Volume XVI, Bulletin No. 3
Contents
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Page
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I.
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ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
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1
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II.
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COMMITTEE ADOPTS PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR 1993
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2
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III.
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SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS FOR RESTRAINT BY ALL SIDES IN ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
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10
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IV.
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SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL
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11
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V.
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UNRWA CONDEMNS KILLING OF UNITED NATIONS TEACHER
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11
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VI.
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COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER REPRESSIVE MEASURES IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
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12
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VII.
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ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE
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13
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VIII.
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NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS: ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION
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15
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I. ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF
THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
On 23 March 1993, in a letter addressed to the Secretary-General (A/47/911-S/25464), the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People stated the following:
"In my capacity as Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I would like to draw your attention to the increasingly grave situation in the occupied Palestinian territory as a result of the intensification of repressive measures by the Israeli authorities.
"Since the deportation of over 400 Palestinians in mid-December, there has been a rise in clashes between Israeli soldiers and armed settlers and the Palestinian people living in the occupied Palestinian territory. About 50 Palestinians have been shot and killed in street disturbances – a death rate not seen in several years. Most of the Palestinian casualties – at least l5 deaths in the month of March – have been in the Gaza Strip, where four people were killed this weekend alone. A large proportion of the victims continue to be children under l6.
"According to the recent State Department global human rights report, Israel Defence Force killings of Palestinians increased 62 per cent in 1992 from a year earlier. In their efforts to quell Palestinian resistance to the occupation, the Israeli authorities have further relaxed the use of live ammunition to deal with demonstrations, have launched armed attacks against Palestinian houses and have continued to engage in undercover killings of Palestinian militants and to impose blanket curfews and other forms of collective punishment.
"Far from restoring calm to the occupied Palestinian territory, it is clear that these measures only fuel greater resistance and add to the tension and violence in a manner that arouses the greatest concern. Such Israeli policies drastically undermine the efforts aimed at achieving peace in the Middle East, and present another obstacle besides the unresolved question of deportees due to Israel's non-compliance with Security Council resolution 799 (1992) of 18 December 1992.
"On behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I wish once again to convey alarm at the continued disregard by Israel, the occupying Power, of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Committee appeals to the Security Council to take the necessary measures to provide appropriate protection to the Palestinian people, in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention and Security Council resolutions, in particular, resolution 681 (1990) of 20 December 1990."
II. COMMITTEE ADOPTS PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR 1993
At its 196th meeting, held on 3 March 1993, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People adopted the following programme of work for 1993. (see A/AC.183/1993/CRP.1)[Link]
"I. MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE
INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
"1. The mandate of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for 1993 is contained in General Assembly resolutions 47/64 A and B of 11 December 1992, the relevant parts of which are paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 5 of resolution 47/64 A, and paragraph 2 of resolution 47/64 B.
"2. In paragraphs 2 and 3 of resolution 47/64 A, the General Assembly endorsed the Committee's recommendations and requested it to continue to keep under review the situation relating to the question of Palestine, as well as the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights and to report and make suggestions to the General Assembly or the Security Council, as appropriate.
"3. In paragraph 4 of the same resolution, the Assembly authorized the Committee to continue to exert all efforts to promote the implementation of its recommendations, including representation at conferences and meetings and the sending of delegations, to make such adjustments in its approved programme of work as it may consider appropriate, to give special emphasis to the need to mobilize public opinion in Europe and North America, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session and thereafter.
"4. In paragraph 5 of the same resolution, the Assembly requested the Committee to continue to extend its cooperation to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their contribution towards heightening international awareness of the facts relating to the question of Palestine and creating a more favourable atmosphere for the full implementation of the Committee's recommendations, and to take the necessary steps to expand its contacts with those organizations.
"5. Resolution 47/64 B deals with the work programme of the Division for Palestinian Rights. In paragraph 2, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to provide the Division with the necessary resources, to strengthen its programme of research, studies and publications through the establishment of an adequately staffed and equipped computer-based information system on the question of Palestine, and to ensure that it continues to discharge the tasks detailed in the pertinent resolutions of the General Assembly, in consultation with the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and under its guidance.
"6. Resolution 47/64 C deals with the programme of work of the Department of Public Information. In paragraph 2, the Assembly requested the Department, in full cooperation and coordination with the Committee, to continue, with the necessary flexibility as may be required by developments affecting the question of Palestine, its special information programme on the question of Palestine for the remainder of the biennium 1992-1993, with particular emphasis on public opinion in Europe and North America.
