the region and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries; and finally, a satisfactory solution of the Palestinian problem based on the recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination. In this context, the question of Jerusalem also remains of primary importance.

The Palestinian uprising – the intifadah – will soon be entering its third year. The message of the intifadah, born of the frustration and despair of a population that has lived under Israeli occupation for more than 22 years, remains direct and unequivocal, namely, that the occupation will continue to be rejected, and that the Palestinian people will remain committed to the exercise of their legitimate political rights, including the right to self-determination. During the past year confrontations have continued unabated, with hundreds killed and thousands wounded, including many children. The international community has repeatedly called upon Israel to abide scrupulously by its obligations under the fourth Geneva Convention, whose applicability to the occupied Palestinian territories has repeatedly been reaffirmed by the Security Council, In this connection, it will be recalled that on 6 July 1989 and 30 August 1989, respec­tively, the Council adopted resolutions 636 (1989) and 641 (1989), in which it deplored the continuing deportation by Israel, the occupying Power, of Palestinian civilians and called upon Israel to ensure the safe and immediate return to the occupied Palestinian territories of those deported and to desist forthwith from deporting any other Palestinian civilians. I share the concern of the Security Council and I have myself on numerous occasions appealed to the Israeli authorities to put an end to such practices and to adhere fully to the fourth Geneva Convention.

At the beginning of this year hopes of progress in the Middle East peace process were heightened by a number of dramatic political developments, notably the decisions adopted by the November 1988 session of the Palestine National Council in Algiers, the General Assembly debate on the question of Palestine in Geneva a month later, including the statement there by Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the events that led to the decision by the United States to begin a dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Since then, important proposals, aimed primarily at launching a dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, have been put forward. Although it is, of course, essential to pursue every initiative that might help bridge the gaps between the parties and bring them to the negotiating table, I cannot but be concerned by the fact that valuable time is passing and that the willingness to negotiate that exists today may be eroded by bitterness resulting from events in the field.

My constant attempts to pave the way for an effective negotiating process, which have included repeated contacts at the highest level with the parties directly concerned and with the Security Council, starting with its permanent members, have thus far been inconclusive. However, as mandated, I will continue in my efforts to promote the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East. In this context, it should be recalled that the General Assembly, in resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988, has called for the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of all parties to the conflict to the conference, including the PLO, on an equal footing, and the five permanent members of the Security Council, based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian People, primarily the right to self-determination.

For years I have stated that few international issues are as complex or potentially dangerous as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the core of which is the question of Palestine. This remains so today. My regret at the lack of progress in resolving that question is all the greater given the significant steps that have been taken towards the resolution of other regional disputes.

It seems to me imperative, therefore, that a fully concerted and well co-ordinated effort be made by the international community to help the parties enter into an effective negotiating process that will lead to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. The prolonged suffering of the Palestinian population makes it all the more urgent that such a process be launched. For my part, I shall do all that I can to discharge the responsibilities entrusted to me in this regard.

Madam Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the dynamic, energetic and effective way in which you are presiding over the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Under your wise and able leadership and that of the other officers, the Committee is carrying out its mandate with unswerving dedication. I extend to you and to the Committee my best wishes for success in your important endeavours.

Statement by H.E. Mr. Li Luye, President of the Security Council

for the month of November 1989

[Original: Chinese]

Madam Chairman, allow me first of all to express to you and your colleagues, the members of the Committee, my appreciation for having invited me, as President of the Security Council, to take part in this special meeting to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be able to participate in this important annual event in which the international community continues to manifest its solidarity with the Palestinian people and the importance it attaches to a just solution of the Palestinian problem. We fully recognize that such a solution would prove a decisive element in the achievement of a negotiated, just and lasting settlement of the Middle East question.

The Council is fully aware that the question of Palestine and the efforts to find a just solution to it remain among the major concerns of the United Nations and the international community as a whole, since that question involves not only the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people but also the stability of a particularly troubled region of the world and, thus, international peace and security.

As is well known, the Security Council has been closely associated with the persistent efforts to find an equitable solution to the problem of the Middle East. The Council has been called upon many times to direct its urgent attention to the crisis engendered by that conflict and its consequences. The Council has also on occasion expressed its grave concern at the continued deterioration of the situation in the occupied territories and its conviction that the prevailing situation could have grave consequences for ongoing endeavours to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the area.

At the same time, members of the Council have noted with appreciation some initiatives taken in the past year. They are convinced that efforts must be continued with a view to sustaining and strengthening the political process leading to the achievement of a comprehensive, peaceful, just and lasting settlement of the situation in the Middle East, particularly a solution to the Palestinian problem in all its aspects. They express the hope that all relevant parties will co-operate towards this goal.

Guided by the responsibilities conferred upon it by the Charter, the Security Council will continue its efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East for the benefit of all parties concerned, including the Palestinian people.

Message from Mr. Yasser Arafat Chairman of the Executive Committee of

the Palestine Liberation Organization, delivered by Mr. Zuhdi Labib Terzi,

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

[Original: Arabic]

On the occasion of your annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have great pleasure, on behalf of the Government and people of Palestine and in the name of my brethren, the other members of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and on my own behalf, in extending to you all our deep gratitude and great appreciation for your firm solidarity with the just struggle of the Palestinian people to regain its inalienable national rights, including the right to return, the right to self-determination and the right to establish its independent State.

I also take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his tireless efforts and endeavours to put an end to the injustice and suffering of our people and to enable it to attain its freedom and independence. I also wish to express deep appreciation to the Division for Palestinian Rights of the United Nations for the very effective role it has continued to play in support of the just struggle and national cause of our people. May I also extend my warmest thanks to you, Madam Chairman, for your very efficient administration of the work of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and for your valuable and constructive efforts to enable our people to regain and exercise its legitimate national rights.

This solidarity meeting is being held at a time when our Palestinian people has just marked the first anniversary, on 15 November, of the proclamation of the independent State of Palestine. That proclamation and the historic resolutions adopted by the Palestine National Council in this respect, at its extraordinary nineteenth session, are among the most important and practical political results of the forceful intifadah of the Palestinian people which, in 10 days, will enter its third year. In facing up to the Israeli occupation authorities, the all-out Palestinian uprising is actually gaining further strength and resistance.

The international community has already – as it does today on this first anniversary of the proclamation of the State of Palestine – expressed its solidarity with, and its support for, the just struggle of our people under the leadership of the PLO, its sole and legitimate representative. The purpose of that struggle is to end the Israeli occupation and give concrete form to the proclamation of independence by setting up the independent State of Palestine on Palestinian soil.

That is exactly what we had announced in the Palestinian peace initiative launched by the Palestine National Council in Algiers a year ago, That initiative was reiterated in my statement in Geneva last December. In taking the initiative, we wished to make an effective contribution to advancing the peace process in the region on the basis of the tenets of international legitimacy embodied in the relevant General Assembly and Security Council, including Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) as well as the right of our Palestinian people to self-determination.

In our initiative, we concurred with the view of the General. Assembly endorsed in its resolutions, that the best way to attain peace in the region is to convene the International Peace Conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of the five permanent members of the Security Council and all parties to the conflict in the region, including the PLO and the Government of Israel, on an equal footing.

The initiative was supported and welcomed by the whole international community, with the exception of Israel, The Arab summit meeting at Casablanca also endorsed the initiative, as did the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries at its summit Conference in Belgrade, The European Economic Community also expressed its support, in the Madrid Declaration. The socialist States, too, supported the initiative at their summit in Bucharest. The Secretary-General of the United Nations has extended his support to the initiative, as has the General Assembly, in its resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988. In addition, the initiative received the support of other international and regional groupings as well as the support of China and Japan.

As we supported the peace process, we have responded favourably to every initiative that has been put forward with the aim of restoring peace to the region, including, for instance, the holding of free and democratic elections in the occupied territories, under international supervision, as part of the overall peace process in the region.

At the meeting of the Central Council in October 1989, we adopted yet another important resolution – namely, our agreement to engage in a Palestinian-Israeli dialogue with an open agenda and without pre-conditions, as a first step towards peace.

Despite our many positive steps which I have just described and which are in consonance with the will of the international community and international law, the United States has been the only country in the world whose Administration has persisted in its bias in favour of the Israeli side and has continued to ignore reality and refuse to deal with the PLO. In so doing, the United States Administration even took the view that the approval by Israel of the Palestinian delegation that would take part in the dialogue is tantamount to an essential pre­condition for negotiations

The United States Administration, which has started a dialogue with us on the basis of our initiative and our agreement with Mr. Shultz, through the efforts of Mr. Andersson, Foreign Minister of Sweden, is still far as ever from dealing with us on any fair or constructive basis, independently of the peace initiative, our will to engage in dialogue, or our agreement to negotiate in order to maintain the peace process.

Unfortunately, the United States Administration has based all its plans and its approach on the so-called Shamir plan, aiming at the blowing up of the peace process. That plan is no more than a legitimization of the Israeli occupation, which considers the Palestinians as part of Israel, not as a full and equal partner in negotiations.

The fact that the United States Administration continues to side with Israel complicates matters and exacerbates the situation in the occupied territories. It is a stance that does not help advance the peace process in the region.

Members are aware that the situation in the occupied territories is causing a great deal of concern and anxiety to us and to all the peace-loving peoples throughout the world It is a situation on the point of explosion owing to the stepping up by the Israeli authorities of their "iron-fist" policy against our Palestinian people under the occupation. The savage repression and criminal acts and the pillage and plunder by the Israeli authorities of the towns of Haql-al-Ruhaa and Beit Sahur are a vivid example of the brutality and State terrorism systematically practised by the occupying Power in every part of our territories: in Gaza, Nablus, Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Ramallah and many other towns, camps and villages in our Holy Land.

The decision of the occupation authorities to organize the settlers into terrorist gangs called "death squads", which have been condemned in all peace- loving circles throughout the world, and even in Israel itself, is a decision that increases the possibilities of racist massacre and extermination faced by our people.

So far, our people has opted for peaceful resistance, It has stuck to that option throughout the two years of its popular intifadah.  However, in view of the increased extremism and repression by the Israelis and the acts of aggression and racist practices engaged in by the settlers, we expect more and worse massacres This makes the situation in the entire region fat more explosive.

Consequently, we believe that the United Nations has an important role to play through its ability to provide adequate and necessary protection to our people, to save it from massacres at the hands of the settlers and State terrorism at the hands of the Israeli authorities. We therefore urge the Committee to raise its voice and demand an end to the systematic and official Israeli repression, terrorism and arrogance of power. We call upon the United Nations to bring the necessary pressure to bear on the United States Administration to change its biased approach, which takes the side of the posture of repression and arrogance of power represented by Israel.

We also hope that the Committee will be able to exert the necessary pressure on Israel and the United States Administration to induce them to abide by United Nations resolutions, which represent international law, and to concede our country's right to self-determination, so as to revitalize the peace process in the region, that peace which is desired by the entire world for the land of peace: Palestine.

We thank the Committee once again for its solidarity with the Palestinian people and wish it every success in its noble task of enabling our people to exercise its national, inalienable national rights.

Revolution until victory!

SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ISRAELI PRACTICES AFFECTING

THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE POPULATION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

H.E. Mr. Daya Perera, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka

to the United Nations and Chairman of the Special Committee

On behalf of my two colleagues on the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories, and on my own behalf, I have the honour to convey a message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Since it was established in December 1968 following the 1967 hostilities and territorial occupation by Israel, the Special Committee has always endeavoured to provide, in the reports it has prepared for consideration by the General Assembly, an accurate and faithful description of the human rights situation of the civilian population.

As in previous years, the Government of Israel has continued to withhold its co-operation with the Special Committee and has once again denied it the opportunity to visit the occupied territories. This attitude, however, has not prevented the Special Committee from fulfilling its mandate to the best of its abilities by reflecting in its reports all relevant information received orally and in writing relating to the enjoyment of human rights in the occupied territories.

Having examined and analysed the information and evidence placed before it, the Special Committee, in its twenty-first report, has reached the conclusion that the situation in the occupied territories is very alarming and reveals a further worsening, as a result of more than 20 months of continued violence and unrest, of an already grave human rights situation.

The recent period has been marked by a further increase in the frequency and intensity of daily incidents, leading to the deaths of several hundred Palestinians and the wounding of thousands in the numerous clashes occurring practically every day and in several localities, Many clashes have opposed Palestinians and Israeli settlers, who have waged anti-Arab demonstrations and organized arson and retaliation raids after stone-throwing incidents. Clashes have also occurred between civilians and "demolition teams" sent to demolish houses Other incidents included raids by Israelis to carry out scores of arrests, collect taxes, impose curfews or close off entire areas. Other forms of collective punishment have included harsh economic sanctions and the issuing, in order to tighten control over civilians, of identity cards to Palestinians wishing to enter Israel.

The administration of justice has also witnessed a considerable deterioration in the protection of basic human rights. "Quick justice" has continued to characterize court procedures, provoking many protests from lawyers and human rights activists. The widespread use of administrative detention has contributed to further weakening judicial safeguards The already difficult situation of detainees has worsened as a consequence of the arrest of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including children The harsh conditions of detention have led to protests by prisoners in the form of widespread hunger strikes.

The recent period has also been characterized by an alarming trend towards increased deportations of Palestinians from the occupied territories, carried out in spite of a wave of protests by the international community against that illegal practice, which is in violation of the relevant provisions of the fourth Geneva Convention.

The deterioration of the human rights situation is also illustrated by severe limitations on fundamental freedoms, such as the freedoms of association and expression, the exercise of which has been hampered by various measures, including closure of newspapers and press agencies, interference in the work of the media and detention of journalists and trade unionists. Last, but not least, the right to education has been severely restricted by prolonged closure of educational institutions.

The Israeli policy of settlement and physical annexation of occupied territories has also continued and has contributed to the climate of tension and frustration in those territories.

In view of the grave circumstances prevailing in the occupied territories I should like, together with my two colleagues, to reiterate our strong appeal to the international community to shoulder its responsibilities towards the Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories by adopting measures aimed at the alleviation of their plight and providing adequate safeguards for the realization of their long-defined fundamental rights and freedoms.

MOVEMENT OF NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES

H.E. Mr. Dragoslav Pejic, Permanent Representative of Yugoslavia

to the United Nations, on behalf of H.E. Dr. Janez Drnovsek,

President of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic

of Yugoslavia and Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I wish to convey, on behalf of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in my own name, warm greetings to the courageous Palestinian people and its legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and to express our whole-hearted support for their historic struggle for the lofty goals of freedom and independence.

On this year's observance of that important date, we are still not in the position to point to any tangible progress in resolving the tragedy of the Palestinians, which has continued for more than 40 years Unfortunately, this is yet another occasion to recall the suffering and sacrifices of the Palestinian people as a consequence of the Israeli occupation of the territory of Palestine and of other Arab lands, Further activities of Israel from a position of force should not be tolerated indefinitely. We must demand most resolutely that Israel and other factors enter into negotiations and reach peaceful solutions with the legitimate representatives of Palestine, I am convinced that the conditions for that are more auspicious now than in the past, and that the just solution of the Palestinian problem would be of enormous interest and importance to all peoples living in the region of the Middle East.

At its ninth summit Conference in Belgrade, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries reaffirmed its positions with regard to Palestine and stressed the urgency of reaching a just and comprehensive solution of the problem under the auspices of the United Nations, with a view to ensuring the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty.

At the same time, the heads of State and Government of the non-aligned countries drew attention to the significant changes and developments in the region, which create the conditions for joint action by the international community aimed at reaching a comprehensive, lasting and just solution for all the countries of the region. In that respect, of particular relevance is the constructive attitude of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), as demonstrated by the decision of the Palestine National Council concerning the peace initiative for the solution of the Palestinian question. That peace initiative has received wide international support and was also met with a positive response by those in Israel who are in favour of a peaceful settlement.

The constructive position of the PLO has also contributed to the opening of dialogue with the United States and strengthened other positive initiatives for convening an international conference on Palestine and the Middle East. All that has no doubt contributed to the creation of more favourable conditions for the solution of the problem. We consider, therefore, that it is high time for Israel to accept the constructive approaches of the PLO and contribute to the opening of the Middle East peace process.

We believe that the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, held under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of the PLO on an equal footing, would make a substantial contribution towards ensuring that all peoples and States in the region live in peace and security within their national territories.

We are all duty bound to support all efforts and initiatives aimed at finding a just solution and preventing any further tragic loss of human life and material destruction. The beginning of the peace process and the solution of the problem of Palestine can objectively be the corner-stone of the future socio-economic development in the region.

As one of the founding Members of the United Nations and of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, Yugoslavia is deeply concerned about the failure to resolve the question of Palestine over the years. In accordance with the principles of our foreign policy, we will continue to lend even stronger and more comprehensive support to the Palestinian people in its efforts to achieve its just goals. In its capacity as Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, and taking into account the positive attitudes and initiatives of other countries, Yugoslavia continues to strive to reach a just and durable settlement of the Palestinian problem.

I take this opportunity to pay a tribute to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its invaluable contribution to the cause of the rights of the Palestinian people. I am convinced that the positive developments in international relations will soon have an impact on the solution of this longest-lasting world problem, too, and that the Middle East region will discover the peace and unhampered development denied to it for so long.

ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,

King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, King of Saudi Arabia,

delivered by H.E. Mr. Shamir S. Shihabi, Permanent Representative

of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, and representative of the

Chairman of the Eighteenth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers

[Original: Arabic]

This day, we stand in the United Nations, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to support with you the struggling resistance of the Arab people in Palestine, opposing oppression with its faith, and exposing to the world how the oppressor behaves in the Arab land in Palestine. We stand in support, appreciative of your efforts, and your respectable Committee, in exposing those who commit this oppression and make evident their inhuman practices and their methods that violate all conventions and laws.

