DPR Monthly Bulletin – Vol. XVII, No. 06 – CEIRPP, DPR bulletin (June-July 1994) – DPR publication

June/July 1994

Volume XVII, Bulletin No. 6

Contents

I.  UNITED NATIONS SEMINAR ON PALESTINIAN TRADE AND INVESTMENT NEEDS

   HELD AT PARIS FROM 20 TO 22 JUNE 1994

The United Nations Seminar on Palestinian Trade and Investment Needs was held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, from 20 to 22 June 1994, under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in accordance with its mandate under General Assembly resolution 48/158 A of 20 December 1993. In that resolution, the Assembly requested the Committee to mobilize international support and assistance to the Palestinian people during the transitional period.  The Committee decided to hold the seminar as a contribution to the debate on how to promote Palestinian economic and social development, which it considers essential for the achievement of a just and lasting peace.

The Committee was represented by a delegation comprising H.E. Mr. Kéba Birane Cissé (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee and head of delegation; H.E. Mr. Joseph Cassar (Malta), Rapporteur of the Committee; and Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al-Kidwa (Palestine).

The Seminar was attended by 16 experts, representatives of 39 Governments, 9 organizations of the United Nations family and representatives from 10 non-governmental organizations.  The League of Arab States was also represented at the Seminar.  A delegation of Palestine took part in the work of the Seminar.

Mr. Omar Massalha, Director, Coordination Unit for Assistance to the Palestinian People, made a statement at the opening session on behalf of the Director-General of UNESCO.  A message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations was read out by his representative, Mr. Hassen M. Fodha, Director of the United Nations Information Centre, Paris. Statements were made by H.E. Mr. Kéba Birane Cissé, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and by the representative of Palestine, Mrs. Leila Shahid, General Delegate of Palestine to France and Permanent Observer of Palestine to UNESCO.

The Seminar was chaired by H.E. Mr. Kéba Birane Cissé (Senegal).  H.E. Mr. Joseph Cassar (Malta) served as Vice-Chairman and Rapporteur of the Seminar.

The programme for the Seminar began with a plenary session on the theme "Building a Palestinian economy – Challenges and prospects".  Statements were made by donor countries and other Governments, by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and by organizations of the United Nations system.

Subsequently, three round-table discussions, moderated by experts, were conducted, as follows:

I.  Laying the foundation for Palestinian economic development

Ms. Irene Jillson, President of Policy Research, Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland (Moderator)

Mr. Hisham Awartani, Professor, Al-Najah University

Mr. George Abed, economist and senior staff member, International Monetary Fund

Mr. Kamal Hassouneh, entrepreneur from Jerusalem

Mr. Antoine Zahlan, member of the Palestine Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction

Mr. Tayseer Abdel Jaber, Director of the Arab Consulting Centre at Amman, Jordan

II.  Investment for development: Palestinian needs

  and policy options

Mr. George Abed, economist and senior staff member, International Monetary Fund (Moderator)

Mr. Ibrahim Dakkak, member of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction

Ms. I. Jillson, President of Policy Research, Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland

Ms. Hind Salman, Associate Professor at Bethlehem University

Mr. Bassim Khoury, owner of a West Bank pharmaceutical company

Mr. Hussam Hijjawi, member of the Nablus Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Stephen Day, Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding and Chairman of the European Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine

Mr. Simcha Bahiri, Israel-Palestine Centre for Research and Information

III.  Trade for development: Palestinian needs

    and policy options

Mr. Tayseer Abdel Jaber, Director of the Arab Consulting Centre at Amman, Jordan (Moderator)

Mr. Hazem El Beblawi, Chairman of the Export Development Bank of Egypt

Mr. Ala'edeen Shawa, Director of the Development Resource Centre, Gaza

Mr. Ezra Sadan, Agricultural Research Organization, Israel

Mr. Mohammed S. Al-Qudwa, Chairman of the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce, Gaza Strip

At the closing of the Seminar, statements were made by Mrs. Leila Shahid, General Delegate of Palestine to France and Permanent Observer of Palestine to UNESCO, and by the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

The final report of the Seminar was submitted to the President of the Economic and Social Council in a letter from the Chairman of the Committee for circulation to the members (see E/1994/96).  It will also be issued as a publication of the Division for Palestinian Rights.

II.  ELEVENTH UNITED NATIONS NORTH AMERICAN NGO SYMPOSIUM

    ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE HELD AT TORONTO

   FROM 6 TO 8 JULY 1994

The Eleventh United Nations North American NGO Symposium on the Question of Palestine was held at Toronto, Canada, from 6 to 8 July 1994 in accordance with the provisions of General Assembly resolutions 48/158 A and B of 20 December 1993.