"II. PRIORITY ISSUES IN THE COMMITTEE'S PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR 1993
"7. In the recommendations contained in its report to the General Assembly at its forty-seventh session, the Committee recalled that the Peace Conference on the Middle East, convened under the co-sponsorship of the United States of America and the former Soviet Union, had the support of all the parties and is based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), and the principle of land for peace. The Committee expressed its earnest hope that this process would bring about a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement to the question of Palestine based on internationally recognized principles and United Nations resolutions. The Committee stressed the essential need for an active role of the United Nations, the Security Council and the Secretary-General for a successful outcome of the peace process. The Committee reaffirmed that the United Nations has a permanent responsibility with respect to the question of Palestine until the question is resolved in all its aspects in a satisfactory manner in accordance with international legitimacy.
"8. The Committee also recalled that an international consensus had been reached over the years on the essential principles for the achievement of comprehensive peace. That consensus has been reaffirmed once again by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/64 D of 11 December 1992.
"9. The Committee further stated that pending progress towards a political settlement, it is of the utmost urgency that all necessary measures be taken to protect the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, in accordance with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention and numerous resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly. The Committee called on the High Contracting Parties to the Convention and the United Nations system as a whole to take action to ensure that Israel abides by its obligations as the occupying Power, in accordance with Security Council resolution 681 (1990). In this regard, the Committee drew attention to the relevant recommendations made by the participants in the 1992 North American Seminar on the theme 'Enforcing the Fourth Geneva Convention for ensuring the protection of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.'
"10. In its report, the Committee also reaffirmed that the United Nations has a duty and responsibility to render all assistance necessary to promote the social and economic development of the occupied Palestinian territory in preparation for the full exercise of national sovereignty, and reiterated its call upon the United Nations system and the international community as a whole to sustain and increase their assistance to the Palestinian people, in close cooperation with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Mindful of the importance of this issue and of the need to increase its own efforts to promote international action, the Committee stated that it had decided to devote its 1993 European Seminar to the question of assistance to the Palestinian people, in accordance with the proposal made by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 1992/58.
"11. Since submitting its report to the General Assembly the Committee has expressed its condemnation of the deportation to southern Lebanon, on 17 December 1992, of over 400 Palestinian civilians by the Government of Israel, and has called upon the Security Council to take all necessary measures, including the application of Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, to bring about the implementation of Security Council resolution 799 (1992).
"12. In the light of the above, the Committee has decided to give priority to the following issues in its activities during 1993:
"(a) The urgency of promoting measures by the Security Council, the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and all other parties concerned, to ensure the full implementation of Security council resolution 799 (1992);
"(b) The imperative need to end human rights violations and ensure the safety and international protection of Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 681 (1990);
"(c) The adverse impact of Israel's confiscation of Palestinian land and settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, for the achievement of Palestinian rights and of a just settlement of the question of Palestine, and the urgent need to take measures in this regard;
"(d) The deteriorating economic situation of the Palestinian people and the need for international assistance to promote the independent social and economic development of the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, in preparation for the full exercise of national sovereignty in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions;
"(e) The promotion of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the core of which is the question of Palestine, including the convening, at a certain stage, of an international peace conference on the Middle East, under the auspices of the United Nations, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 46/74 D of 11 December 1992.
"III. ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE AND
THE DIVISION FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS
"A. Action by the Committee
"13. The Committee intends to continue to do everything possible to strengthen its role in monitoring the situation of Palestinians under occupation and promoting the adoption of concrete measures by the Security Council and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention. In accordance with past practice and in keeping with paragraph 3 of resolution 47/64 A, the Committee will continue to keep under review the situation relating to the question of Palestine and the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights, and to report and make suggestions to the General Assembly or the Security Council, as appropriate. The Committee Chairman, through his letters addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council on behalf of the Committee will continue to draw attention to urgent developments affecting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
"14. The Committee will once again extend an invitation to all Governments to participate in its work and in the events organized under its auspices. The Committee requests its Chairman, as in the past, to address a letter to the Secretary-General requesting him to inform all States of the Committee's concerns and to convey the Committee's invitation to them to participate in and contribute to its work. The Committee also will continue to hold consultations with interested representatives of member States in this regard.
"15. The Committee will also continue to strengthen its role further as the United Nations organ primarily responsible for the promotion of the exercise of Palestinian rights in accordance with international instruments and United Nations resolutions. In particular, the Committee will continue to follow up on political developments and on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory by maintaining ongoing contacts with the Secretary-General, his special representative on the Middle East, and relevant officials in the United Nations system, with the Security Council and other relevant United Nations organs and with government representatives as appropriate.