The world, while witnessing the uprising of the Arab Palestinian people, is beginning to realize that it is the rightful party, appreciating its heroism and sacrifices and rejecting the resort by the Israeli authorities to practices of violence and their committing of acts of despotism. We are called upon, more than at any other time, to concentrate our efforts and bring to light the right for which innocent souls are becoming martyrs everyday, and for which the Arab people in Palestine is being subjected to all kinds of repression and torture. The efforts of your respected Committee in this regard deserves our full appreciation and encouragement from all people who uphold security and peace.

We have condemned in every situation and from the podium of the United Nations on every occasion, the Israeli practices against the Arab people in Palestine. These practices have violated human norms and conventions and ignored the judgement of the future from all aspects. We hold the Israeli authorities fully responsible for thwarting the Arab peace efforts which the world recognized as balanced. We repeat today their clear responsibility in foiling these efforts, and we affirm that the dream of the possibility of continuing occupation is a defective dream, and that the Palestinian Arab people will certainly attain its rights however long it may take. No doubt, the battle of peace is achieved by men of wisdom, and is unattainable by those who fear themselves and fear justice.

We have to make sure that the ferocity of those practices and their viciousness confront the United Nations and its Member States with special and great responsibility as Israel was founded on one of its resolutions, which the Palestinian Arab people declared as unjust and oppressive at the time. And the Israeli authorities came to confirm this injustice and to prove that oppression later on, continuing without check until it reached the extent which imposes on us, in the United Nations in particular, a comprehensive look at all the aspects of the tragedy, and a firm stand for which the United Nations deserves its respect from all nations.

As these Israeli practices foil the chances for peace, a great responsibility is borne by the international community today to give this peace its opportunity and the United Nations, with all its Members, is invited to exercise its responsibilities over the resolutions it passed and is committed to.

As the Palestinian people stands in defence of its right, setting the most excellent example of heroism, sacrifice and steadfastness with its belief and religion, depending, after God, upon its own resources and resolute human capabilities, the practices of oppression and despotism which cause the Palestinians great harm to their citizens, sources of income, houses of worship, and educational institutions, strengthen the determination of this people to gain its right no matter how great are the sacrifices, supported by the world, standing by its side as it supported and stood by other peoples.

The Israeli practices against the Palestinian people, for which your Committee gratefully exert great efforts to expose to make the world see and present in front of the United Nations, reveals, at the same time, the inclination to occupy and the lack of respect for international norms and conventions.

I reaffirm our appreciation and support to your Excellency, Madam Chairman, and honourable members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, for your efforts in giving the United Nations an active role in exacting justice, and wish your Committee all the success in accomplishing its humane mission.

GROUP OF ARAB STATES AT THE UNITED NATIONS

H.E. Mr. Mohammad A. Abulhasan, Permanent Representative

of Kuwait to the United Nations and Chairman

of the Group of Arab States at the United Nations

[Original: Arabic]

It is my pleasure to address the Committee on behalf of the Group of Arab States in the United Nations at today's observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. I thank you, Madam Chairman, and the other members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for your efforts to defend the rights of that people suffering under the yoke of occupation, particularly its inalienable right of self-determination, its right of return and its right to establish its own independent State in Palestine.

Today, as the world community expresses its solidarity with and support for the heroic legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people, defending the justice of its cause and the legality of its rights, the Group of Arab States in the United Nations wishes to salute the heroes of the intifadah for their resistance to the guns of the Zionist settlers, who have met with total failure in their attempt to silence the demands of the Palestinian people, who will certainly gain victory and national independence, which is its inalienable right recognized by divine and human law.

I also ask you to mourn with us those innocent martyrs who have shed their blood and to express all possible solidarity with and support for the heroic Palestinian people. Our words of support should be reflected in real, practical action, our deep feelings in effective results.

The international community has showered the Palestinian people with words of support and solidarity, and eloquent statements.. But those resounding statements, apart from their moral value, are not the right response to the guns, and they have not put an end to the tragedy, Nor have they enabled the Palestinian people to return to its homeland and establish a State of its own, like all other peoples.

There could be no better time than today for the international community to take another look at its collective position on the Palestinian cause, and at Israel and the circles which provide and enhance its raison d'être on the basis of aggression and expansionism. In proposing solutions the international community must base itself on international resolutions, and it must also consider the religious teachings of nations, international law, the United Nations Charter and international conventions.

We call for effective solidarity with the Palestinian people, whose heroes, including children and other defenceless people, fall every day. This cannot be achieved except through bringing pressure to bear on Israel and its few supporters to succumb to the demands for peace and the need for a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the conflict in the Middle East, which is the source of tension and instability throughout the world. That is why the international community must move in that direction and call on the Security Council to shoulder its Charter responsibility to put an end to Israel's crimes and its blatant rejection of all options of peace and settlement, It should impose sanctions against Israel, which continues, in extreme intransigence, to challenge the will and the many resolutions of the international community. Israel must succumb to the logic of peace and coexistence and enable the Palestinian people to exercise its inalienable rights, including its right to return, its right of self- determination, and its right to the establishment of an independent State of its own, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, its sole and legitimate representative.

LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

H.E. Dr. Clovis Maksoud, Permanent Observer

of the League of Arab States to the United Nations

Solidarity with the Palestinian people at this juncture of history assumes historical significance.  On the eve of the third anniversary of the Palestinian uprising, the world community has realized how the intifadah of the Palestinians has set in motion a corrective force, not only among the Palestinians and in the Arab world but also among those people in Jewish communities throughout the world who have expressed, consistent with their own traditions and spiritual values, outrage against the Zionist and Israeli establishment. The Palestinian uprising has brought out the best in Jewish values and the worst in the Zionist establishment.  It is that development that plants the seeds of ultimate reconciliation.

The Palestine National Council has declared the independent State and declared the parameters of the national patrimony of the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, It has done so in order to remove any equivocation as to the intentions and deliberate motives of the Palestinian people. The Palestinian State wants to provide the Palestinian people with a sense of identity.

Any attempt – either through the charade of the Shamir election plan or the various procrastination being introduced and injected into the genuine peace process – is an attempt to municipalize the basic inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, Therefore, any attempt to deny the Palestinian State its status is a recognition of the validity of occupation We say that because Israel does not, under any circumstances, recognize that it is an occupying Power.  It says it is a claimant Power. Therefore, in order to pre-empt its annexationist objectives in the occupied Palestinian territory it was necessary for the Palestinian people and the world community to recognize the ultimate national purpose of the Palestinian people, namely the structuring of an independent Palestinian State

Not only do we in the League of Arab States support unequivocally the status of the Palestinian State, but we will endeavour in all our efforts to mobilize – politically, diplomatically and with an eye for the need for strategic balance in the region – not only to deter Israel from further annexation but to terminate its occupation of the independent Palestinian State.

The fact that the State of Palestine is occupied does not deny it its juridical, political or institutional status on the world level and within the United Nations. It is unfortunate that the United States at this particular moment finds it necessary to threaten the will of the international community by threatening to withdraw its contribution to the budget. By that threat it is violating its own commitment as a Member of the United Nations, besides setting what might constitute a very bad precedent: that anybody who does not agree with developments at the international level can threaten the international community and the United Nations, At this moment of solidarity with the Palestinian people, that attempt must be answered by concrete steps to enhance the status of that people's representation in the United Nations, because that would be a criterion according to which the Palestinian State would know it was the anchor of Palestinian aspirations and rights and the address at which the international community can lay responsibility and obligations.

In this respect we appreciate the work of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the response of the United Nations. We know that the task will be a difficult one.  For a super-Power so blatantly to threaten to undermine and stifle the will of the international community is truly unprecedented in the annals of the Organization. Solidarity with the Palestinian people requires solidarity with the evolution of the Palestinian State, and the fact is that the State of Palestine constitutes the only investment in a comprehensive peace. We must again reinforce our efforts to sponsor a United Nations international conference at which all the parties concerned will be represented to salvage the peace option from procrastination and attempts to derail the genuine peace process by the diversionary tactics that have blunted efforts for the past 40 years.

I should like to take this opportunity, therefore, to express the solidarity of the League of Arab States Palestine is not only an integral part of the Arab nation: we are part and parcel of the Palestinian uprising, intellectually, politically and diplomatically. It is high time that a measure of that uprising is reflected in the evolution of the diplomatic status of the Palestinian Mission to the United Nations. We salute the people of Palestine, especially those under occupation, who are giving every day a lesson in non-violent heroism against an oppressive, repressive and violent occupying Power.

INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANIZATIONS ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE

Ms. Jeanne Butterfield, Chairman of the North American Co-ordinating

Committee for Non-Governmental Organizations on the Question of Palestine

and representative of the International Co-ordinating Committee for

Non-Governmental Organizations on the Question of Palestine

I am honoured to address the meeting today on behalf of the International Co-ordinating Committee for Non-Governmental Organizations on the Question of Palestine (ICCP) on this historic occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

As non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have been involved with the United Nations in working on the question of Palestine, we reaffirm on this occasion our total support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and its continuing struggle for independence, as expressed in the intifadah and by all other internationally legitimate means.

We, of course, as NGOs, recognize and uphold the historic proclamation of the independent State of Palestine made on 15 November 1988, just over one year ago. We recognize the proclamation not only as the expression of the will of the heroic people of the intifadah, but also as the expression of the fundamental principle of the self-determination of peoples enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We join with others to call upon all Governments of States Members of the United Nations that have not already done so to recognize the independent State of Palestine in unequivocal terms and without delay.

As NGOs we also uphold the Palestinian right of return We vigorously support the call to convene the International Peace Conference on the Middle East in accordance with General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988, and we reaffirm the international consensus that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and call on all of our Governments fully to recognize the PLO.

As NGOs we do not have the power of our Governments to make policy or to negotiate peace, but as NGOs we are profoundly aware of our responsibility to hold our Governments accountable to the will of the people. We are the organizations that have the responsibility to consolidate public opinion and to find new and creative ways to express that opinion to our own Governments around the world, We are the organizations that must work day to day to build grass-roots solidarity with the Palestinian people and to build a world peace movement that is committed not only to nuclear disarmament and non-intervention but to peace in the Middle East as well.

We have been working hard on those priorities over the past year and we do see our efforts begin to bear fruit in the hearts and minds and organized activities of grass-roots communities around the world. Our ICCP Office at Geneva has produced 19 issues of an excellent newsletter that provides information and resources to nearly 1,500 NGOs around the world, The ICCP office has also produced 15 excellent background papers on topics that NGOs need to accomplish their work, It has responded with emergency appeals in cases of selected human rights abuses, focusing attention of NGOs throughout the world on the protection of the Palestinian population under occupation and highlighting particular cases of arrests, detentions and expulsions.

There is now a network of nearly 1,500 NGOs that actively work together and co-ordinate their work on the question of Palestine. We have active regional co-ordinating committees in Europe and North America. The United Nations-sponsored symposia in Africa, in Asia and in Latin America are helping to launch new regional co-ordination efforts there as well Our network of NGOs has done a tremendous amount of work over the past year. We have held forums, we have sponsored vigils, organized speaking tours, sent delegations to the occupied territories, conducted religious services, shown slide shows and films and videos, lobbied Congress members and parliamentarians, organized boycotts and more Dozens and dozens of newsletters and action alerts and newspapers and magazines have been written and distributed, Conferences have been held sponsored by NGOs at which representatives from Palestine and from Israel discussed their common concerns and argued their differences. The NGO activities of 1989 will culminate in a large peace action in Jerusalem at the end of December.  That effort has grown far beyond the NGO community that launched it and has been taken on as a major initiative by the European peace movement itself.  More than a thousand delegates from around the world will convene in Jerusalem for three days of activities culminating in a human peace chain around the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem on 30 December. That highly visible action will inject new momentum into the various peace initiatives in which NGOs are engaged around the world.

The NGO community has become more organized and effective over the past year. It has shaken off sectarianism to work together for a common cause.  It has shaken off complacency in the face of the ever-escalating repression facing the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and the increasing polarization within Israeli society itself.

The NGO community has been active, but we are well aware that the situation calls for more than just activity. The situation in the West Bank and Gaza is extremely urgent. It has reached crisis proportions. Israeli General Dan Shomron has publicly stated that the only way to crush the intifadah is through mass deportations, starvation or genocide. He and other Israeli military leaders have repeatedly said that the intifadah cannot be ended by military might but must be met with political negotiation and settlement, yet at the same time Shamir has engaged in a public-relations game of a so-called election plan in order to mask his ever-constant call for an "iron-fist" to crush the intifadah.

The people of Palestine, the people of Israel, the people of North America, the people of the world want peace The Government of the people of Palestine has listened to its people and has launched a major peace initiative indicating its willingness to make painful historic compromises for the sake of peace. The Government of the people of Israel continues on the other hand to try to convince its people that peace will come only through force and might and blows The Government of Canada has at least begun to talk with the PLO. The Governments of several European nations are actively encouraging the peace process, and the Government of the Soviet Union is constantly in dialogue with the PLO. Meanwhile, the Government of the United States continues to pour more than $3.5 billion dollars a year into Israel and ignores the sentiment of the people of the United States who say, "Recognize the PLO; recognize the State of Palestine; end the occupation; convene the international peace conference; make peace".

NGOs are not Governments and cannot negotiate peace. But NGOs represent grass-roots public opinion and can wage peace. NGOs in the United States have a particularly serious responsibility: they must ensure that the United States Congress acts for peace in the Middle East, United States and Israeli intransigence must be broken, We need more than Secretary of State Baker's speech indicating that Israel must consider ending the occupation. We need more than United States dialogue with the PLO, We need the United States Government to act decisively for peace, and to act now.

The people of Beit Sahur, in the occupied West Bank, sent this message to the Israeli peace forces which were prevented by the Israeli army from visiting Beit Sahur. The message also inspires the community of NGOs to redouble its efforts in solidarity with the people of Beit Sahur and Palestine. The people of Beit Sahur wrote:

Signed, the people of Beit Sahur"

As NGOs we have much in common with the people of Beit Sahur and with peace-loving people the world over: a sense of rage at injustice being done, a sense of compassion for those suffering as a result of this historic conflict, a sense of purpose that we can act and make a difference, a sense of urgency that we must act now, and a deep yearning, with the people of Palestine, for a just and lasting peace.

We as NGOs are challenged as never before. Time is running out. Mass deportations are possible.  Starvation is possible.  Even genocide is possible. But peace is possible too, and we commit ourselves to acting effectively to make it happen.

III. Messages received on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

A. Messages from heads of State or Government

AFGHANISTAN

H.E. Mr. Najibullah, President of the Republic of Afghanistan

Permit me, on behalf of the people and the Government of the Republic of Afghanistan, to express my warmest greetings to the heroic people of Palestine and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on the occasion of 29 November, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Once again, I would like to extend the unwavering support of the people of Afghanistan to the Declaration of Independence of the session of the Palestine National Council held from 12 to 15 November 1988 at Algiers, that highlights the inalienable rights of the Palestinians to self-determination, void of external interference, and to national independence and sovereignty, including the right to establish their own State in Palestine.

We believe that the implementation of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the convocation of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, under the supervision of the United Nations with the participation of all parties involved, including the PLO, as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, can resolve the grave situation prevailing in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the Israeli authorities, by launching an extensive anti- Palestine campaign, hinder a peaceful settlement of the Middle East problem in conformity with the United Nations Charter and resolutions.

We are fully convinced that further progress on the road to a comprehensive, just and durable solution to the Middle East conflict will create favourable opportunities for the practical implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

While appreciating the efforts of the United Nations for achieving a durable solution of the Middle East problem, the Republic of Afghanistan once again expresses its profound gratitude to you and the other members of the Committee for your dedicated efforts to guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

BAHRAIN

His Majesty Sheikh Isa Bin Al-Khalifa Salman,

Emir of the State of Bahrain

[Original: Arabic]

Ever since the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted this day in 1947 its resolution on the partition of Palestine, the Palestinian question has aroused world-wide interest and solidarity on the part of peace- and justice-loving peoples.

The United Nations today observes the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at a time when the Palestinian question has become one of the most dangerous and complex problems in contemporary history, that of a people dispossessed of its land, stripped of its national rights and subjected to the cruelest forms of tyranny and torture, which are repudiated by the international conscience.

This observance comes at a time when the world is more than ever convinced of the need to ensure the legitimate rights of this struggling people, which is continuing its heroic and fearless intifadah in its occupied territory and wherever it may be, under conditions of barbarous oppression, using stones as a weapon to resist the Israeli occupation forces and their advanced military machine of repression, rejecting the occupation and reaffirming through its national unity its determination to withstand all attempts to obliterate its Palestinian identity and independent Arab personality,

The fighting spirit of the heroes of the Palestinian intifadah, men, women and children, whose only weapon is the faith with which they confront the crimes of genocide and physical and psychological torture, is the most eloquent expression of the determination of this struggling people to pursue its fight to achieve its objectives of self-determination, freedom and independence.

Bahrain, which has recognized the State of Palestine, salutes on this occasion the struggle and steadfastness of the Palestinian people against the inhuman crimes of world zionism and reaffirms its full and unlimited solidarity with the just struggle in which it is engaging in order to reclaim its legitimate rights, and above all the right to establish its independent State on its national soil, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, its sole legitimate representative.

In conclusion, I am pleased to express my sincere thanks to you and to the members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for your sincere efforts to achieve the Committee's lofty objectives by supporting the struggle of this people, assisting its cause and helping it to regain its legitimate rights.