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was represented by a delegation comprising H.E. Kéba Birane Cissé (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee and head of delegation; H.E. Mr. Ravan Farhadi (Afghanistan), Vice-Chairman of the Committee; H.E. Mr. Fernando Remírez de Estenoz Barciela (Cuba), Vice-Chairman of the Committee; H.E. Mr. Joseph Cassar (Malta), Rapporteur of the Committee; and Dr. M. Nasser Al-Kidwa (Palestine).

The Symposium was attended by representatives of 58 non-governmental organizations, including a number of new organizations attending a North American NGO Symposium for the first time.  In four plenary sessions, 19 experts presented papers and statements on the reconstruction and nation-building process during the transition period in the light of the Declaration of Principles and subsequent agreements. Six workshops were held, with 20 experts discussing issues relevant to the question of Palestine. Representatives of 15 Governments attended the deliberations as observers.  Altogether, more than 200 participants attended the Symposium.

At the opening of the Symposium, statements were made by Mr. Mac Harb, Parliamentary Secretary to the Canadian Minister of International Trade; H.E. Mr. Kéba Birane Cissé, Chairman of the Committee; Dr. M. Nasser Al-Kidwa, who read out a message from H.E. Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO); and Mr. Larry Ekin, Chairman of the North American Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine (NACC).

In his statement, Mr. Harb confirmed Canada's commitment of $55 million over five years to development projects in the light of the Declaration of Principles.  He referred to NGOs as "one of the most essential means of securing peace".  He said that NGOs had earned their "place at the table" and had "a very critical role to play that no amount of money or military might can replace".

The theme of the Symposium was "Palestine -Towards a just and lasting peace: focus on NGO support for cooperation and development".

Experts presented papers in four plenary sessions, as follows:

I.  The Declaration of Principles: taking stock

  of the situation

Dr. M. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Mr. Mervyn Dymally, member of the United States House of Representatives (retired)

Mr. Aaron Back, B'Tselem, Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories

II.  The Declaration of Principles:

     United Nations involvement and the

     North American NGO movement

Mr. Johan Nordenfelt, Director, General Assembly and Trusteeship Council Affairs Division of the United Nations Secretariat

Mr. Jawad Squili, Chairman of the Board, Centre d'études arabes pour le développement

Mr. Anis Al-Qaq, Director, Health Services Council, and Chairman of the Palestinian Theatre

Ms. Phyllis Bennis, journalist

Mr. Larry Ekin, Chairman of the North American Coordinating Committee for NGOs on the Question of Palestine

III.

A.  Strengthening civil and social structures

Mr. Eyad El Sarraj, Director, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme

Ms. Zahira Kamal, Coordinator for Women's Affairs Technical Committee

Mr. Norman Cook, Director of NGOs, Canadian Partnership Branch, Canadian International Development Agency

B.  Development and the United Nations system

(i) Promoting Human Rights

Ms. Janice Abu-Shakrah, Director of the Palestine Human Rights Information Centre, Jerusalem

(ii)  Promoting development

Ms. Zahira Kamal, Coordinator for Women's Affairs Technical Committee

Mr. Francis Dubois, Senior Programme Officer, United Nations Development Programme, New York

Mr. William Lee, Chief, UNRWA Liaison Office, New York

IV.  Looking ahead: key issues

Ms. Janice Abu Shakrah, Director, Palestine Human Rights Information Centre, Jerusalem

Ms. Sarah Kaminer, planning consultant for neighbourhood organizations in West and East Jerusalem

Mr. Naseer Aruri, Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth

Mr. Marc Perron, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Ministry of External Relations

The following topics were discussed by twenty experts in six workshops:

1. Economic development

2. Health and educational needs

3. Promoting coexistence (citizen-to-citizen diplomacy)

4. Defending human rights

5. Working with the media

6. Palestinian women's experience in development

At the closing of the Symposium, statements were made by H.E. Mr. Kéba Birane Cissé, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; Dr. M. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations; Mr. Larry Ekin, Chairman of NACC; and Father Ibrahim Ayad, President of the Palestine Committee for NGOs.

The Symposium participants elected, by secret ballot, a 12-member Coordinating Committee for 1994-1995.  Those elected from the United States were: American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; Episcopal Church, USA; Methodist Federation for Social Action; Palestine Aid Society; Palestine Human Rights Information Center – International; Presbyterian Church; Union of Palestinian-American Women; Union of Palestinian Women's Association in North America. Those elected from Canada were:  Canadian Auto Workers' Social Justice Fund; Canadian Council of Churches; Centre d'études arabes pour le développement; Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation of Canada.

III.  ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN AGREEMENT ON THE GAZA STRIP AND THE

     JERICHO AREA ISSUED AS UNITED NATIONS DOCUMENT

On 27 May 1994, the Permanent Representatives of the Russian Federation and the United States of America addressed a joint letter to the Secretary-General in their capacity as co-sponsors of the peace process launched at Madrid in October 1991 and witnesses to the signing at Cairo on 4 May 1994 of the Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area, including its annexes and maps and an exchange of letters between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people.  They conveyed the document to the Secretary-General and requested its issuance as an official document of the General Assembly and the Security Council.  Letters in this regard were also written to the Secretary-General on the same date by the Permanent Representative of Israel and the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations.