"16. In accordance with its mandate, the Committee will continue its programme of regional seminars and NGO symposia and an international NGO meeting, as well as special meetings of the Committee on specific issues. The Committee will focus on the priority issues mentioned above in order to exert a direct and effective influence on the course of action by Governments, intergovernmental and other bodies in that regard. The Committee will continue to review its experience in carrying out its programme of work in order to ensure maximum participation, effectiveness and impact.
"B. Seminars
"17. Budgetary provision has been made for seminars to be held in 1993 in the following regions: Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa.
"18. As already decided by the Committee, the European Seminar will be devoted to the theme of "Assistance to the Palestinian people". It is envisaged that this Seminar will be held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris from 26 to 30 April 1993.
"19. In accordance with established practice, the North American Seminar will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York immediately preceding the North American NGO Symposium, on 28 and 29 June 1993.
"20. With regard to the African Seminar, the Committee gratefully takes note of the offer of the Government of Senegal to provide the venue for this Seminar at Dakar and decides to hold it together with the African NGO Symposium, at a date to be decided.
"21. The venue and date for the Latin American Seminar remain to be decided.
"C. Regional symposia and international meeting of NGOs
"22. Budgetary provision has been made for the holding in 1993 of NGO Symposia in North America, Europe, Latin America and Africa, and for an International NGO Meeting, as well as for preparatory meetings for the North American Symposium and the International Meeting.
"23. The preparatory meeting for the North American NGO Symposium was held at New York on 25 and 26 January, and proposed a better organizational format for NGO work, as well as a provisional programme for the symposium, which is scheduled to be held at United Nations Headquarters from 30 June to 2 July 1993.
"24. The preparatory meeting for the International NGO Meeting will be held at Geneva, on 5 and 6 April. In accordance with established practice and existing budgetary provision, the European NGO Symposium and the International NGO Meeting will be held consecutively at either Geneva, or Vienna, on 23 and 24 August and from 25 to 27 August, respectively.
"25. As mentioned above, the African NGO Symposium will be held in Dakar in conjunction with the African Seminar, at a date to be decided.
"26. The venue and date for the Latin American NGO symposium, which would be held jointly with the Latin American Seminar, remain to be decided.
"D. Research, monitoring and publications, including UNISPAL
"27. The programme of research, monitoring and publications of the Division for Palestinian Rights will continue to include the preparation of the following:
"(a) Monthly bulletins covering action by the Committee, other United Nations organs and agencies, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with the question of Palestine;
"(b) Reports of regional seminars, regional NGO symposia and the International NGO Meeting;
"(c) Special bulletin on the commemoration in 1992 of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People;
"(d) Compilation of relevant resolutions, decisions and statements adopted by the General Assembly and the Security Council in 1992;
"(e) Monthly and bimonthly monitoring reports on developments relating to the question of Palestine, as reflected in the Arabic, English and Hebrew press for the use of the Committee.
"28. The Division will also continue to update periodically its information notes on the work of the Committee and the Division, on NGO activities on the question of Palestine, and on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
"29. The Division will continue to prepare its monthly publication entitled "Approaches towards the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the question of Palestine".
"30. In the course of the year, the Division will continue the work of updating and preparing studies, carry out research and prepare monitoring material, as well as other publications. A publication issued in 1979 on the observance of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the occupied Palestinian territory is being updated.
"31. During 1993, in order to strengthen its programme of research, studies, monitoring, and publications, the Division, in cooperation with the relevant services in the Secretariat, will continue its work on the establishment of a computer-based information system on the question of Palestine (UNISPAL), as requested in General Assembly resolution 47/64 B of 11 December 1992. In an effort to make UNISPAL operational this year, the Division will endeavour to carry out two phases of the exercise. First, the preparatory phase, during which information material will be compiled and prepared for subsequent storage and use in the system, the requisite hardware and software will be acquired and installed, and the technical support staff will be recruited or trained. Second, the development and initial implementation phase, during which system analysis, design and development will take place. It is expected that concurrently users in the Division will undergo the necessary training to be able to work with UNISPAL.
"E. International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
"32. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 32/40 B of 2 December 1977, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People will be observed on Monday, 29 November 1993. It is envisaged that the observance will take place at Headquarters, at the United Nations Offices at Geneva and Vienna, and elsewhere in accordance with established practice.
"33. The Committee decides, in cooperation with the Office of the Permanent Observer of Palestine, to prepare a special programme for the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 1993, including an exhibit to be displayed at United Nations Headquarters during the week of Solidarity Day, as well as the possibility of hosting a reception, and organizing a cultural event.
III. SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS FOR RESTRAINT BY ALL SIDES
IN ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
On 8 March 1993, the following statement was issued by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali:
"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the recent upsurge in violence in Israel and the occupied territories. He condemns the murders of Israeli civilians that occurred last week in Tel Aviv and Gaza, and again today in Gaza. At the same time, he firmly rejects the allegations in the Israeli media that the United Nations is less concerned over violence against Jews than against peoples of other faiths or ethnic backgrounds. The Secretary-General opposes all acts of violence.
"The Secretary-General has, moreover, consistently appealed for restraint by all sides in Israel and the occupied territories. Acts of violence — whether by Israelis against Palestinians or Palestinians against Israelis — only serve to undermine the confidence and trust required by the peace process. He renews this appeal today." (see SG/SM/4936)
IV. SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL
On 18 March 1993, the following statement was issued by the spokesman for the Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali:
"The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, met alone for 30 minutes. Subsequently, they were joined by their respective delegations.
"The Secretary-General conveyed to Mr. Rabin his serious concern at the situation in the occupied territories. In this connection, the Secretary-General referred to resolution 681 (1990), which deals with the protection of civilians in the occupied territories, and the importance of its implementation. The Secretary-General underlined the urgency to intensify the pursuit of a just, lasting and comprehensive settlement of the Middle East conflict.
"The Secretary-General also referred to resolution 799 (1992) and conveyed to Mr. Rabin that the unresolved issue of the Palestinian deportees may continue to be a stumbling-block in the reintegration of the Palestinians in the peace process. They both agreed that the peace talks should be resumed as soon as possible. The Secretary-General informed Mr. Rabin that, for its part, the United Nations is actively preparing for the Multilateral Working Groups as and when they resumed.
"Mr. Rabin recommended to the Secretary-General that the budget of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the occupied territories be increased, which would greatly benefit the Palestinian population in those areas." (see SG/SM/4946)
V. UNRWA CONDEMNS KILLING OF UNITED NATIONS TEACHER
The following press release was issued by UNRWA on 19 March 1993: (see HO5/93)
"UNRWA Commissioner-General Ilter Türkmen today condemned the killing of UNRWA teacher Yusif al-Gharib, who was shot and killed on 18 March when Israeli forces opened fire on a group of mourners near a wake house in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. 'The death of our staff member is a result of the widespread and increased use of force that we have seen employed by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip in recent months,' said the Commissioner-General speaking at UNRWA Headquarters in Vienna.
"The UNRWA teacher, who was struck by a live round just above the left eyebrow, was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor at the nearby UNRWA medical clinic. Israeli military forces had surrounded part of the Rafah refugee camp during the late afternoon. Three Border Police vehicles then approached within 100 metres of the wake house just after some 1,500 mourners had carried out the ritual breaking of the Ramadan fast. A spotlight was directed towards the wake house and a soldier fired three times resulting in Mr. Al-Gharib's death.
"Since 1 December 1992, Israeli troops or settlers have killed 45 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including 13 children under age 16. A further 1,800 Palestinians have been injured during this same period, including over 350 children shot by live ammunition. The fatality figures for the past four months are higher than the 39 deaths recorded in the Gaza Strip during the first four months of the intifadah which began in December 1987.
"UNRWA views the rapidly worsening situation in Gaza with grave concern. The Agency has repeatedly urged the Government of Israel to take steps to defuse the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has recently witnessed a surge of deaths among Palestinians and Israelis. 'The combination of daily violence and economic privation are so acute in the Gaza Strip that they have produced an explosive mixture which requires an immediate antidote to calm the situation,' Mr. Türkmen said."
VI. COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC
CONFERENCE EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN OVER REPRESSIVE
MEASURES IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
The following letter, dated 25 March 1993, from the Deputy Permanent Representative, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations, was addressed to the President of the United Nations Security Council (see S/25475):
"In my capacity as the representative of the country that is the current chairman of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, I have the honour to inform you that the Committee on Palestine of the Organization of the Islamic Conference met in New York on 23 March 1993 to consider the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.
"During the meeting, the members of the Committee expressed their deep concern over the current escalation of repressive measures and practices by the Israeli authorities as well as over the deteriorating economic situation and living conditions in the occupied territories.
"The members of the Committee affirmed the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, and reiterated the obligation of the Israeli Government to abide by the provisions of the said Convention. The members of the Committee, while underlining the need to provide urgent protection for the Palestinian people as set forth in Security Council resolution 681 (1990), gave their full support to the initiative taken by the Chairman of the Arab Group in requesting the Security Council to meet in order to consider the serious situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem."