BANGLADESH

H.E. Mr. Hussain Muhammad Ershad,

President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh

The commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People acquires special significance today, as we witness the completion of the second full year of the intifadah (uprising) against Israel's illegal occupation The heroic resistance of the unarmed Palestinian youth, in the face of brutal repression of the Israeli armed forces, testifies to the total rejection of the status quo in the occupied territories. We salute their indomitable courage and resilience,

On this occasion, Bangladesh reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), in the realization of its national objective of early exercise of sovereignty in the newly proclaimed State of Palestine Bangladesh has consistently held that a just and durable solution of the Middle East problem is possible only through unconditional and total withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Arab territories occupied since June 1967, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif and recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. We believe that the peace initiative launched last year by the Palestine National Council has given a vital new impetus in resolving the conflict and should like to urge the early convening of the International Peace Conference under United Nations auspices, with full participation of the PLO on an equal footing, to negotiate all essentials for a comprehensive, just and durable solution.

BOTSWANA

H.E. Dr. Q.K.J. Masire,

President of the Republic of Botswana

I wish to express the solidarity of the Government and people of Botswana with the Palestinian people on the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

On this important occasion, we note that the observance will once again focus on current events in the Palestinian territory as the latest stage in the Palestinian struggle to achieve self-determination.

We welcome the decision by the Palestine Liberation Organization to accept Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), which together call for peaceful coexistence and an end to the refugee problem of the Palestinian people.

Botswana has always worked with the rest of the international community for the realization of self-determination and human rights by the Palestinian people and supports fully the efforts to advance this cause.

BULGARIA

H.E. Mr. Petar Mladenov, General Secretary of the Central Committee

of the Bulgarian Communist Party and President of the

State Council of the People's Republic of Bulgaria

Please allow me, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Bulgarian Communist Party, the State Council of the People's Republic of Bulgaria and on my own behalf, to extend to you our heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

The People's Republic of Bulgaria has always demonstrated its solidarity with the just struggle of the Palestinian people under the leadership of its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), for the implementation of its inalienable national rights, including the right to self-determination. The Bulgarian people follow with true sympathy the people's uprising in the occupied territories which has yet again demonstrated the unbreakable will and determination of the Palestinian people to attain the legitimate right to its own State and independent and free development.

Under the conditions of the new political realities in the world, the holding of an international Middle East peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of all interested States, including the PLO, would be the most effective mechanism that could bring about a just solution to the Middle East problem and guarantee the interests and security of all States involved in the conflict.

I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to assure you once again that the People's Republic of Bulgaria will continue to render principled and consistent support to the just struggle of the Arab people of Palestine aimed at establishing its own independent State, and to all international efforts to find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Middle East problem.

BURKINA FASO

H.E Captain Blaise Compaoré,  President of the

Executive Committee of the Popular Front Head of State

and Head of the Government of Burkina Faso

[Original: French]

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we would like once again to reaffirm the unwavering support of the Popular Front of the Revolutionary Government and of the entire people of Burkina Faso with the valiant Palestinian people, the State of Palestine and its political leaders, the Palestine Liberation Organization, in their just and relentless struggle for the full exercise of their rights as a State and as a free, independent and sovereign people.

This also gives us the opportunity to hail once again the proclamation one year ago of the independent State of Palestine, which marks a further victory against imperialism and zionism.

In view of the obstacles placed before the Palestinian people on its path to self-determination, Burkina Faso, while applauding the efforts of the United Nations, calls upon the international community to mobilize more resources, and to show greater solidarity, to ensure that the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, provided for by the relevant resolutions of our world-wide Organization, will finally take place.

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is finally an opportunity for us to convey our most sincere congratulations to the people and to the political leaders of the State of Palestine and to let them know how earnestly we share their hopes that their efforts will be crowned with success.

Our country or death, victory shall be ours!

CHINA

H.E. Mr. Li Peng, Premier of the State Council

of the People's Republic of China

[Original: Chinese]

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I would like to express, on behalf of the Chinese Government and people, our high respects to the Palestinian people who are engaged in a heroic struggle to regain its national rights.

The past year witnessed positive changes in the situation in the Middle East and the trend towards a political settlement of the Middle East question gathering greater momentum, By adopting a flexible and realistic policy, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), together with other parties, has made unremitting efforts to promote the settlement of the Middle East question. Under such circumstances, the convocation of the Special Commemorative Meeting of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, therefore, is of important and practical significance in that it is a testimony to the sympathy and support of the international community for the Palestinian people in its just cause. Deeply concerned with the developments in the Middle East, the Chinese Government highly appraises the endeavour made by the PLO for a fair settlement of the Palestine question and stands firm in its support for the Palestinian people in its just cause, In our view, a settlement of the Middle East question through political means is the best choice. We support the convocation of an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations and the opening of dialogues in various forms among the parties concerned. We call on the Israeli authorities to judge the hour and size up the situation and to change its rigid position so as to bring about a fair, comprehensive and durable peace to the Middle East. This not only accords with the fundamental interest and aspiration of the people of all countries in the Middle East but also will contribute greatly to the maintenance of world peace.

CUBA

H.E. Mr. Fidel Castro Ruz, President of the Council

of State and Government of the Republic of Cuba

[Original: Spanish]

On the occasion of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have the honour to reiterate the firm resolve of the people of Cuba to continue to support the just struggle of the Palestinian people for its inalienable rights and above all the right to the establishment of an independent State, under the leadership of its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The responsibility of the international community vis-à-vis the Palestinian people obliges us to make a concerted effort to put an end to the brutal Zionist repression, which has caused not only the loss of thousands of lives but also the exodus of Palestinians to other lands or their existence in a Palestine occupied by and subjected to the harassments and arbitrary actions of the Israeli army.

The Palestinian people, however, has not wavered in its determination to preserve its national identity and to regain the exercise of its rights. The intifadah, a new and exemplary form of struggle initiated by the Palestinian people in 1987, and the proclamation, in 1988, of the Palestinian State, constitute the unequivocal expression of the national character of its cause.

This people is forced to pay an immense sacrificial toll in facing the powerful and sophisticated Israeli war machine fed by its North American ally, in an attempt to keep Israel as a spearhead of imperialism in the Middle East.

In the face of this monstrous crime and the continued violation of the most basic human rights by the repressive Zionist forces, the international community cannot remain impassive, and it is therefore essential that steps be taken to convene the International Peace Conference on the Middle East.

Cuba reiterates its firm support for the convening of such a Conference under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of all the parties concerned, including the PLO, on an equal footing, for we are sure that such a Conference would be an invaluable contribution to international peace and security, and would facilitate the recovery of the inalienable rights which are being denied to the Palestinian people, including its right to self-determination and to the constitution on its native soil of its own State, already recognized by more than 95 countries, a substantial majority of the international community.

The United Nations and the Secretary-General and, in particular, the Committee under your able chairmanship, will always be able to count on the support of Cuba in the promotion of any initiative conducive to the prompt restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and to bringing peace to this troubled region of the world.

In commemorating this day, Cuba joins the international community in calling for the most expeditious and just settlement of the Middle East conflict and, what is most essential, the question of Palestine.

I take this opportunity to convey to you our appreciation of your active participation in the efforts made by the Committee to endeavour to give effect to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

CYPRUS

H.E. Mr. George Vassiliou, President of the Republic of Cyprus

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I would like, once again, to reiterate the unswerving support of the Government and the people of Cyprus to the Palestinian people and its just struggle for the restoration of its inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination and the establishment of its own independent and sovereign State.

As it was stated time and again, the Palestinian question is at the heart of the Middle East problem. The struggle of the Palestinian people is a struggle for justice, human dignity and freedom. It is our conviction that no just, viable and lasting solution can be expected if the inalienable rights and legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people are not fully taken into consideration. And this is exactly the message of the uprising of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories sent to the world.

I firmly believe that the positive international climate, the sincere interest and the increasing mobility of the international community in the search for a just solution to the Palestinian problem can contribute to the achievement of a peaceful, just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, safeguarding the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

Such a settlement, which will undoubtedly serve peace in the sensitive and volatile Middle East region, could be reached through dialogue and negotiation, through an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, in which all parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, will and should participate on an equal footing.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

H.E. Mr. Karel Urbanek, General Secretary of the Central Committee

of the Communist  Party of Czechoslovakia and H.E. Mr. Gustav Husak,

President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

[Original: English]

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we extend warm greetings and cordial congratulations to the fraternal Palestinian people and its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic supports the courageous and persevering struggle which the Palestinian people have been waging for decades now for its legitimate national and human rights. The State of Palestine, the first anniversary of whose proclamation we recalled in the past days, is seen by us as an expression of the unflagging efforts of the Palestinian people for the implementation of its right to self-determination. We are in full solidarity with the heroic mass uprising of the Palestinians in the occupied territories which constitutes an urgent appeal for the speedy settlement of the Middle East conflict and of the question of Palestine on an equitable basis, with respect for the interests of all the parties involved. The realistic and constructive policy line of the PLO points the way to such a comprehensive settlement and is rightfully winning sympathies and support throughout the world.

Dear Comrade Arafat, your official visit to the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic this year gave new impulses to our mutual interaction and strengthened the friendship between our peoples. We assure you that the Czechoslovak people will continue to stand in firm solidarity on the side of the Palestinian people and will support its just struggle.

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

H.E. Mr. Kim Il Sung, President of the

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I extend firm solidarity and militant greetings to you, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Palestinian people and its resistance fighters on behalf of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Korean people and myself.

Today the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the PLO, its sole legitimate representative, are pushing ahead with the sacred struggle to terminate Israeli occupation and liberate the motherland.

The just struggle of the Palestinian people to oppose imperialism and zionism and regain the usurped land enjoys broad support of the world's peace-loving people.

The Korean people will, in the future too, actively support and encourage the cause of the Palestinian people to fully restore self-determination and legitimate national rights and hasten the day of return home, with Jerusalem as its capital.

Convinced that the friendly and co-operative relations between our two peoples, further cemented through our meeting in Pyongyang last June, will daily strengthen and develop, I sincerely wish you and the Palestinian people greater success in the struggle for the final victory of the Palestinian revolution.

DEMOCRATIC YEMEN

H.E. Mr. Haider Abubaker Al-Attas,

Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Supreme

Council of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

[Original: Arabic]

On the occasion of this year's International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which comes at a time when the popular uprising in the occupied Palestinian territory is about to enter its third year, we are pleased to address our warmest greetings to you and, through you, to the international community We should further like to convey to you our best wishes for the increased success of your work.

The intifadah of the Palestinian people and the daily acts of heroism it performs and the losses it endures in its continuing confrontation with the forces of oppression, tyranny and aggression place on the international community and on the United Nations an increased responsibility that stems from the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and of human rights. We look forward to the international community increasingly engaging in the role required of it in supporting and promoting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, first and foremost its right to exercise self-determination and to the establishment of an independent State on its national soil.

Our optimism is increased by the fact that the present time has witnessed the initiation of steps that will lead to the independence of Namibia, with the struggling people of Namibia having exercised its right to self-determination and to choose its legitimate representatives under full international supervision.

We find in this occasion a fitting opportunity to call upon the United Nations and all international institutions, organizations and leaders to bring greater and more effective pressure to bear on the United States of America so that it may desist from its unjust bias in favour of the repressive and barbaric practices of the Zionist State and show greater support for and solidarity with the Palestinian people and its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization. At the same time, we call upon the Members of the United Nations that have yet to recognize the State of Palestine, which was lawfully proclaimed in accordance with all the relevant international covenants, to do so in order to promote the indivisible character of human rights.

EGYPT

H.E. Mr. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak,

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

[Original: Arabic]

First of all, I am pleased to convey to you and to all the members of the Committee our appreciation for the great effort you are exerting to make the just cause of the Palestinian people better known and for the valuable support you give to the heroic struggle of that people.

We meet today to observe International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People amid historic new developments and in one of the most hazardous phases of that people's struggle. Our observance this year as in previous years is marked by a feeling of distress that the Palestinian people has not attained its legitimate rights. The continuation of the Palestinian struggle over long years only increases our faith that the rights of peoples are imprescriptible and that the future of our contemporary world will inevitably witness the victory of the Palestinian people in its struggle for freedom, self-determination and the establishment of its independent State.

The struggle of the Palestinian people over the past four decades has passed through successive chapters of sacrifices and heroic acts, each leading to a new integrated phase of the battle to realize the legitimate aspirations of the people for freedom and independence.. The Palestinian intifadah erupted in the occupied territories in affirmation of the unshakeable faith of the Palestinian people in its right to a life of freedom and dignity and of the failure of all schemes to subjugate it, deflect it from its just cause and deprive it of its right to defend its land and identity.

In the life of peoples, the years of dignity and glory follow on in close succession, In a few days, the intifadah of the Palestinian people will enter its third year, proving to the whole world that people's determination to continue its struggle as long as it is unable to exercise all its legitimate rights and take its place among the free and independent nations of our international community. The eruption of the intifadah was the product of causes still present in Palestinian reality. Therefore, the fires of the intifadah will not be contained as long as those conditions remain; nor will the desires of the peoples be repressed; rather, they will grow ever more burning and tenacious in the shadow of oppression.

The past year has been a memorable one in the struggle of the Palestinian people. The nineteenth session of the Palestine National Council and the decisions adopted by it were historic events – a great leap forward towards a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, unveiling a comprehensive strategy in Palestinian diplomacy, embarked upon by the Palestinian people in the occupied territories through its legitimate representatives abroad. There is no doubt about the great impetus this positive development has given to the peace process in the region. Therefore, we can only stress the need for all parties to the conflict to seize this unique occasion to move towards a peaceful solution of the Palestinian problem, because a negative reaction to current developments could only be a desperate attempt to stop the wheel of history; such attempts can only serve to increase tension and violence in the region.

Similarly, the international community should move to support and encourage the parties to the issue to adopt a peaceful approach to the solution of the problem. The United Nations has an indispensable role to play in that respect. The principles on which the United Nations is based, and especially the right of peoples to self-determination and to enjoy their fundamental rights, are principles which should be applied on the basis of equality between all the peoples of the region. The Palestinian people still aspires with confidence and pride to a better future in which it may exercise its inalienable right to self-determination.

Egypt has always maintained, and will continue to maintain, that a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian problem is the sole means of achieving a Middle East peace which would give the peoples of the region peace and security and enable them to direct their energies to the building and development of their societies.

On the basis of its faith in the justice of the cause of the Palestinian people, the Arab Republic of Egypt has always been in the forefront of its supporters in its liberation struggle. Egypt considers that the continued lack of a solution jeopardizes the stability of the region and international peace and security.  It is the duty of all the parties to the issue to seize the current opportunity and to strive earnestly for a comprehensive peace in the region.

The Arab Republic of Egypt supports all sincere efforts aimed at reactivating the peace process and considers the main elements which should be taken into consideration in order to pave the way for those efforts to be the following:

(1) The international community should support the peaceful attitude of the Palestinian people and encourage the positive developments which have resulted from that attitude;

(2) The international community should be urged to make an energetic move to revive the peace process and work to achieve a peaceful settlement based on respect for the principles of international law, the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations and recognition of the legitimate political and national rights of the Palestinian people;

(3) Consultations should begin between the various parties concerned and the permanent members of the Security Council, in preparation for the holding of the International Peace Conference;

(4) It is necessary to observe the Security Council resolutions concerning the situation in the occupied territories and the protection of the rights of the Palestinian people under occupation.

The Arab Republic of Egypt hopes that the international community will assume its responsibility to achieve these goals and provide all the appropriate conditions for the success of the peace process in the region in order that we may arrive at a comprehensive and just settlement that guarantees peace and security for all the peoples of the region without exception.

Finally, I should like once again to thank the esteemed Committee, assuring you and the members of the Committee of my great appreciation.

GERMAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

H.E. Mr. Egon Krenz, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany and Chairman of the

Council of State of the German Democratic Republic

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I offer you cordial greetings of solidarity. The demonstrations of the Palestinian people on the first anniversary of the proclamation of the State of Palestine again stressed the urgency of a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East conflict in the interest of a peaceful living together of the peoples in the region. The German Democratic Republic stands up for prompt measures, among them talks between the main conflicting parties, to convene an international peace conference under United Nations auspices. Significant prerequisites for this have been created by the Palestine Liberation Organization in the pursuit of its policy of dialogue and accommodation of interests.

Along with my best wishes for continued success in the implementation of the Palestine peace initiative, I express my conviction that the close relations between our peoples will consistently develop also in the future.

GHANA

H.E. Flt.-Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, Head of State

and Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council of Ghana

On this solemn occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the people and Government of Ghana, to extend warmest congratulations to the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its splendid efforts in sensitizing international public opinion on the Middle East problem, particularly the plight of the Palestinian people.

The Middle East problem is the result of a continued denial of justice to the Palestinian people. For a just and lasting solution to the problem, therefore, justice needs to be restored to the Palestinians.

It is a matter of deep regret that several resolutions of the United Nations, including General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988, calling for an international peace conference to deal with the Middle East problem, have remained unimplemented.

Meanwhile, the killing and subjection of the Palestinians in the occupied territories to various forms of brutal oppression, including the regrettable waves of deportations, are continuing contrary to Security Council resolutions and in flagrant violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

As we mark this solemn occasion, therefore, it has become all the more urgent that we should renew our firm support to the United Nations in its tireless efforts to bring just and lasting peace to the Middle East.

Ghana reaffirms support for the urgent convening of an international peace conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, to deal with the Middle East problem, and reiterates its position that the Palestine Liberation Organization, the authentic representative of the Palestinian people, should be allowed to participate in such a conference on an equal footing.

HUNGARY

H.E. Dr. Mátyás Szũrös,

President ad interim of the Republic of Hungary

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and on behalf of the people of the Republic of Hungary, I have the honour to express my sincere congratulations to you and the Palestinian people striving for the assertion of its national rights.

