Permanent sovereignty over natural resources – GA vote – Press release (excerpts)

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Sixty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

61^st Meeting (AM)

Delegations Adopt 41 Texts, Including 2 Plenary-generated Draft Resolutions

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In another recorded vote, the Assembly adopted a draft resolution demanding that Israel stop exploiting, damaging, depleting, and endangering natural resources in occupied Arab lands.  It recognized the right of the Palestinian and other Arab peoples to claim restitution for such illegal actions.  The text was adopted by a recorded vote of 170 in favour to 7 against (Canada, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 9 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, El Salvador, Honduras, Malawi, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu).

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Background

The General Assembly met this morning to consider the 33 reports of its Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and to take action on the draft resolutions contained therein.  The Assembly was also expected to take action on two plenary generated texts, respectively, on the role of the United Nations in promoting a new global human order, and strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.

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Moving on the report on the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources (document A/67/444), the Assembly adopted the related text by a recorded vote of 170 in favour to 7 against (Canada, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 9 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, El Salvador, Honduras, Malawi, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu).  By that text, the Assembly demanded that Israel stop exploiting, damaging, depleting and endangering the natural resources in occupied Arab lands.  It called upon Israel to cease all actions that harmed the environment in all the territories under its occupation, as well as the destruction of infrastructure, including water pipelines and sewage networks.  (See Annex V.)

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ANNEX V

Vote on Permanent Sovereignty

The draft resolution on permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources (document A/67/444) was adopted by a recorded vote of 170 in favour to 7 against, with 9 abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, Palau, United States.

Abstain:  Australia, Cameroon, El Salvador, Honduras, Malawi, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu.

Absent:  Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, South Sudan.

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For information media • not an official record