VII. ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY ADOPTS RESOLUTION
ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE
At its fifty-seventh ordinary session held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 15 to 19 February 1993, the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity adopted the following resolution on the question of Palestine: [(see CM/RES. 1429 (LVII)]
"Having considered the Report of the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity on the Question of Palestine as contained in Document CM/1754 (LVII),
"Recalling the relevant resolutions adopted by the previous Sessions of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments and the Council of Ministers on the Question of Palestine,
"Reaffirming the legitimacy of the struggle of the Palestinian people under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, their sole legitimate representative; in order to recover their occupied lands and exercise their national inalienable and imprescriptible rights:
"1. Reaffirms all the resolutions and recommendations adopted by the Sessions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and Council of Ministers on the Question of Palestine;
"2. Further reaffirms that the question of Palestine is the root cause of the conflict in the Middle East and that the realization of a just and comprehensive peace in the region requires the withdrawal of Israel from all the Palestinian and Arab Occupied Territories and the establishment of the Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital;
"3. Strongly condemns the Israeli terrorist practices, the collective punishment and the iron-fist policies against the Palestinian people, the last of which policies was the abominable crime committed by the Israeli Government by enforcing its policy of the collective deportation of more than 400 Palestinians from their homes in the occupied territories of Palestine, and considers this act, as a blatant violation of human rights and of all international laws and charters, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949;
"4. Further condemns vehemently Israel's refusal to comply with and implement Resolution 799 of the United Nations Security Council, thus violating Article 25 of the United Nations Charter, an act which calls for the application of Chapter Seven of the Charter on Israel for refusing to comply with this and the other International Resolutions relating to the question of Palestine;
"5. Reaffirms that the Government of Israel alone is directly responsible for the tragic plight of the deportees and should thus be forced to allow international and humanitarian organizations to deliver the necessary medical and food relief to the deportees until they return to their homes;
"6. Affirms that the recent escalation of the inhuman Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories obliges the international community to take all necessary measures to provide international protection to the Palestinian people in the occupied territories and place them under international supervision in consonance with the stipulations of international resolutions notably resolutions 605, 607, 681, and 726. They also call for all sorts of pressure to be exerted on Israel to compel it to repatriate all the deported Palestinian nationals and to desist from its oppressive practices against the Palestinian nation in the occupied Palestinian territories;
"7. Commends the courageous Palestinian uprising intifadah in the occupied Palestinian territories and expresses its unequivocal total solidarity with the Palestinian people waging their legitimate struggle under the leadership of the PLO, their sole legitimate representative, to restore and exercise their national inalienable and imprescriptible rights including the right to return to the fatherland, self-determination and the establishment of an independent State with Jerusalem as its capital;
"8. Strongly condemns the policy of settling immigrant Jews in the occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem and calls on the international community as a whole and particularly the United States to abide by its declared position and exert the necessary pressure on Israel for it to stop settling the Jews in the occupied territories and to remove all the settlements established in Arab and Palestinian occupied territories since these settlements are illegal;
"9. Strongly condemns the inhuman acts that are being continuously perpetrated by Israel against the people of the occupied Arab and Palestinian territories and all acts that desecrate the Holy Places;
"10. Calls on the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity to follow developments on the Palestinian question and report to the forthcoming Session of the OAU Council of Ministers."
VIII. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS: ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION
In the course of March, the following information was received by the Division for Palestinian Rights:
1. ICCP Newsletter No. 49, available from: the International Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine, 150, route de Ferney, Case postale 2100, CH-1211, Geneva 2, Switzerland.
2. Newsletter of the Middle East Justice Network, available from: P.O. Box 558, Cambridge, MA 02238, United States of America.
3. Israel and Palestine Political Report, available from: Magelan, Boite Postale 130, 75463 Paris CEDEX 10, France.
4. Middle East International, bi-weekly publication, available from: P.O. Box 53365, Temple Heights Station, Washington, D.C. 20009, United States of America.
5. Palestine Solidarité, bi-monthly bulletin of the Association médicale franco-palestinienne, available from: 14, rue de Nanteuil, 75015 Paris, France.
6. Women for Women Political Prisoners, available from: P.O. Box 8537, Jerusalem 9l083.
7. Another Viewpoint, commentary available from: AVP, 604 Barbera Place, Davis, California 95616, United States of America.
8. The Other Front, weekly bulletin on developments in Israeli society, available from: The Alternative Information Centre, P.O. Box 24278, Jerusalem.
9. Une Terre, Deux Peuples, publication of the Association pour l'union entre les peuples juif et palestinien, available from: C.P. 43, 1247 Anières, Geneva, Switzerland.
10. P.R.C.S. Newsletter, newsletter of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, available from: Information Department, P.O. Box 5386, Nicosia, Cyprus.