The Republic of Hungary reaffirms its solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people and its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), for its right to self-determination, the establishment of its own independent State and the rise of the nation, In this spirit we recognize the proclamation of the State of Palestine and have raised our inter-State relations to ambassadorial level, Our firm position is that a comprehensive solution should be sought for the Middle East crisis, the central element of which is the Palestinian question. We support the idea of convening an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations which would, with the participation of all interested parties and the co-operation of the States Permanent Member of the Security Council, elaborate the ways and means of the settlement of the crisis, guaranteeing the peace and security of all States in the region. We highly appreciate that the PLO, having accepted the resolutions of the Security Council, makes efforts to settle the Middle East crisis through political means.

We sincerely wish that the struggle of the Palestinian people be crowned with an early success and a just and lasting peace be achieved in the Middle East, the fundamental condition of which is the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.

INDIA

H.E. Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India

India has a special relationship with the Palestinian people. Our commitment to the Palestinian cause has been constant and unequivocal. We are confident that it will soon attain its cherished and legitimate goals of self-determination and an independent State.

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I would like to reaffirm on behalf of the Government and people of India our full and firm support to it in its struggle for its inalienable rights, India will join all efforts for a just, comprehensive and speedy settlement of the Palestinian problem.

INDONESIA

H.E. Mr. Soeharto, President of the Republic of Indonesia

On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Indonesia and on my own behalf, I should like to convey our warm fraternal greetings on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. We are pleased to participate in this annual observance at the United Nations as it offers a fitting opportunity to pay a tribute to the valiant Palestinian people and to assure it once again of our undiminished support in the heroic struggle it is waging to regain its usurped national rights to freedom and independence.

The irrepressible will and determination of the Palestinian to be free is manifested by the intifadah, the sustained popular uprising in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem, which now has continued for two years. Equally, the historic proclamation by the Palestine National Council of the independent Palestinian State has fulfilled the great yearning of the Palestinian people to be master of its own fate on the sacred soil of Palestine. Without question, these momentous developments have fundamentally altered the untenable status quo of the past two decades, And together with the courageous peace initiatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), they have rightly been hailed as constituting the inspiration and basis for the reinvigorated search for peace in the Middle East.

As one of the first countries to accord formal recognition to the newly proclaimed independent State of Palestine, Indonesia is gratified to note that over 90 other countries have now also welcomed and accepted the Palestinian State into the community of free nations and that the Palestinian Arab people are now represented in the United Nations in the capacity of Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine.

It is truly deplorable, therefore, that in stark contrast to the constructive peace proposals and statesmanlike actions by the PLO, the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, the situation in the occupied territories continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate. The "iron-fist" policy of Israel has resulted in a persistent pattern of brutal repression by its occupation forces, in unrestrained provocation by armed Israeli settlers, and in unabated violence. Clearly, the armed terror and Draconian administrative measures visited upon the innocent civilian Palestinian Arab population can only exacerbate the situation and pose further grave obstacles to the ongoing efforts to advance the peace process.

These reprehensible actions by the illegal occupier have aroused serious international concern. In this regard, it should be noted that by resolution 44/2 of 6 October 1989, the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly has condemned Israeli acts of repression and demanded that it abide by the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949.

Israel should no longer be allowed to flaunt the will of the international community by its utter disregard for the decisions of the United Nations. Indonesia therefore is convinced of the imperative need for the Security Council to provide international protection to Palestinian civilians in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem, It is time to put an immediate end to the intolerable acts of the occupying Power.

On their part, the Palestinians, under the leadership of the PLO, have accepted and complied with all relevant decisions of the United Nations. They have demonstrated conclusively their commitment to the peace process.  In this regard as well, the Arab nations have repeatedly endorsed the international peace conference proposal as contained in General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988. Indonesia urges that these sincere steps now be matched by all those genuinely committed to a just and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. To this end we reiterate our support for the early convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, and call on all concerned, especially Israel's friends, to make every effort for the initiation of negotiations within the framework of such a Conference. It also bears reiteration that unless the PLO participates on an equal footing, the Conference would be doomed to failure.

In conclusion, I should like once again to reaffirm Indonesia's total solidarity with and support for the legitimate quest of our Palestinian brothers to effectively establish, on Palestinian soil, their newly proclaimed independent Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital.

I should like to acknowledge with sincere thanks the indispensable role played by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in the mobilization of international support for the Palestinian cause.

May God Almighty bestow His blessing and wise guidance on all of us.

IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)

H.E. Mr. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

November 29 is a propitious opportunity to once again commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Muslim combatant people of Palestine.

More than 40 years have passed since the Zionist occupation of the sacred land of Palestine, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the first Qiblah and one of the holiest sanctuaries of Muslims. The valiant people of Palestine have registered in the heart of history epic-making acts of bravery in its legitimate struggle to gain its inalienable rights and have dealt heavy blows on the occupying regime of Al-Quds with the meager means available to them.

Forty years of suppression, repression and homelessness on the one hand and resistance, bravery, perseverance and struggle of this great nation on the other hand, have brought for this resistant people valuable experiences and lessons.

The Muslim people of Iran, since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, have supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian State in the entire occupied land of Palestine and will spare no effort until the people of Palestine gain its legitimate rights.

I pay a tribute to the souls of the Palestinian martyrs and pray to the Almighty Allah for the success and triumph of fighters for the liberation of Palestine.

IRAQ

H.E. Mr. Saddam Hussein, President of the Republic of Iraq

[Original: Arabic]

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have the pleasure, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people and Government of Iraq, to express our appreciation for the sincere efforts made by your Committee in connection with the question of Palestine and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people This commemoration coincides with the second anniversary of the valiant popular uprising in the occupied Palestinian territory and the first anniversary of the proclamation of the State of Palestine, which has been accorded full recognition by the Arab States and increasing international recognition.

Despite the escalation of the uprising of the Palestinian people for the sake of self-determination and the assertion of its basic rights, and despite the establishment of the independent State of Palestine under the leadership of its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel continues to occupy Arab territory and to practice the most heinous forms of displacement, expulsion, the demolition of homes, the confiscation of property, the imposition of racist measures, the annexation of Jerusalem, the building of settlements on usurped Arab land and the occupation of southern Lebanon. Such criminal behaviour must be condemned and prevented from recurring, and the endeavour must be made to impose sanctions and complete isolation on the racist regime in Tel Aviv.

The resolutions on the question of Palestine adopted by the United Nations General Assembly meeting at Geneva in December 1988 confirm the consensus of the countries of the world on support for the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and the need for the United Nations to meet its responsibility of devising a just solution to the issue that represents the core of the Arab- Israeli conflict, to adopt a firm and decisive position towards Israel's obstinate rejection of a peace based on truth and justice, to compel Israeli forces to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories and to provide the independent State of Palestine with the opportunity to assume its full role and exercise its responsibilities on its national soil.

The persistently hostile and expansionist policies of the Zionist entity are a constant threat to international peace and security and the stability of the region. They confirm once more that it has no desire for the genuine, just and comprehensive peace endorsed by the United Nations and all the peoples of the world. We are, however, confident that the Palestinian people, through the unshakeable faith of its members in the justice of their cause, their serious determination and their unlimited readiness for sacrifice and resistance, will achieve its legitimate goal of restoring its usurped rights.

In conclusion, I salute the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its genuine efforts and outstanding activities in mobilizing world public opinion and highlighting the question of Palestine in such a manner as to advance the interest of this Arab people in restoring all of its legitimate rights and broadening the base of recognition of the young Palestinian State.

JORDAN

His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

[Original: Arabic]

On the occasion of your observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I am pleased to convey to you sincere greetings and profound esteem for your sincere and valuable efforts to relieve the Palestinian people of oppression and enable it to exercise its inalienable rights on its national soil.

This observance, which has been repeated for the past 11 years, plays an important part in maintaining the interest of our international community in the Palestinian question and provides an occasion for it to reaffirm its commitment to support the Palestinian people in its legitimate struggle and to renew its determination to work for a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian problem, the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The General Assembly decided 12 years ago to celebrate this day in recognition of the gravity of the Palestinian question and its importance to international peace and security. That gravity and importance are now greater than at any time in the past, for many reasons, most important of which are the increasing suffering of the Palestinian people at the hands of the occupying Power, the lack of any progress in the peace process and Israel's continuing stubborn refusal to negotiate with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in order to achieve peace despite the PLO's favourable attitude.

For the past 22 years, Israel has continued its military occupation of the Palestinian territories, adopting and implementing aggressive policies and arbitrary practices against the occupied Palestinian land and its rightful owners. I am certain that those policies and practices have become familiar to all those who take an interest in and follow events in this region of the world. Israel's objective thereby is also well known and needs no proof. Israel has endeavoured to create and forcibly impose a fait accompli in the occupied Palestinian territories, placing the Palestinian citizens in the occupied territories before two options, to the exclusion of any other: either to accept the fait accompli and to submit forever to the occupation, or to be forced to migrate and join their brothers, who are scattered all over the world as a result of the Israeli occupation.

As you know, the Palestinians have rejected both options and have remained firmly attached to their land despite the hardships inflicted on them by Israel. They have continued their fearless opposition, challenging the Israeli machinery of oppression.

As if Israel were in need of further proof of the Palestinian rejection of its occupation, the heroic intifadah erupted two years ago to dash any hopes Israel might still have entertained of inducing the Palestinians to accept and submit to the fait accompli. The intifadah has reaffirmed beyond any doubt the attachment of the Palestinians to their country, their willingness to die for it and the fact that they prefer to do so rather than to live elsewhere.

The history of the Palestinian struggle is replete with heroic acts of resistance, but the popular intifadah in the occupied territories has written the most valiant and radiant pages of that history.  It is a truly historic turning-point, the crowning achievement in the epic Palestinian struggle. Its continuing impetus over the two full years of enormous sacrifices is proof enough of that.

In continuation of Jordan's full support for the fraternal Palestinian people in its just struggle, we decided in July of last year to sever Jordan's legal and administrative links with the West Bank, in response to the wishes of our Palestinian brothers. We hope that this decision will help to strengthen the Palestinian struggle by underscoring the Palestinian national identity and that it will consequently prove a substantive contribution to peace.

With the support of the fearless intifadah on the basis of our above-mentioned decision, the national leadership of the Palestinian people was able to adopt its historic and courageous decisions through the Palestine National Council, which was convened at Algiers in this month last year. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the fraternal Palestinian people on the first anniversary of the proclamation of the State of Palestine, I hope that we shall soon see that State established and sovereign on Palestinian soil, and I reaffirm Jordan's determination to do its utmost to achieve that.

We are all delighted by the improvement which has taken place in international relations over the last few years. There is renewed hope of achieving a peaceful settlement of various regional conflicts. Indeed, the new positive international climate has already had an impact on a number of those conflicts. One of the fore­most examples of that impact is the implementation of the United Nations plan for the independence of Namibia, whose people has suffered under foreign domination, just as the Palestinian people has. While we have not yet seen the effects of international détente on the Palestinian problem, we hope that they will be felt shortly.

The Palestinian people, which has suffered for so long and made indescribable sacrifices, has a right to security and stability and a right to enjoy freedom and peace in its independent State, like all other peoples.  Therefore, we appeal to the United Nations, which represents both the will of the international community and the repository of its hopes, to strengthen and accelerate its praiseworthy efforts to bring about a peaceful, just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict that guarantees to the Palestinian people the exercise of its inalienable rights, above all its right to self-determination and the establishment of its independent State on its own territory, and the right of all States and peoples of the region to live in peace.

We still believe that the appropriate way to achieve that is through the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and the national rights of the Palestinian people, in which all parties to the conflict should participate, including the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, on an equal footing, as well as the five permanent members of the Security Council.  We thank the Secretary-General for his persistent efforts in this regard. We urge him to continue and to strengthen those efforts, and we assure him of Jordan's constant co-operation. We hope that full agreement will be reached on this matter by all the parties to the conflict within the Security Council.

Until such time as a peaceful, just and comprehensive settlement brings about an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories and enables the Palestinian people to live in freedom and dignity in an independent State, it is imperative for the United Nations to provide the necessary international protection to the Palestinian people under occupation and to ensure the implementation by Israel of the provisions of the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

In conclusion, I once again salute your esteemed Committee for its persistent efforts and wish you success in achieving your noble goal, which we share with you.

KUWAIT

His  Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,

Emir of the State of Kuwait and Chairman of the

fifth session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

[Original: Arabic]

Today the world observes the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at a time when the blessed Palestinian intifadah has completed its second year, and while the first year has elapsed since the independent Palestinian State was proclaimed. Those were all developments that triggered significant changes on the map of the Middle East conflict and broadened world support for the just Palestinian cause while shedding more light on Israel's true intentions and on the nature of its expansionist tendencies and the deep-rootedness of the philosophy of violence and terrorism in its policies.

On behalf of Kuwait, and in my capacity as Chairman of the fifth session of the Organization of Islamic Conference, I have the pleasure to extend my greetings on this occasion to you and to the distinguished members of the Committee, and to express to you our deep appreciation for the sincere efforts and endeavours in backing the Palestinian people up, helping it restore its established and inalienable rights, mainly the right to self-determination over its entire national soil, and in ending its plight and tragedy resulting from Israeli occupation of its land and its continued displacement and oppression. I also wish to reiterate our strong condemnation and denunciation of the blatant Israeli acts against Islamic shrines in holy Al-Quds and Arab occupied territories, and to warn Israel against the outcome and consequences of this recklessness and criminal defiance of the Moslem nation and its feelings.

The heroes of the Palestinian intifadah who are standing fast in the face of brutal occupation are in dire need for you and for all the efforts and support by those of your kind who advocate rightness and defend peoples' just causes. This is because their battle is one against an arrogant occupier who knows no mercy or fairness, does not observe international laws, does not heed world conscience and public opinion, and disregards the resolutions of international legitimacy. That occupier is just bent on achieving his plots and illusionary objectives at the expense, and the ruins, of an entire nation whose rights, land and sovereignty he had denied, whose children he is today slaying, and whose sanctities and holy places he is desecrating. Thus the blessed intifadah was but an eruption of a volcano which for many years has withstood enormous pressure then broke out as a revolution against oppression and torture and as a war over tyranny and aggression.

The prolongation of such a situation for the Palestinian people, and Israel's persistence in its barbaric practices against it obligate all members of the world community to upgrade its support and backing for this rightful cause so as not to limit itself to mere slogans in dealing with the Palestinian plight, and hence this significant occasion should not be just a day for delivering statements of solidarity but should be juncture for launching effective action and positive, constructive contribution to that struggle which culminated with the heroes' intifadah. Let the rhetorical and oral demonstrations of solidarity at forums and on page lines turn into practical and tangible action on the battlefield, or at the table of negotiation should the occupier yield to the peace option.

Solidarity from Muslim nations with the Palestinian cause is a historical and natural one that stems from blood relationship and the adherence to the teachings of our religion. On this occasion I cannot but renew the call for peoples, with their different persuasions, to seek inspiration from their religions, moral values and traditions which may guide their path when dealing with the issue of this people, for such inspirations cannot bring about but all the support and backing for the established Palestinian rights and assisting it to determine its future with complete freedom. We must, in this regard, underline the importance of observing international resolutions and laws, and of convening the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, which was endorsed by the world community as a track towards settlement and an avenue for solving the issue that constitutes the essence and substance of the Middle East conflict, and thus threatens peace and security not only in the region but in the whole world where current inclinations of rapproachement will remain incomplete until such centers of grave tension have been remedied and standards of justice, right values and principles of freedom have been applied to everyone without discrimination and selectivity so that peace may be prevalent and comprehensive, while stability and prosperity encompass everyone without exception.

LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

H.E. Mr. Phoumi Vongvichith, Acting President

of the Lao People's Democratic Republic

[Original: French]

On this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I should like, on behalf of the Lao Government and people, to express our steadfast support for the just struggle of the Palestinian people to recover its rights to self-determination and national independence.

My country, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, also wishes to reaffirm its recognition of the Palestinian State, which was proclaimed at Algiers by the Palestine National Council at its nineteenth special session. We are convinced that the problem of the Middle East, to which the question of Palestine is central, calls for a comprehensive settlement. In that regard, the Lao People's Democratic Republic supports the idea of the convening as a matter of urgency, under the auspices of the United Nations, of an international conference on the Middle East, in which the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, would participate on an equal footing with all the parties directly concerned.

The occupied territories are currently in a state of constant ferment on account of Israeli oppression and repression.

The intifadah, the popular uprising which constitutes the most vital manifestation of the courage and determination of this martyr people in its struggle against the forces of occupation, deserves the admiration and support of the entire international community. The Lao People's Democratic Republic calls for an immediate halt to the inhumane repression to which Israel is subjecting the innocent civilian population.

The occupying Power must comply scrupulously with the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly on the question of Palestine.

MALAYSIA

H.E. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Government and people of Malaysia join the international community in reaffirming our continued support for and commitment to the Palestinian people in its historic, valiant and just struggle for the restitution of its inalienable rights.

For over four decades, the Palestinian people had valiantly struggled against the terrorist attacks inflicted by the Israeli usurpers. The Tel Aviv regime has persisted in bloodshed and killing, suppression of freedoms, demolition of houses, plundering of properties and desecration of sanctuaries. Such acts of terrorism have been increasingly evident in the many incidents during the intifadah. It is without the slightest doubt that the acts and practices waged by Israel against the Palestinian people inside the occupied territories are in flagrant violation of the rules of international law and moral values or respect for the many United Nations documents and resolutions adopted and the most elementary rules of civilized behaviour.

During the past 44 years of its existence, the United Nations has adopted countless resolutions on the question of Palestine. However, Israel, as arrogant and expansionist as ever, continues to defy them time and again with impunity. Israel continues to deny the people of Palestine the exercise of its inalienable national rights including the rights to return, to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on its homeland.

The obstacles created by Israel should not dishearten the determination of the international community to rid the world of one of the most serious anomalies of recent history. While condemning Israel for its continued arrogance and intransigence, Malaysia calls on the international community to intensify its efforts and to work together to implement the United Nations resolutions pertaining to the rights of the Palestinian people to its homeland. Malaysia fully supports the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East beginning with the urgent consideration of the situation in the Middle East in the Security Council and of the establishment of a preparatory committee for the Conference. It is with these thoughts in mind that Malaysia expresses the fervent hope that the forthcoming United Nations Asian Regional Seminar and Non-Governmental Organizations Symposium on the Question of Palestine, to be held from 18 to 22 December 1989 at Kuala Lumpur, would lead to a greater awareness and understanding of the Palestine question and to a galvanizing of support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in the international struggle for liberation and statehood.

On behalf of the Government and people of Malaysia, I wish to reiterate Malaysia's firm and unswerving support for a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the problem of Palestine in order that the Palestinian people will be able to exercise its inalienable right to an independent homeland, Finally, I should also like to convey to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Malaysia's whole-hearted encouragement and support for the commendable work it has done in championing the rights of the oppressed people of Palestine.

MALTA

H.E. Dr. Edward Fenech Adami, Prime Minister of Malta

On this important occasion of the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I wish to reiterate, on behalf of the Government and people of Malta, our steadfast support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people to a State of its own. It is to be recalled that Malta was one of the first countries to welcome and acknowledge the important Declaration adopted by the Palestine National Council at Algiers one year ago, Since then Malta has increased its active support for initiatives aimed at promoting peace in the region and for the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people through peaceful means.

The Government of Malta, in welcoming the positive steps taken by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to embark on a peaceful process for an early solution to the question of Palestine, cannot remain indifferent to the troubled situation still prevailing in the occupied Palestinian territories. The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people are still being denied. The tension, violence and incidents which have occurred in the occupied Palestinian territories during the last 12 months give rise to serious concern.

At a time when the international community has enthusiastically welcomed the relaxation of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union, when solutions to many regional conflicts are within sight, it is incumbent upon all of us, but in particular the Israelis and the Palestinians, to keep the search for a political solution of the question of Palestine high on the international agenda.  We continue to support the early convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East with the participation of all the parties to the conflict on an equal footing, including the PLO.  Malta commends the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General as well as those undertaken by other countries to bring a lasting and comprehensive solution to the question of Palestine. Malta wishes to reiterate its support for these constructive efforts. Malta also reaffirms its solidarity with the Palestinian people in the attainment of its inalienable rights.

MAURITIUS

H.E. Mr. Anerood Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius

It is a great honour and privilege for me to address this message to you on behalf of the Government and people of Mauritius on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

The uprising of the Palestinian population against occupation in December 1987 and the proclamation of the Independent State of Palestine almost a year later at the historic Algiers meeting in November 1988 were landmarks in the struggle of the Palestinian people for its inalienable rights.

The initiation of dialogue between the United States and the Palestine Liberation Organization as a result was welcomed as a positive contribution towards a political settlement of the crisis.

Unfortunately, no progress is possible under a continuous climate of violence and repression, In fact, since the beginning of the intifadah in December 1987, repeated violations of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms have increased to alarming proportion in the occupied territories.

The situation has been made worse by a deliberate policy of annexation with grave consequence for the civilian population, especially children.

The solution must be found both inside Israel and internationally. Israel must accept the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the holding of democratic elections as part of a comprehensive peace process leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. Interna­tionally, the preparation for an international peace conference on the Middle East, under the auspices of the United Nations, must be pursued as the most effective way to achieve a comprehensive settlement. Let our solidarity on this auspicious occasion contribute to the achievement of this goal.

NIGERIA

H.E. General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,

President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

On behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, I have the honour to extend through you and your Committee fervent greetings and whole-hearted support to the Palestinian people on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The struggle which it has put up since 1947 in order to achieve its goal of self-determination and national independence in Palestine represents the commitment of a people who has refused to be dominated by an occupying Power. Apart from the denial of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people which has resulted in its sufferings over the years, its natural resources have been plundered with little left for it as owner of the land. Yet, the refusal to succumb to the occupying Power, the determination to survive, has come to be symbolized in the intifadah. It is my sincere hope that the Palestinian people would succeed and eventually triumph in its just struggle.

PAKISTAN

H.E. Mrs. Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto,

Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

We join the international community today in paying our tributes to the Palestinian people for its heroic struggle to regain its homeland, braving the unspeakably brutal repression unleashed by the Israeli forces of occupation.

On this occasion, I reiterate the unstinted support and solidarity of the Government and people of Pakistan with the just cause of our Palestinian brothers.

The two-year-old Palestinian uprising in the West Bank and Gaza, which shows no sign of abating despite the stepped up Israeli atrocities, has uncovered the ugly face of Zionist imperialism and the arrogance and temerity with which it blatantly violates the basic rights of the inhabitants of the occupied Arab territories. Israeli barbarism and its attempts at brutalizing the unarmed Palestinians are a manifestation of its contemptuous propensity to act and behave in reckless disregard of international opinion.

We remain deeply concerned at the continued deterioration of the situation in the occupied Arab lands, including Jerusalem. Pakistan has been steadfast in demanding Israeli withdrawal from these territories and has expressed itself unambiguously against the massive abuse of the human rights of the Palestinian people.

On behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan and on my own behalf, I renew our pledge that we will march hand in hand with the fraternal people of Palestine in its irrepressible advance towards its cherished goal under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization.  

PHILIPPINES

H.E. Mrs. Corazon C. Aquino,

President of the Republic of the Philippines

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Government and people of the Philippines join the international community in reaffirming its continued support for and commitment to the just cause of the Palestinian people in its just struggle to regain its inalienable rights under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The intifadah of the Palestinian people in the Israeli-occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which is now on its second year, is but the inevitable result when a long-suffering people can no longer bend under the yoke of foreign domination. The senseless deaths, mostly of young and innocent Palestinians, and the endless cycle of tragedy and violence resulting from Israel's desperate response to the intifadah, underscores the urgent necessity of reaching a comprehensive and lasting settlement to the question of Palestine, which is at the root of the conflict in the Middle East.

In this regard, the Philippines reaffirms on this solemn day its belief that the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and peace and security of all States in the region could only be attained through the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of all parties to the conflict, including the PLO, on an equal footing, and the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Finally, I take this opportunity to pay a tribute to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its untiring efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the question of Palestine.

QATAR

His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani,

Emir of the State of Qatar

[Original: Arabic]

I am delighted, on this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, to express my deepest appreciation to your distinguished Committee, on behalf of the Government and people of the State of Qatar, for your continuing valuable and constructive efforts both to assist the steadfast Palestinian Arab people and to expose Israel's racist endeavours to obliterate that people's rights and destroy its national identity – and even its very existence – as a people whose roots stretch far back into history.

Despite all the past and continuing sufferings of the fraternal Palestinian people under the tyranny of Israeli occupation and the most abhorrent forms of repression, violence, banishment and expulsion, that courageous people a few days ago celebrated the first anniversary of the declaration of its independent State, The decision to make that declaration was a result of the people's uprising, now about to enter its third year, which represents one of the most splendid examples of courage and heroism in the annals of resistance to hated foreign occupation.

In Palestine, the world is today witnessing a continuing courageous struggle which has demonstrated its ability to deal with changing regional and international circumstances in a positive spirit, Meanwhile, in the Arab world, it sees respect and support for the Palestinian movement and for the steps taken by Arab States to propagate peace in the Middle East, On the international level, it sees broad recognition of the Palestinian State and a determination to ensure that the Palestinian people is enabled to exercise its legitimate rights.

In the face of these Palestinians, Arab and international moves in pursuit of a just peace, Israel, as we see, is seeking to procrastinate, to act with contempt, to preserve the status quo and even to move the process backwards by denying the historic development and the benefits which it has brought for Palestinians as a result of their heroic battle for freedom and dignity.

In the face of resolutions adopted by the United Nations on the basis of international law, which emphasize the right to self-determination and independence by the Palestinian people, we see that Israel insists on treating the occupied Arab territories as a part of Greater Israel, in accordance with claims based simply on the logic of injustice and aggression. We also see it persisting in the use of its war machine to slay defenceless civilians who have only stones with which to defend themselves and deliberately perpetrating crimes by the construction of settlements, the demolition of homes, the conduct of mass trials, the closing of schools and universities, the suspension of all forms of education and the violation of the freedoms of Islamic holy places, thus maintaining its spirit of barbaric aggression against all Arabs and Muslims.

In the light of this situation, which is incompatible with international legal instruments, human customs and the principles of honour and morality, we must do our utmost to take advantage of the positive changes in international positions brought about by the Palestinian uprising, with a view to encouraging greater efforts on the part of the international community to help put an end to the sufferings of the Palestinian people and to bring about a just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine. The best way of achieving such a settlement, by unanimous interna­tional agreement, is to convene an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, to be attended by the parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, in its capacity as the sole representative of the Palestinian people, and by the five permanent members of the Security Council.

The State of Qatar, which has always stood by the fraternal Palestinian people in its glorious struggle to recover the territory and rights which have been usurped from it, wishes on this occasion to reaffirm its full support for the noble efforts undertaken by your distinguished Committee to help and assist that people to win back its freedom and establish its own independent State on its national soil, thus ensuring that true peace reigns and that security and stability prevail in the Middle East region.

SENEGAL

H.E. Mr. Abdou Diouf, President of the Republic of Senegal

[Original: French]

For Senegal, the commemoration on 29 November 1989 of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is not just a symbolic gesture but a highly significant expression of renewed support by the international community as a whole for that valiant people in its heroic struggle against domination and oppression.

Last year, on the same occasion, there was reason to hope that a just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question was imminent However, 23 months after the launching of the intifadah, the situation in the occupied territories continued to deteriorate dangerously as was demonstrated by the particularly violent and bloody raids carried out on 20 September 1989 against the innocent population of the town of Beit Sahur, which was placed under a state of siege.

Despite the obstacles and pitfalls that lie ahead, all hope will not be lost if the international community as a whole steps up its efforts to put an end to the daily sufferings of the Palestinian people, by helping it to exercise its inalienable rights and to achieve its legitimate aspirations for peace, freedom and dignity.

In this connection, all members of the Security Council have a duty, pursuant to the many resolutions adopted by the United Nations, to take urgent action to enable Palestinians living in the occupied territories to finally enjoy the full benefit of the relevant provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949.

It is of course understood that above and beyond this immediate action, efforts will have to focus on the search for a final solution of the Palestinian question.

This is an appropriate moment to reaffirm that, in the opinion of the people and Government of Senegal, such a settlement must be envisaged in the context of an international peace conference on the Middle East, held under United Nations auspices, with the constructive participation of not only the five permanent members of the Security Council but also all the parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), its sole and legitimate representative.

There could be no better occasion than the commemoration, with customary enthusiasm, of this important day, for Senegal to reiterate its commitment to continued support for the just and noble Palestinian cause and to renew its steadfast support for the many initiatives and prudent recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People aimed at promoting a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine.

May the world very soon see the winds of peace blowing over the Middle East so that hatred, blind passion and wanton violence may at last give way there to concord, brotherhood and respect for the fundamental freedoms of the human person.

All that is needed is moral and political courage and a spirit of openness, mutual understanding and tolerance on the part of all concerned, with encouragement and support from peace- and justice-loving countries as a whole.

Senegal, for its part, is more than ever determined to continue working towards that goal, so that the Arab-Israeli conflict can come to a much desired end and so that the necessary conditions can really be created for establishing a State of Palestine that is recognized internationally in its full and complete sovereignty and for securing peace in the Middle East.

SIERRA LEONE

H.E. Major-General Dr. Joseph Saidu Momoh, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone

In support of its fundamental human rights, this year's observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People takes place at a time when great changes are gaining momentum throughout the world. One would hope that the developments which have begun to broaden the horizons of freedom to many people should now be extended to the Middle East to bring fulfilment to the aspirations of the Palestinian people.

In marking this year's Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we wish to focus on the uprising, the intifadah, in the occupied Palestinian territories where many Palestinians are still living under harsh and intolerable conditions, We believe that the observance of this Day is intended not as a mere ceremonial exercise but as an occasion for intense global reflection on the record and prospects of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination and independence.

We also believe that today's meeting is of particular importance since it is taking place against the background of an ever deteriorating situation in the occupied territories despite the international community's protests.

Since 9 December 1987 when the Palestinian uprising, the intifadah, against Israeli occupation started, over 40,000 people have been arrested, many of them women and children; 4,000 miscarriages owing to the use of highly toxic tear-gas have been recorded; and over 11,400 deaths. The repression by the occupying forces has worsened. Brutal methods have been employed resulting in the widespread destruction of property, serious injury, humiliation, and other violations of human rights, not to mention Israel's pursuit of its illegal settlements policy.

The Government and people of Sierra Leone urge the international community to take appropriate steps to relieve the sufferings of the Palestinian people and we call on Israel to respect her obligations under the provisions of the fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949. We call for the implementation of all relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on this question and in particular, resolution 242 (1967).

On this occasion, the Government and people of Sierra Leone cannot help but point out that the struggle of the Palestinian people is a direct result of a policy of denial of its fundamental rights. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its work and we salute the Palestinian people for its heroism.

SPAIN

H.E. Mr. Felipe Gonzales, President of the Government of Spain

[Original: Spanish]

On the occasion of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Spanish Government reiterates its firm position in favour of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The Spanish Government is convinced that the best way to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East is to hold an international peace conference on the Middle East, under the auspices of the United Nations, and that the Palestine Liberation Organization must participate in that process. These views are set forth in the Madrid Declaration adopted by the Twelve at the last European Council.

Spain deplores the continuing deterioration in the situation in the occupied territories and the resulting suffering for their population, and insistently calls for the application of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council as well as compliance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949.

My country supports the choice of the course of negotiation made by the Palestine National Council in Algiers and considers that adherence by the Palestinian leadership to this line of action requires an appropriate response from the international community.

The Spanish Government considers that the present time is particularly propitious for the opening of a direct dialogue between the parties involved, and expresses its complete willingness to continue to support initiatives in that direction that will enable progress to be made towards an overall settlement of the conflict.

SRI LANKA

H.E. Mr. R. Premadasa, President of the

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

The commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People helps to focus world attention on the plight of the Palestinian people.

The tension and instability in the Middle East is due to a failure to settle the Palestinian question. Peace and security cannot be established in this region unless the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people are restored. Israel has to withdraw from occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories.

A number of initiatives are being taken in respect of the question of Palestine. No settlement will be enduring or just unless the views of the Palestinian people are taken into consideration.  Its representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization, must be represented in negotiations on the question.

Sri Lanka believes that an international conference, convened under the aegis of the United Nations, would be the most effective forum to address this issue. The United Nations is being increasingly recognized as the focal point for the settlement of vexed international issues. It is our earnest hope that the necessary political will be exerted to bring stability to a region long denied peace.

Sri Lanka has consistently supported the just cause of the Palestinian people. My Government was one of the first to extend recognition to the State of Palestine.

I wish the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People all success in its efforts to secure peace in the Middle East and the restoration of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

SUDAN

H.E. Lieutenant General Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir,

Chairman of the National Salvation Revolutionary Council and

President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of the Sudan

[Original: Arabic]

It gives me great pleasure to address you today on behalf of the people and Government of the Sudan on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, that most prominent among peoples struggling to regain its legitimate rights.

The proclamation by the United Nations of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is a decisive affirmation of the international community's concern about the just cause of the Palestinian people and gives clear expression to the renewed and growing support of the peoples of the world for the Palestinian cause.

The international community has reaffirmed on numerous occasions, through United Nations resolutions and those of other international and regional forums, that the Palestinian question is the core and essence of the conflict in the Middle East and that without a just and lasting solution, peace cannot be achieved in that region. Such a solution must include the complete withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Palestinian Arab territories, Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of an independent and fully sovereign State.

The intifadah of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has resulted in numerous martyrs, challenging the machinery of organized terrorism of the rulers in Tel Aviv and reaffirming that this people will not weaken and that its resolve will not be deflected by the guns of Israeli tyranny From this rostrum we salute the struggle of the children of the stones and their heroic revolution.

From the dawn of its independence, the people of the Sudan has fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Palestinian people, On this occasion, it reiterates its solidarity with and support for the Palestinian people until its victory.

In conclusion, I should like to reiterate my country's appreciation of the pioneering role played by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. We commend the achievements of the Committee and hope that its efforts will lead to the desired objectives, We proclaim our full support for the Committee's efforts.

SURINAME

H.E. Mr. Ramsewak Shankar, President of the Republic of Suriname

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People I would like to reiterate, on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Suriname, our unswerving support for and commitment to the Palestinian people in its valiant and arduous struggle for justice, liberation and peace.

My Government has time and again stated that a just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question can only be achieved on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, the withdrawal of Israel from territories occupied since 1967 and recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including its right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign State. Through the intifadah, the Palestinian people has affirmed before the world its decision to free itself from Israeli occupation and to abide by this decision whatever sacrifice it has to pay.

I take this opportunity to pledge our solidarity with the brave and heroic Palestinian people and urge that an international peace conference on the Middle East be convened with the participation of all parties concerned, including the Palestinians, so that a durable and comprehensive peace settlement can be achieved.

THAILAND

H.E. General Chatichai Choonhavan, Prime Minister of Thailand

On the occasion to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I would like to reiterate, on behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, our firm and consistent support for the just and legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, Thailand firmly believes that the Palestinian people are entitled to exercise its inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), its sole and legitimate representative.

To this end, Thailand supports all the efforts of the United Nations towards a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian question in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and other relevant resolutions. We also support the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations.

Thailand welcomes recent developments which have helped to produce conditions favourable for the peace process in the Middle East. We hope that the acceptance by the PLO of resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) as well as a series of diplomatic efforts will help to further generate dialogue among all the regional parties concerned, paving the way to a durable peace in the region.

Notwithstanding these positive developments, Thailand remains concerned about the living conditions of the Palestinian people. The ongoing intifadah in the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip has resulted in the death and suffering of hundreds of Palestinians, The need to provide assistance to these unfortunate people, particularly the Palestinian refugees, is well recognized by Thailand. Therefore, the Thai Government has maintained, since 1960, its contribution to help relieve the plight of Palestinians through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), This consistent support will be sustained to help the work of UNRWA and to help alleviate the miseries of the Palestinians.

I wish to take this occasion to pay a tribute to the invaluable efforts of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. By participating as an observer in the work of the Committee, Thailand hopes to do whatever it can in support of the Committee's commendable endeavour to promote the just cause of the Palestinian people.

TUNISIA

H.E. Mr. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali,

President of the Republic of Tunisia

[Original: Arabic]

On the occasion of the twelfth observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it gives me pleasure to salute the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. I commend the Committee's support for the Palestinian people and its continuing efforts to inform international public opinion of the tragic situation existing in the occupied territories and to appeal to it to assist that people in its struggle for the restoration of its usurped rights and the establishment of an independent State in its own land under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), its sole legitimate representative.

This observance coincides with the second anniversary of the outbreak of the "revolution of the stones" and the launching of the valiant intifadah, which is continuing despite the sundry methods of suppression and multifarious forms of torture and murder with which the Israeli occupation authorities are countering it, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded and detained.

This observance also coincides with the first anniversary of the proclamation of the State of Palestine, which has proved the wisdom and clear-sightedness of the Palestinian leadership. Just as the emergence of the Palestinian State has won for the cause of Palestine increased support from the many States that cherish justice and peace, it also reveals Israel's intransigence and its aggressive character.

Tunisia, in noting with the greatest regret Israel's obstruction of all initiatives aimed at solving the Palestine problem and its endeavour to misrepresent and minimize the question of Palestine, calls upon the friends of Israel to bring pressure to bear on it to respond positively to such endeavours, just as it calls upon the international community to resist Israel's policy in the occupied territories, its violation of moral values and its assaults against human rights.

Tunisia, in calling upon all those States that cherish justice and peace to recognize the State of Palestine, is of the view that no solution to the problem of the Palestinian people can be achieved without the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations and with the participation of the permanent members of the Security Council and all the parties concerned, including the PLO, on an equal footing.

I urge your distinguished Committee to continue its constructive efforts, and extol once more its humanitarian work I express the hope that the Palestine issue will shortly witness positive development towards that just solution which will secure the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in its own land so that it may, like other peoples, enjoy respect and dignity.

TURKEY

H.E. Mr. Yildirim Akbulut,

Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey

On the occasion of the twelfth anniversary of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it is a source of pleasure for me to reaffirm, on behalf of my Government and on my own behalf, our firm support for and solidarity with the valiant Palestinian people in its just struggle for the achievement of its legitimate rights.

This commemoration coincides with a crucial period not only from the point of view of the intifadah in the occupied Arab territories, but also from that of the peace efforts aimed at finding a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine, which is the crux of the Middle East issue. In this context, I am pleased to note that over the past year there has been a steadily growing support and sympathy for the legitimate cause of the Palestinian people. On the one hand, the intifadah, going on for almost two years, continued to underscore the urgent need for accelerating the peace efforts and on the other, the realistic and constructive policy consistently pursued during and since the last Palestine National Council by the Palestinians, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), has continued to gain more understanding and recognition in the international community, In fact, the number of countries which have so far recognized the newly established Palestinian State is clear evidence in this regard.

We believe that the circumstances have never been more propitious than at present for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the region, where all the parties in the region will be able to live side by side in secure and internationally recognized boundaries.. In this context, for the positive and realistic attitude of the PLO to be meaningful for the peace process, it is now necessary for Israel to take steps expected of her by the international community and respond to the PLO in the same constructive spirit. It is our earnest hope and desire that the current efforts will soon contribute to initiating the long desired Palestinian-Israeli dialogue with a view to making the peace process move forward.

I also wish to commend, on this occasion, the persistent efforts made by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People under your able leadership to promote a wider awareness of the question of Palestine and thus contribute to fostering a stronger sympathy and support in the international community in this regard.

I take this opportunity to reiterate the best wishes of the Turkish nation and the Turkish Government to the Palestinian people in its future efforts towards achieving a just and lasting peace in the region.

UGANDA

H.E. Mr. Yoweri K. Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda

As you meet to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I wish on behalf of the Government and people of Uganda to commend you and the members of your Committee for working so tirelessly to mobilize world-wide awareness of the heinous crimes Israel has committed and continues to commit against the Palestinian people. Israel has displaced, murdered, maimed Palestinians. In committing all these crimes, Israel has been encouraged by a certain member of the Security Council on the pretext that its interests mesh with those of the murderous regime.

The heroic intifadah, now in its second year, is a spontaneous and legitimate reaction to the Zionist repression. We totally support this struggle which, whether Israel and her supporters like it or not, will lead to a free and independent State of Palestine.

We also support an international peace conference on the Middle East in which all parties to the conflict, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, must participate without pre-condition, let or hindrance.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahayan,

President of the United Arab Emirates

[Original: Arabic]

On behalf of the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, I salute you and the members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and convey our thanks and appreciation for your noble and persistent efforts to enable the Palestinian people to attain its national rights, including the right of return, the right of self-determination and the right to establish an independent Palestinian State on Palestinian soil.

I also avail myself of the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People to reaffirm to you our solidarity with that embattled people and our full support for it in its just and honourable struggle for freedom and independence.

We consider this annual observance to be a confirmation of the commitment we all have to remove the injustice which has befallen the Palestinian people and to correct the grave error committed against it by the powers of evil, tyranny and aggression.

This observance consecrates the commitment of the United Nations to work to enable the Palestinian people to obtain its full rights in the same way as other peoples, on the basis of the values and the divine laws of the revealed religions and in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations

This year's observance is all the more significant because it comes at the beginning of the third year of the Palestinian intifadah, which is a source of pride and glory for us all. The heroes of the stones have shown that boys' arms are harder than the iron of tanks, that stones are more forceful than bullets and that right, even stripped of all arms save that of faith, is stronger than the forces of falsehood bristling with weapons of iron and fire.

The Palestinian people, with its young boys and girls, its old people and its children, has given the most illustrious example of heroism and self-sacrifice, It fears neither the usurper's assault nor the tyranny of the oppressor. Its faith is more powerful than its distress; its hopes for future freedom provide the sustenance to enable it to endure its continuing torment. So it will persist until the promised day when the sun of freedom shall shine upon it and it shall live in freedom and dignity in its native land. That day is not far off.

Yet, we must not abandon it; we cannot ignore what has befallen it We must come to its assistance with our full determination and force to end the odious Israeli occupation of its land. We must work singly and together to support it and to hasten the day when it shall exercise its right to self-determination, and consequently, independence. We must work with all the machinery and deterrents provided by the Charter of the United Nations to end the occupation and enable the Palestinian people to attain the full and undiminished enjoyment of all its national rights, Those boys and girls expect this of us, and we must not disappoint it in its expectations May God bless your progress and support you in your noble efforts until a just and comprehensive peace is brought to the Middle East.

VANUATU

H.E. Mr. Walter H. Lini, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Government and people of the Republic of Vanuatu salute its historic resistance to those who would deny not only its human rights, but also its every existence.

As historic winds of change blow across much of the world, we note that the people of Palestine are not yet free to govern itself and to live in peace in its own homeland. Those who have participated in the historic intifadah have earned the respect of the rest of the world, Their bravery is an inspiration. Their commitment to freedom, justice and equality are manifestations of their belief in the future of mankind.

We join in remembering the martyrs of the Palestinian cause. We also join in prayers for a just and lasting solution to one of the international community's oldest and most intractable problems.

VIET NAM

H.E. Mr. Du Muoi, Chairman of the Council of Ministers

of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People observed by the United Nations every 29 November, I would like to extend to you and through you, to the heroic people and combatants of Palestine, our militant solidarity and warmest greetings.

Over the last 40 years, the Palestinian people has been carrying out a staunch struggle against the Israeli authorities' barbarous policy of expansion and terrorism, for the realization of its sacred national rights, including its right to return, self-determination and the establishment of an independent, sovereign State of Palestine, The Palestinian people's intifadah against the Israeli occupation forces and the establishment of the State of Palestine on 15 November 1988 are important events marking the maturity and a further victory of the struggle of the Palestinian people.

Together with the freedom- and peace-loving countries the world over, the Government and people of Viet Nam reaffirm their constant support for the just struggle of the Palestinian people for its inalienable rights. The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam supports the early convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East with the participation on an equal footing of all parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, with a view to achieving a stable and lasting peace in the Middle East, thus putting an end to the sufferings of the Palestinian people. The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam holds that a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East-Palestinian question must be based on the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Palestinian and Arab territories illegally occupied and on the recognition of the fundamental national rights of the Palestinian people.

We rejoice at the new achievements of the Palestinian resistance and firmly convinced that, with the world-wide support of the entire progressive humanity, the arduous struggle of the Palestinian people is bound to achieve final victory.

YEMEN ARAB REPUBLIC

H.E. Colonel Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Yemen Arab Republic,

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Secretary-General of the General People's Congress

[Original: Arabic]

As we commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it is my pleasure to transmit to you, and to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, my sincerest greetings and best wishes as well as my profound gratitude for the excellent efforts undertaken by the Committee to defend what is right and to assist the cause of justice, with a view to permitting the Palestinian people to exercise the legitimate rights of which it has been deprived for almost half a century.

As you know, the Zionists have not contented themselves with usurping the land and property of the Palestinian people but have also stripped its members of their political and civil rights, prevented them from exercising their personal and public freedoms and conducted sundry forms of brutal repression against them. They have also used every means at their disposal to impose boycotts and prevent children from receiving education, not to speak of killing, eviction and terrorism.

As the distinguished Committee is well aware, there is no people on the face of the earth which has suffered as much as the Palestinian people since the end of the Second World War and the emergence of the usurper Zionist entity from the debris of nazism. That entity, with the utmost arrogance, is practicing repression and tyranny against a defenceless people which is seeking only to exercise its legitimate human rights.

The uprising of the Palestinians in the occupied territories is but a reflection of the brutal repression, devastation and inhuman practices which they are enduring at the hands of the Zionists, Since the Palestinians found nothing to defend their life and existence other than the stones which so generously abounded in their land, they used those stones to show the world their anger and wrath at the Zionist occupation forces, which are laying siege to them, persecuting them, killing them or driving them from the homes and huts of which some are demolished each day.

While this happens, advocates of human rights look on as if Palestinians were not human beings and as if Zionist brutality was not brutality.

However long the Zionists continue to defy United Nations resolutions and the findings of your distinguished Committee, justice will in the end prevail and rights will be restored to those who are legitimately entitled to them.

We pray that God may give you and your distinguished Committee success in your noble humanitarian mission.

B. Messages from Ministers/Secretaries for Foreign Affairs

ARGENTINA

H.E. Dr. Domingo Cavallo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship

[Original: Spanish]

On the day on which the United Nations is observing the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Argentine Government wishes to reaffirm its continued concern at the serious deterioration of living conditions in the occupied territories and to draw attention to the urgent need for the parties to initiate a move towards an understanding on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).

At a time when mankind is moving towards a new international phase of dialogue and détente, the failure to make progress in resolving the question of Palestine constitutes a regrettable and dangerous anachronism. The parties have an unavoidable responsibility to take decisive steps towards a just and peaceful solution of this serious problem.

The Argentine Government once again reaffirms its support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to full self-determination and independence in its own territory as well as the right of all States in the region to live within secure and internationally recognized boundaries.

BOLIVIA

H.E. Mr. Carlos Iturralde, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship

[Original: Spanish]

In observing the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the people and Government of Bolivia renew their solidarity with the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people to achieve the implementation of General Assembly resolution 181 (II) of 29 September 1947.

Bolivia also wishes to express on this solemn occasion its satisfaction at the increasing international consensus regarding the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination through a comprehensive settlement, including a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian problem in all its aspects.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

H.E. Mr. Michel Gbezera-Bria,

Minister for Foreign Affairs

[Original: French]

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it is with great pleasure that I extend my warm and heartfelt congratulations on your many tireless efforts to make international public opinion aware of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and independence.

At a time when there are signs everywhere that situations which could threaten international peace and security are on the verge of a peaceful settlement, we are forced to acknowledge that the Middle East is still far from joining in this trend.

Since the Palestinian question is the key to genuine peace, all the parties must respond favourably to the repeated appeals by the international community for a solution to this question which is the sine qua non for a just and lasting peace in that part of the world,

CHAD

H.E. Mahamat Boukhari Abdelbagui, Secretary of State

of the Republic of Chad, on behalf of H.E. Mr. Acheik Ibn Oumar,

Minister for Foreign Affairs

[Original: French]

On the occasion of the commemoration on 29 November of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have great honour in renewing, through the Committee of which you are Chairman, the steadfast support of the Government and people of Chad for the Palestinian people in its struggle to regain its inalienable rights.

The proclamation of the State of Palestine on 15 November 1988 at Algiers is proof of that people's advance towards independence and that martyred people's total acceptance of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council relating to the settlement of the Palestinian problem is an unprecedented act of courage. Lastly, the intifadah is the supreme manifestation of that people's determination to shake off, at the cost of human lives, the yoke of Israeli occupation.

Chad has supported and continues to support the idea of holding an international conference under United Nations auspices to find a just and lasting solution to this question.

This memorable day affords me an opportunity to reiterate the solidarity and sympathy of my Government and people with the martyred Palestinian people for its courage and steadfast determination.

The fundamental objectives of the United Nations, which include international peace and security, can be achieved only through respect for the rights of individuals and peoples, particularly the right of the Palestinian people to regain its legitimate inalienable rights, namely independence, sovereignty and recovery of its land occupied by Israel.

Lastly, Madam Chairman, I have the honour to extend once again to the Committee my warm congratulations on its noble task of defending the rights of peoples still under foreign domination.

COLOMBIA

H.E. Mr. Julio Londoño Paredes, Minister for Foreign Affairs

[Original: Spanish]

On the occasion of the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I should like to express my appreciation of the work conducted by the Committee under your able chairmanship and my best wishes for the attainment of the just aspirations of the Palestinian people.

By its unqualified adherence to the principles of international law, Colombia has supported all efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful settlement of disputes, the self-determination of peoples and respect for human rights.

Accordingly, we have supported all initiatives concerning the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations, which would guarantee the right of all the peoples of that region to live within secure and internationally recognized boundaries.

GABON

H.E. Mr. Ali Bongo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation

[Original: French]]

The observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People constitutes an opportunity for my country, the Government and the Gabonese people as a whole to express their support for the Palestinian people

Gabon, which welcomed the recent decisions taken during the meeting of the Palestine National Council held at Algiers in November 1988, of which the creation of the State of Palestine remains the manifestation, cannot ignore its feelings of concern at the failure so far to initiate a process of genuine negotiations among all the parties concerned.

At a time when the super-Powers are turning from confrontation to dialogue, and when previously unimaginable situations have arisen, there has never been a greater need to reaffirm the relevance of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).

The uprising in the occupied territories, the intifadah, in the course of which thousands of persons have died or have been wounded or arrested, constitutes proof which should enable the international community to bring Israel and all parties to the conflict to the negotiating table.

It is in this spirit that Gabon, as its Minister for Foreign Affairs stated not long ago in his message on 22 October 1989 to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session, recognized the State of Palestine, and maintains diplomatic relations with it.

It is also for this reason that Gabon endorses the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East under the auspices of the United Nations, with the participation of all parties concerned, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the authentic representative of the Palestinian people.

At a time when the Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, in his report on the work of the Organization of September 1989, expressed his concerns with regard to the Middle East as follows: "The longer such a process is delayed, the greater will be the difficulties in initiating it and the more explosive the situation can become," Gabon calls upon Israel not only to negotiate, but to recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination as a pre-condition for settling the conflict in that part of the world.

The situation in the Middle East should not lag behind the current trends in international relations. Only concerted action by all the parties concerned, with the PLO's demonstrated commitment to negotiate, could lead to a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the region.

As the second millennium dawns, Gabon hopes that, after the adoption of numerous resolutions by both the Security Council and the General Assembly, the Middle East conflict will also be the subject of intensive negotiations within the Organization which will lead to a just and equitable settlement and a lasting peace in the region.

May the observance of this Day by all Members of the United Nations lead the attainment of that goal.

GREECE

H.E. Mr. Antonis Samaras, Minister for Foreign Affairs

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Greece pays a tribute to its courageous and unyielding struggle.

Traditionally, Greece has sided by peoples fighting for their right to self-determination. Concerning the Middle East problem, we have always held firm positions regarding the procedure as well as the general solution that would put an end to the suffering of the peoples in the region. The Palestinian question lies at the core of the Middle East problem, the solution of which is a pre-condition for establishing peace and prosperity in the region.

We hold that only by means of an international conference, under the auspices of the United Nations, can a fair and stable peace be established in the region. Such a development will by no means jeopardize the right of all the States in the region to exist within safe and internationally recognized borders.

Greece welcomed the positive decisions adopted by the Palestine National Council convened last year in Algiers. My country considers that these decisions contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions and the moral obligation for the international community to find the right approach to the Palestinian question, which is the convening of an international conference.

Greece, in particular, does not support plans which ignore the role of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); this would bring the problem to a stalemate. The present situation, not only in the occupied territories but also elsewhere in the region, stresses the urgent need for a solution without delay.

Such a perspective is no doubt in Israel's long-term interests as well. In this sense, we expect the Israeli Government to rise to the occasion by entering into direct negotiations with the PLO that could pave the way for a global solution of the problem.

Greece has consistently supported the mission of the United Nations and the work of its specialized agency, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

Moreover, my country is deeply concerned about the situation in the occupied territories, condemns all repressive practices against the Palestinian people and will spare no effort aiming at bringing to an end violations of human rights and of international law in the occupied territories.

It is our firm belief that the Middle East peoples, who have suffered so much for so long, deserve a lasting peace to lead them to prosperity.

JAPAN

H.E. Mr. Taro Nakayama, Minister for Foreign Affairs

On the twelfth International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I wish to extend cordial greetings on behalf of the Government of Japan.

In the course of the past year, important progress has been made towards a resolution of the question of Palestine. In particular, international attention was focused on the United. Nations General Assembly special session in Geneva last December and the peace initiative taken by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) following the nineteenth Palestine National Council The Government of Japan highly appreciates the statement of Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO, at Geneva, indicating the organization's recognition of the right of Israel to exist and its rejection of terrorism.  It is widely recognized that these realistic and moderate PLO policies have led to the opening of the dialogue between the United States and the PLO and have strengthened the position of the PLO as a responsible partner.

Considering the important position of the PLO in the international community, and in order to encourage its realistic and moderate policies, the Government of Japan invited Chairman Arafat for meetings with Prime Minister Kaifu and Minister for Foreign Affairs Nakayama as well as with other government and political leaders. They conducted useful discussions on the ways and means to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Japan has made clear on many occasions its support for the convening of an international conference as a framework for peace talks. Japan is of the view that promoting the peace process through a pragmatic step-by-step approach is essential. Thus it is keenly interested in efforts being made by the parties concerned to hold elections in the occupied territories and to establish dialogue between Palestinians and Israel. It is regrettable that as yet no concrete progress has been made towards that end.

Japan hopes sincerely that the parties concerned will be steadfast in their pursuit of peace in the region, and will render all possible support to that endeavour.

While diverse diplomatic efforts continue, Japan is deeply aware of the worsening plight of millions of Palestinian people in the occupied territories.

The intifadah, which will soon be entering its third year, is a clear demonstration of the desire of the Palestinian people to exercise its right to self-determination.

Japan's basic position is that a settlement should be attained based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) according to the following principles:

(a) Withdrawal of Israel from all the territories it has occupied since 1967;

(b) Recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to establish an independent State;

(c) Recognition of the right of Israel to exist.

Japan appeals strongly to all the parties concerned to accept these principles as soon as possible.

The PLO has announced its recognition of Israel's right to exist. It is now time for Israel to recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to accept the "land-for-peace" concept.

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm Japan's readiness to play a more positive role in the efforts to settle the question of Palestine and its determination to continue extending, to the best of its ability, economic assistance to the Palestinian people.

LIBYAN ARAB JAMAHIRIYA

H.E. Mr. Jadullah Azuz Talhi, Secretary of the People's Committee of

the People's Bureau for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation

[Original: Arabic]

On the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have the pleasure, on behalf of the Libyan Arab people, to salute the Palestinian struggle against racist settler-colonialism. I also cannot but salute the true solidarity expressed by the peoples of the world for the just cause of the people of Palestine.

Despite the fact that more than 40 years have passed since the usurpation of Palestine, and despite the adoption of the many resolutions affirming the right of the Palestinian people to return to its home, the Organization has been unable to institute any practical and decisive measures to enable that people to exercise its legitimate rights and establish an independent State over all of its soil, The military, political and economic support provided to the Zionist entity by certain Powers, primarily the United States of America, has encouraged it to persist in its intransigence and its disdain for all international laws and covenants. This Zionist entity has practiced and continues to practice heinous forms of brutality which has continued to escalate daily, particularly against the heroes of the "revolution of the stones", using such methods as assassination, displacement and the maltreatment of children, women and old people without weapons of any kind other than that of faith in their just cause and in their legitimate right to life.

The strategic alliance between the Zionist entity and the United States of America and its co-operation with the racist entity in South Africa have advanced the development of its nuclear and missile capacities to the detriment of the Arab nation, and perhaps the most telling proof of that fact is the rocket that fell in the Mediterranean near the city of Benghazi in the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya last September.

The persistence of the Zionist entity in committing its heinous crimes against the Palestinian people reinforces our view that the most severe sanctions should be imposed on it, including expulsion from the United Nations. In this connection, I cannot but recall General Assembly resolution 3379 (XXX) of 10 November 1975, by which the Assembly determined that zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination, I call upon all States that cherish peace to impose an economic and military boycott on the Zionist entity until such time as it comes to its senses and abides by the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations, given that the heinous Zionist practices in the occupied Palestinian territory differ in no respect whatsoever from those of the racist entity in South Africa.

The Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya constantly affirms its unbounded support for the struggle of the Palestinian people and its endorsement of all international resolutions assuring that people of its full right to return to its homeland and establish an independent State over all of its soil. It calls upon you, as it calls upon the international community represented at the United Nations, to take action by all possible means to ensure justice for the Palestinian people by removing the tyranny under which it languishes and enabling it to regain its impugned rights and its usurped land.

MAURITANIA

H.E. Commander Sheikh Sid'Ahmed Ould Baba,

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation

[Original: French]

On the occasion of the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have the pleasure of extending to you, on behalf of the Government of Mauritania, and on my own behalf, hearty congratulations for the significant progress made by the Palestinian cause.

I can assure you of our full solidarity and of our unfailing readiness to continue to work, in close co-operation with the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, for the recovery of all the rights which have been taken away from that people, including its right to return to its homeland and its right to self-determination and independence under the leadership of its sole legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization.

We reiterate our unswerving support for the Palestinian cause.

OMAN

H.E. Mr. Yousef Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah,

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

[Original: Arabic]

Every year our international community meets to observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People as an expression of the international community's concern about the Palestinian question and in affirmation that the question of Palestine is the core of the Middle East conflict and remains without a political solution guaranteeing the legitimate human rights of the fraternal Palestinian people.

As we once again observe the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it is truly regrettable to note Israel's persistence in its arbitrary policy against the Palestinian people, depriving it by armed force and various other terrorist means of its national and human rights, failing to respond to peace proposals, and Arab and international proposals for the convening of an international peace conference to find a permanent solution which would guarantee peace and stability for all the peoples of the region.

The world witnesses daily the practices engaged in by Israel against the defenceless Palestinian people: men, women and children who are attempting to regain their rights. By these acts it challenges the will of the international community and rejects international laws and customs.

The peaceful approach of the Palestinian leadership and the enormous sacrifices incurred by the Palestinian people in its peaceful intifadah underline the legitimacy of the Palestinian struggle against Israel to obtain its legitimate rights to self-determination and the establishment of its independent State.

The international community is called upon to endeavour to halt those illegal practices and to exert efforts to find a peaceful, comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian question. Israel is called upon to respond to the will of the international community and to engage in dialogue with the representatives of the Palestinian people under the auspices of an international conference, which should promote international peace and security in the Middle East and in the world as a whole.

Believing in the right of peoples to self-determination and in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and its resolutions, the Sultanate of Oman urges all States to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in its legitimate struggle for the restoration of its usurped rights and affirms its support for the efforts exerted to find a peaceful solution to the Palestinian problem.

In conclusion, on behalf of the Sultanate of Oman, I extend to you and to the members of the esteemed Committee, our sincere thanks for the efforts that you are exerting to promote and assist the Palestinian cause I assure you that my country will spare no effort to promote the work of this Committee.

POLAND

H.E. Prof. Krzysztof Skubiszewski, Minister for Foreign Affairs

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People provides me an opportunity to confirm the support of Poland for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and its own statehood.

Poland holds the view that, without the exercise by the Palestinian people of the rights recognized by the international community, no peace, lasting stability and development of the States and the peoples of the Middle East are possible.

We stand in favour of the peaceful solution of the question of Palestine within the framework of the settlement of the Middle East conflict. An inseparable part of this settlement is the guarantee of Israel's right to secure existence within recognized international boundaries and the right of the Palestinian people to decide its own future.

We reject aggression and occupation of foreign territories and condemn repression and persecution of civilian populations.

We strongly support all international efforts aimed at a dialogue among the parties directly concerned with the Middle East conflict which may initiate the peace process.

We consider the political programme adopted by the Palestine National Council at Algiers in November 1988 to be a constructive platform of promoting activities to that end.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA

H.E. Mr. Choi Ho-Joong, Minister for Foreign Affairs

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I, on behalf of the people and Government of the Republic of Korea, would like to pay a tribute to the indomitable determination and courage of the Palestinian people to achieve its national independence and self-government.

The solemn commemoration today serves to reaffirm that the international community unequivocally supports the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and attaches great importance to its just efforts for the peaceful settlement of the Middle East issue.

Being well aware that the question of Palestine is a key element to the solution of the Middle East problem, the Government of the Republic of Korea makes clear again its position that the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination and establishment of an independent State, recognized by the relevant United Nations resolutions, should be respected. Furthermore, the Government wishes that the recent efforts to settle the dispute by the countries concerned would produce fruitful results, contributing to an international atmosphere favourable for a just and durable peace in the Middle East.

In support of the Palestinian people, the Government of the Republic of Korea has contributed $1,250,000 to the Arab Student Aid International since 1981 to help sponsor scholarships for Palestinian students, and it has also contributed $126,000 so far to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. We hope that such support would help to improve the status of the Palestinian people.

Finally, on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Korea, I take this opportunity to pay my deep respect to the Chairman and members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for their vigorous efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to the question of Palestine.

SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

H.E. Mr. Farouk Al-Shara', Minister for Foreign Affairs

[Original: Arabic]

I have the pleasure, on behalf of the Syrian Arab Republic and in my own personal capacity, to salute your observance in solidarity with the just struggle being waged by the Palestinian Arab people for the restoration of its inalienable national rights.

I am also happy, at the beginning of my message, to salute the ongoing heroic uprising of our Palestinian Arab people which, in another few days, will enter its third year. With the blood of its martyrs, the intifadah affirms that it is capable of resisting aggression and that it is determined to end the Israeli occupation notwithstanding the sacrifices required and regardless of how great the difficulties and the suffering may become.

The rulers of Israel continue to adhere to their outworn racist Zionist ideology in a desperate attempt to nullify the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, as recognized by the entire world. This impels them to pursue a policy that has the aim of clearing the occupied Arab territories of their inhabitants and to resort to repressive practices that become increasingly repugnant and increasingly violent day by day.

The intifadah has revealed to the entire world the true face of Israel's rulers and of Israeli settlers with regard to their racist and terrorist practices against the population of the occupied Arab territories, practices which were strongly condemned by the General Assembly of the United Nations in the first resolution adopted by it at the beginning of its current forty-fourth session. With their unceasing aggressiveness, the rulers of Israel will never be capable of halting the intifadah and diverting the Palestinian people from its just struggle for the restoration of its right to exercise self-determination and liberate its land from occupation.

The cause of the Palestinian Arab people is the central issue in the Syrian Arab Republic and represents the focus of our struggle for a just peace, such as can only be achieved on the basis of full Israeli withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and the achievement of the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian Arab people endorsed by the United Nations. The convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East under United Nations auspices represents the appropriate framework for the implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions and the achievement of that just and comprehensive peace to which the peoples of the region and of the world aspire.

It has become more abundantly clear to all the peoples of the world that it is Israel that is barring the road to a just peace. This is so because its basic goal is not to achieve peace but to perpetuate its occupation of Arab territories, to impose its hegemony on the Arab region by force and to dictate its terms to the Arab side and to the international community, thereby gravely jeopardizing the security and peace of the region and of the world.

The Syrian Arab Republic, under the leadership of President Hafez al-Assad, will continue its full and steadfast support for the just struggle being waged by the Palestinian Arab people for the liberation of its land and the restoration of its inalienable national rights, including the right to self-determination and to the establishment of an independent State on its national soil, It is fully convinced that, however great Israel's military might, regardless of the unlimited support it obtains from its friends and no matter how extensive its alliances, including that with the racist regime in South Africa, Israel will never be able to extinguish the desire of the Arab people to win back its occupied territories and its usurped rights.

On behalf of the Syrian Arab Republic and myself, I wish your meeting success in promoting and assisting the struggle of the Palestinian Arab people to achieve that just and comprehensive peace for which all of us in the region are striving.

UKRAINIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC

H.E. Mr. Vladimir A. Kravets, Minister for Foreign Affairs

[Original: Russian]

I extend my sincere greetings to all participants of this special meeting on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People whose courageous struggle meets support from the people of the Soviet Ukraine.

A year ago we greeted with enthusiasm the proclamation of the Palestinian State, which has received wide international recognition. This historic act of the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people was a result of the massive uprising involving all the occupied territories. In spite of numerous sacrifices, the Palestinian people are determined to fight against occupation for restoration of its legitimate rights.

Failure by the Israeli authorities to suppress the uprising with repressions once again shows that a policy of force is vicious and has no prospects. Such policy leads to a deadlock in the resolution of this problem. Meanwhile, a constructive and realistic approach on the part of the political vanguard of the Palestinian people, the Palestine Liberation Organization, is meeting with increasing understanding from the international community which considers it as a reflection of the sincere desire of the Palestinian leadership to attain a just and lasting peace in the region.

The emerging, entirely new situation offers an opportunity to achieve a real breakthrough in the political settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and to convene for this purpose the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, Towards this end, it is necessary to continue to increase efforts, to use all the power and possibilities of the United Nations, of the entire international community. A peaceful settlement of the Palestinian problem, based on the balance of interests of all sides, can be achieved only through joint efforts and political dialogue. The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People makes a significant contribution to the solution of this important task. Allow me to assure you, Madam Chairman, that in its important activities, the Committee will always meet support from the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

C. Messages from Governments

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

The Government and people of Brunei Darussalam once again join the international community in the annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On this day, Brunei Darussalam reaffirms its support and solidarity for the people of Palestine and its cause. Brunei Darussalam has always given its firm support to the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

On this day also, Brunei Darussalam once again reiterates its condemnation of Israel for its use of force in suppressing the intifadah, the heroic uprising of the people of Palestine, in the occupied territories.  The continued killing of innocent civilians – women and children – have not dampened the spirit of the people of Palestine.  It has in fact aroused and strengthened its resolve and desire to continue to fight for its inalienable right to a homeland. Therefore Brunei Darussalam urges the international community to continue exerting maximum pressure on Israel to stop this repressive policy.

ECUADOR

[Original: Spanish]

The Government of Ecuador, faithful to the principles that guide its foreign policy, reaffirms its resolute support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly with regard to self-determination and independence, i.e., its right to establish a sovereign State.

At the same time, it makes a fervent appeal to the international community to unite its efforts, in accordance with the spirit of reconciliation which has recently resulted in important changes in favour of world peace and security, with a view to achieving, without delay and on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations, a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine that will enable its people to exercise the rights for which it is struggling and thus provide for harmonious coexistence in the Middle East.

GUYANA

As we observe today another anniversary of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Guyana wishes to join the international community in paying a tribute to the continuing struggle of the oppressed Palestinian people, as exemplified in the determined intifadah in the occupied territories. The intifadah is the clearest expression of its indomitable will to regain its freedom and dignity.

Guyana takes this opportunity to reaffirm its unwavering solidarity with, and support for the Palestinian people in the ongoing struggle for its legitimate and inalienable rights, including the right to a homeland of its own.

The past year has witnessed important developments resulting from the various initiatives of the Palestine National Council, the Palestinian leadership and Chairman Yasser Arafat, These initiatives have swept away any confusion as to where the stumbling-block to a peaceful settlement of the situation of the conflict lies. Unfortunately, despite the emergence of some hopeful signs in the Israeli body politic, Israel continues to stubbornly block the path to peace. We urge Israel, in the spirit of the new times in which we are living, to seize the opportunity to begin the process of dialogue.

Guyana wishes to reiterate the need for the early convening of an international peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations, and with the involvement of all the concerned parties. It is through such a modality that a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East can best be achieved.

MEXICO

[Original: Spanish]

The observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People provides an opportunity for the Government of Mexico to express its concern at the continued failure to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Palestinian people. The fact that the Palestinians are deprived of the right to life, liberty and physical integrity means that the international community as a whole must focus its attention on the urgent need to negotiate a peace in the Middle East.

The Government of Mexico reiterates its conviction that a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement in the region can be achieved only through the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable national rights.

Similarly, a definitive solution that will be satisfactory to all the parties to the conflict in the Middle East must include strict compliance with all the relevant United Nations resolutions which establish the basic principles for meeting the legitimate aspiration of all the States of the region to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries, in particular Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).

Mexico fervently hopes that the multilateral and bilateral efforts that have been undertaken in the area will finally lead to the establishment of a genuine, comprehensive and lasting peace, in keeping with the desire of all mankind.

UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS

Council of Ministers of the

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

[Original: Russian]

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we convey to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and, through it, to all Palestinians our best wishes and sincere hopes for success in their struggle for their inalienable national rights.

The establishment of stable and lasting peace in the Middle East would be consistent with the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people and all other peoples living there, and would promote the strengthening of security in the region and throughout the world.

The constructive and realistic PLO policy formulated at the nineteenth session of the Palestine National Council opens up good prospects for a resolution of the conflict in the Middle East and for a just settlement of the question of Palestine, in keeping with the ongoing changes in the international situation. The scope of the mass movement in the occupied territories demonstrates the high level of national consciousness among the Palestinian people and its determination to exercise its rights to free and independent development. Today one can say with confidence that the intifadah has become a powerful factor influencing the situation within and outside the region, and has won the Palestinian people great sympathy and solidarity throughout the world.

The Soviet Union is unfailing in its support for the PLO and its efforts to settle the Arab-Israeli conflict by political means on the basis of a balancing of the interests of all the parties involved. The universally recognized mechanism of international law for the achievement of that goal is an international conference on the Middle East with the participation of the PLO, which the overwhelming majority of members of the international community have been strongly advocating.

We reaffirm our solidarity with the fraternal Palestinian people, and we wish it every success in its struggle for self-determination and the fulfilment of its national aspirations.

D.  Messages from intergovernmental organizations

with observer status at the United Nations

LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

General Secretariat

[Original: Arabic]

Every year since 1978, this date has been observed by the majority of the peoples of the world as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. This is done in implementation of the resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 2 December 1977 calling for the organization of this observance as an expression of international solidarity with the Palestinian people in its struggle for its legitimate rights, first and foremost its right to self-determination and to an independent State.

This observance also has the goal of focusing the attention of the international community on the pressing need to find a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestine issue based principally on full recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with international legitimacy.

The observance of this Day represents a condemnation of the persistence of the Israeli occupation authorities in their arbitrary practices in the occupied Arab territories and of their disregard for international law relating to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people..

Our observance today comes at a time when the valiant Palestinian intifadah will soon be entering its third year, ever more determined to continue the struggle until such time as the Zionist occupation is ended and Israel is forced to acknowledge the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

The Palestinian intifadah is a cry for freedom coming from the innermost depths of a tormented people which has for decades suffered most bitterly from the tyranny, oppression and inhuman practices to which it is subjected in its own homeland.

On this occasion, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States calls upon the international community to persevere in its efforts to secure Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories and to take practical steps for the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East called for by the United Nations, endorsed by the Arab summit conferences and enjoying the support of many countries East and West alike. The League calls for the participation therein of all the parties to the conflict on an equal footing, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions.

ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE

H.E. Dr. Hamid Algabid, Secretary-General

of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

[Original: French]

On this day when we commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I have the honour to convey to you personally as well as to your Committee my heartfelt tribute and my highest appreciation for the considerable efforts made by the Committee, since its creation, to publicize and win support for the Palestinian cause the world over, In so doing, it has contributed greatly to the marked evolution of international public opinion on the question of Palestine and to strengthening international solidarity with the Palestinian people, with a view to enabling that people to exercise its inalienable national rights, especially its right of self-determination and its right to establish an independent Palestinian State on its own soil, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

By adopting resolution 32/40 B of 2 December 1977 establishing 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the United Nations General Assembly showed that the international community understands and supports the just cause and legitimate struggle which the Palestinian people is waging, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), its sole legitimate representative, to recover its inalienable national rights in conformity with international law and with General Assembly resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 and other relevant international resolutions.

Since the creation of the Israeli entity, the Palestinian people has been subject to acts of aggression and cruel and blind terrorism by Israeli forces. Detention, torture of prisoners, massacre of innocent men, women and children, expulsion of people from their land, demolition of homes, expropriation of property and closure of cultural institutions are all commonplace actions by the Israeli entity which the Palestinian people, inspired by an unshakeable faith, is resisting courageously, The heroic uprising, now entering its third year, reflects the determination of all segments of that people to continue the struggle, regardless of the sacrifices involved, until it recovers it inalienable rights and wins its struggle for freedom and independence.

The important developments that have taken place in recent years in the international arena reflect the aspiration of peoples to live in a world where peace, liberty, security and social stability prevail.

The progress made in this field at the international and regional levels provides a sound basis for pursuing the search for solutions to all sensitive international problems, first and foremost the question of Palestine which lies at the heart of the Middle East conflict. There can be no question that the Israeli entity is doing everything possible to slow down the trend towards peace in the world, persisting stubbornly with its occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories and rejecting regional and international peace initiatives. It is imperative that the atmosphere of peace in the world should extend to this region so that it ceases to be a source of tension that might undermine the changes taking place in the world. This objective can be achieved only through: comprehensive application of all international resolutions prohibiting the occupation of territories by force; the halting of Israel's criminal practices, which violate human rights and international conventions and practice; international protection of the Palestinian people; unconditional withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Palestinian territories; and exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable national rights, including its right of return, its right of self-determination and its right to build an independent Palestinian State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, under the leadership of the PLO, its sole legitimate representative.

The PLO has proved its sincere commitment to peace in the region on many occasions, most recently by the political initiative which it presented to the United Nations General Assembly through its Chairman, Yasser Arafat. That initiative, which is based essentially on the resolutions adopted by the Palestine National Council at its nineteenth session, has received the support of the United Nations, the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, the Organization of African Unity, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the League of Arab States, The Israeli Government, however, turn a deaf ear to such initiatives and defy all United Nations resolutions and international public opinion.

The Palestinian initiative showed the maturity of the Palestinian leadership and its sense of responsibility towards world peace, to which peace in the Middle East is a key. The PLO has the highest regard for the opinion of the international community concerning peace in the Middle East. That is why it presented the initiative, which expresses its sincere desire to see peace restored and its willingness to build a new community based on the right of all people to live in freedom and dignity in their own land, in order to channel their potential and their efforts towards development and progress and the formation of future generations who love peace and are able to face the challenges of this century courageously.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference warmly welcomes the positive attitude taken by many countries of the world, particularly the countries members of the European Community, towards the question of Palestine, Their position encourages us and we always cherish the hope of winning further support for the just cause of the Palestinian people. We hope that other countries will stand on the side of law and justice, of which the Palestinian people has so far been deprived We hope that those countries will support the Palestinian people and will help it to live like other peoples, in freedom and dignity, exercising sovereignty over its territories and enjoying its human, historical and political rights.

A just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East can be achieved only through Israel's total, unconditional withdrawal from all the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and by placing those territories under United Nations control for a limited period and holding an international peace conference on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), with the participation of the permanent members of the Security Council and of all other parties to the conflict, including the PLO, on an equal footing. Only that will guarantee the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable national rights, including its right of return, its right of self-determination and its right to establish an independent Palestinian State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, and also ensure the peace and security of all countries in the region, including the Palestinian State.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference is proud and honoured to stand on the side of the Palestinian people in its just struggle, by doing everything possible to support the march towards peace, national independence for the Palestinian people and liberation of the holy places of the Islamic Ummah, and it urges the international community and all peace-loving peoples to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and to force Israel to put an end to its terrorist practices and repeated violations of human rights and guarantee the protection of civilian populations in accordance with the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

On behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, I have the honour to reiterate our appreciation and gratitude to your Committee for its commendable efforts in this regard.. I take this opportunity to pay a warm tribute to the struggling Palestinian people and to the "children of the stones", heroes who, by their determination and their unshakeable faith in the inevitability of victory, attest to the future advent of peace in the Middle East.

E. Messages from national liberation movements

AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

Mr. Alfred Nzo, Secretary-General of the African National Congress

Allow me, on behalf of the African National Congress and in the name of the struggling people of South Africa, to congratulate the Committee for having organized this solemn meeting to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. We should like to take this opportunity to convey our warm and fraternal greetings to the leadership and cadres of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as well as the heroic people of Palestine.

As we mark this day, we note with grave concern that the next month will mark the second anniversary of the intifadah. We hail the gallant fighters of Palestine who have resisted the Israeli aggression in the occupied territories. We also dip our revolutionary banner to all those martyrs who have given up life and limb in the defence of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to nationhood.

The intifadah cannot but remind us of the heroism of the youth of South Africa which braved bullets of the fascist army of Pretoria during the uprisings of Soweto and elsewhere in South Africa. In the occupied territories as in Soweto, entire populations demonstrated not only their readiness to fight in defence of their legitimate rights but also displayed an indomitable spirit, including their preparedness to die for their just cause.

The intifadah has succeeded to underscore the fact that the Palestinian question represents the core of the Middle East problem. We are convinced that unless the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination in an independent Palestinian State is addressed, there can be no peace in the Middle East.

The intifadah has also underlined the urgency of an international conference to address the question of Palestine with the participation of all interested parties, including the Palestinian people led by the PLO.

Even as we salute the heroes and heroines of Palestine participating in the intifadah, we cannot but deeply regret the human suffering that has resulted. This tragic situation, in our view, sharply cries out for the intervention of the international community, in particular, the United Nations. We strongly believe that the United Nations, in its exercise of its historic mission, namely the maintenance of peace and security in the world, should urgently be seized with the question and thus alleviate this agony of the Palestinian people. For as long as there is no peace for the Palestinian people there can be no peace in the Middle East, Equally for as long as there is no peace for the people of South Africa under apartheid there can be no peace for the entire region of southern Africa. And for as long as there exists a single troubled region in the world there can be no world peace and security.

The people of South Africa is at one with the people of Palestine not only because of the commonness of oppression and exploitation but also because this oppression emanates from two sides of the same coin – apartheid South Africa and Zionist Israel.

We strongly believe therefore that our contribution in the struggle of the people of Palestine will be by intensifying our efforts toward the total elimination of apartheid.

Just as we have faith in the victorious outcome of the struggle of the South African people, we have total faith in the freedom of Palestine.

PAN AFRICANIST CONGRESS OF AZANIA

Mr. Ahmed Cora Ebrahim, Secretary for Foreign Affairs

of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania

On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, allow me, on behalf of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC), the custodian of the genuine aspirations of the oppressed and dispossessed people of Azania (South Africa), to convey revolutionary solidarity and greetings to our Palestinian brothers and sisters.

The Palestinian people are today legitimately fighting to liberate its usurped and occupied homeland. Palestine, it will be recalled, was handed over to international zionism by British colonialism through the infamous Balfour Declaration in 1917 to the total exclusion of the Palestinian people. In South Africa British imperialism did the same, handed over colonized Azania to the white settler minority to the total exclusion of the legitimate owners of the land. Hence, it should surprise no one that such close ideological, political and military affinity and collaboration exists between zionism and apartheid because they are two sides of the same coin minted in Britain.

PAC has consistently supported the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people for self-determination. PAC recognizes the establishment of the Palestinian State.

The people of Azania and PAC remain firmly convinced that we are waging a common struggle against a common enemy but in different trenches.

PAC and the Palestine Liberation Organization has repeatedly said that military and nuclear collaboration between the Zionists and the apartheid rulers in South Africa existed and, moreover, posed a grave threat. Now the godfather of the Zionists has revealed that such collaboration in fact does exist, We call on the international community to take immediate action to end such collaboration because such dangerous weapons in the hands of murderers and racists must be a matter of grave concern to all.

PAC is confident that the Palestinian people, sooner rather than later, will triumph.

F. Messages from non-governmental organizations

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DEMOCRATIC LAWYERS

Mr. Lennox S. Hinds, Esq.,

Permanent Representative to the United Nations

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) was founded more than 40 years ago with the motto, "Law in the Service of Peace", and today we have member organizations in more than 95 States Members of the United Nations comprising many hundreds of thousands of lawyers, judges, law professors and students. IADL has struggled constantly for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and nationhood under the leadership of its sole and legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

We resolutely reaffirm the international consensus, as expressed through General Assembly resolution 43/177 of 15 December 1988, acknowledging the proclamation of the State of Palestine by the Palestine National Council and the recognition throughout the United Nations system of "Palestine" in place of the designation "Palestine Liberation Organization".

The Palestinian peace initiative is a concrete contribution to establishing a just and lasting peace and we call on the United States and Israel to join with all other Governments in supporting the international peace conference proposed in General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988.

We call for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories, pending which we urge the United Nations Security Council and the Secretary-General to seek an extraordinary session of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the protection of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories. We further call upon that extraordinary session to dispatch an interim international peace-keeping force to replace the Israeli occupying forces in order to provide protection and ensure respect for the human and political rights of the Palestinian people. We believe that, if it proves impossible to obtain such a force, an advisory opinion should be requested from the International Court of Justice on the applicability of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and on the obligation to pay compensation to the victims of violations of those conventions.

We are concerned at the role of racism, both de facto and de jure, in the treatment of Palestinians. The United States State Department Report on Human Rights makes clear that United States aid to Israel supports that State's racially motivated attacks on Palestinian human rights and the right to self-determination. The number of house demolitions, land confiscations and arbitrary and inhumane detentions increases unchecked, under the pretext of suppressing the intifadah. We condemn all foreign support to the State of Israel in executing these policies and we welcome the Commission on Human Settlements' resolution condemning Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes and alteration of the demographic character of the occupied territories.

We salute the heroes of the intifadah who have done so much and suffered so greatly in order to defy the inhuman oppression imposed by the occupying forces. We also urge that, in addition to the Commission on Human Rights investigating the conditions of Palestinians in the occupied territories, the Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities should be asked to take up the inequalities of citizenship suffered by Palestinian Arabs in the State of Israel.

In conclusion, we urge all States Members of the United Nations to give full support to the State of Palestine, under the leadership of the PLO, and we denounce as criminal blackmail the attempt by any Government to impose its will on the United Nations by threatening to condition the payment of its financial obligations upon the United Nations' refusal to recognize the State of Palestine.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF BLACK LAWYERS

Mr. Adrien K. Wing, NCBL International Section Chair

The National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) wishes to express its profound solidarity with the Palestinian people in recognizing and commemorating the annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. We are particularly pleased to join this year since 1989 is the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine, After 41 years of denial of the legitimate international rights of the Palestinian people, after 22 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and after 2 years of the intifadah, the Palestinian people has taken a long deserved and awaited step of taking its destiny into its own hands.

Through their Declaration of Independence, the Palestinians have drawn the urgent attention of the international community to the continuing plight of their people and are helping to mobilize international public opinion in support of a peaceful settlement of the question. The Declaration of Independence highlights the inalienable rights of the Palestinians to self-determination without external interference and to national independence and sovereignty, including the right to establish its own State in Palestine.

In the coming year, we at NCBL plan to continue to utilize our legal and advocacy skills to assist the Palestinian people in gaining recognition of its rights from the United States Government.

WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS

On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) reiterates, on behalf of its 214 million members from all continents and social systems, its firm solidarity with the just struggle of the Palestinian workers and people, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), their sole legitimate representative, for the achievement of their inalienable national rights, including the right to self-determination, the right to return to their homeland and the right to establish an independent State on their on homeland.

We emphasize that the Palestine question is the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and that the Israeli rulers' continuing occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories, their refusal to withdraw from them and their denial of the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law, the United Nations Charter and the relevant United Nations resolutions.

WFTU expresses its unswerving solidarity with the intifadah, the uprising of the Palestinian people, in the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories and with their heroic assistance to the Israeli occupation authorities and the illegal measures and violations perpetrated by these authorities.

With the outbreak of this uprising since December 1987, it is becoming increasingly clear that the international community must take all possible steps to ensure, as soon as possible, a negotiated political solution to guarantee peace in this region, More than 650 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed since the outbreak of the uprising, thousands are wounded, 25,000 to 30,000 are imprisoned.

WFTU agrees with all those who bear political responsibility and who demand that an end be put immediately to the violent measures perpetrated by the Israeli rulers.

WFTU fully supports the idea of an international peace conference on the Middle East to be convened as soon as possible under United Nations auspices, providing for the participation of all parties concerned around the same table, including the PLO, the sole representative of the people of Palestine.

WFTU is of the opinion that the time has come, as has been demonstrated by the uprising of the Palestinian people, for all workers and trade unions, regardless of orientation or affiliation, to work together to achieve a just peace in the Middle East, a peace that ends occupation, aggression and expansionism by the Israeli rulers and guarantees the Palestinian people its inalienable national rights, as recognized by the United Nations. WFTU will spare no effort in making possible this unity and achieving such a peace.

We shall further continue to actively support all international initiatives seeking to guarantee full respect of all vital interests and rights of the Palestinian people and of the State of Palestine.

III. CLOSING STATEMENTS

H.E. Mrs. Absa Claude Diallo,

Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of

the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

[Original: French]

On behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I extend our sincere appreciation to the Heads of State and Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Governments and organizations, and to all those who have participated in this meeting, for their sustained endeavours to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine and for the support they have always given the objectives and activities of the Committee. The statements we have heard and the messages of solidarity we have received today once again attest to the international community's resolve to make progress towards bringing peace to the Middle East and achieving the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, in particular its right to self-determination and the establishment of the independent Arab State of Palestine, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 181 (II), whose forty-second anniversary we are commemorating today.

We have noted with growing disquiet the worsening Israeli oppression in the occupied Palestinian territories and the increasingly marked awareness at all levels of the international community of the urgent need to provide for the protection and safety of the Palestinian people subject to occupation, The international consensus in favour of the prompt convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 43/176 of 15 December 1988 has clearly been strengthened I can assure everyone here that the members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will be unstinting in their efforts ultimately to attain those objectives, which of are crucial importance not only to the Palestinian people but to the peace and security of the entire region.

Mr. Farouk Kaddoumi,

Head of the Political Department

of the Palestine Liberation Organization

[Original: Arabic]

At the end of this International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the Palestine Liberation Organization to convey our gratitude to you, Madam Chairman, and to all friendly countries that have participated with us here and that have voiced their solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for its just cause.

I also wish to thank the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council for having attended the meeting, for expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, and for supporting the attainment of peace process on a just basis.

It also gives me pleasure to express to you, Madam Chairman, our great esteem and to all the members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People our thanks for their unremitting efforts on behalf of the Palestinian cause I should like to thank them especially for their constant endeavours in support of the just struggle of the Palestinian people and of the ongoing intifadah, whereby they seek to achieve freedom and independence and to return to its homeland.

It gives me pleasure on this occasion to thank all the friends who, either by their presence or their messages or other communications, have expressed their solidarity with our Palestinian people and the glorious intifadah.  We thank them for condemning the terrorist practices of Israel.

We wish finally to convey our special thanks to the United Nations and all its bodies. We fully appreciate their active role in support of all just causes and in launching the peace process with a view to putting an end to hegemony and blackmail.

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