The document, together with all its annexes, was issued as document A/49/180-S/1994/727.  A limited number of copies can be obtained from the Division for Palestinian Rights.

IV.  SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES WASHINGTON DECLARATION

    BETWEEN JORDAN AND ISRAEL

On 26 July 1994, the following statement was issued by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (see SG/SM/5379):

At the request of the Permanent Representatives of Israel, Jordan, the United States of America and the Russian Federation, made in a joint letter dated 5 August 1994, the Declaration was issued as an official document of the General Assembly and the Security Council (see A/49/300-S/1994/939).

V.  SECRETARY-GENERAL ISSUES REPORTS ON THE ECONOMIC AND

    SOCIAL REPERCUSSIONS OF THE ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS

    AND ON ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

On 1 July 1994, the Secretary-General issued a note containing a report prepared by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 1993/52, entitled "Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, occupied since 1967, and on the Arab population of the Syrian Golan". In that resolution, the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session, through the Council, a report on the implementation of the resolution.  The General Assembly, in its resolution 48/212 of 21 December 1993, endorsed that request.  The report describes Israeli settlement activities and their consequences (see A/49/169-E/1994/73).

On 19 July 1994, the Secretary-General issued a report in response to General Assembly resolution 48/213, entitled "Assistance to the Palestinian people", in which the Assembly had requested the Secretary-General to ensure the coordinated work of the United Nations system for an adequate response to the needs of the Palestinian people and to mobilize financial, technical, economic and other assistance.  In that resolution, the Assembly had also requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Assembly at its forty-ninth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the resolution.  The report assesses the actual assistance received by the Palestinians and provides proposals for responding to needs that are still unmet (see A/49/263-E/1994/112).

VI.  ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ADOPTS THREE RESOLUTIONS

    RELEVANT TO THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE

At its substantive session of 1994 held from 27 June to 29 July in New York, the Economic and Social Council adopted the following resolutions:

"1994/29.  Assistance to the Palestinian people

"The Economic and Social Council,

"Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/213 of 21 December 1993,

"Welcoming the signing of the first implementation agreement of the Declaration of Principles on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, in Cairo on 4 May 1994, between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people,

"Gravely concerned about the difficult economic and employment conditions facing the Palestinian people through the Occupied Territory,

"Conscious of the urgent need for improvement in the economic and social infrastructure of the Occupied Territory and the living conditions of the Palestinian people,

"Aware that development is difficult under occupation and best promoted in circumstances of peace and stability,

"Noting, in the light of the recent developments, the great economic and social challenges facing the Palestinian people and their leadership,

"Conscious of the urgent necessity for international assistance to the Palestinian people, taking into account the Palestinian priorities,

"Noting the convening of the United Nations Seminar on Palestinian Trade and Investment Needs, held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization from 20 to 22 June 1994,

"Welcoming the signing of the agreements between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Labour Organization,

"Stressing the need for the full engagement of the United Nations in the process of building Palestinian institutions and in providing broad assistance to the Palestinian people, including assistance in the fields of elections, police training and public administration,

"Noting the appointment by the Secretary-General of the Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories,

"Welcoming the results of the Conference to Support Middle East Peace, convened in Washington, D.C., on 1 October 1993, and the establishment of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee and the work being done by the World Bank as secretariat thereof, as well as the establishment of the consultative group,

"Having considered the report of the Secretary-General,*

"1.  Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;

"2.  Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for his rapid response and efforts regarding assistance to the Palestinian people;

"3.  Expresses its appreciation also to the Member States, United Nations bodies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations that have provided and continue to provide assistance to the Palestinian people;

"4.  Stresses the importance of the appointment of the Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories and the steps taken under the auspices of the Secretary-General to ensure the achievement of a coordinated mechanism for United Nations activities throughout the Occupied Territories;

"5. Urges Member States, international financial institutions of the United Nations system, international intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and regional and interregional organizations to extend, as rapidly and as generously as possible, economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people in order to assist in the development of the West Bank and Gaza and to do so in close cooperation with the Palestine Liberation Organization and through official Palestinian institutions;

"6. Calls upon relevant organizations and agencies of the United Nations system to intensify their assistance in response to the urgent needs of the Palestinian people in accordance with the Palestinian priorities set forth by the Palestinian Authority with emphasis on national execution and capacity-building;

"7.  Urges Member States to open their markets to exports from the West Bank and Gaza on the most favourable terms, consistent with appropriate trading rules;

"8.  Calls upon the international donor community to expedite the delivery of pledged assistance to the Palestinian people to meet their urgent needs;

"9.  Suggests the convening in 1995 of a United Nations-sponsored seminar on Palestinian administrative, managerial and financial needs and challenges in light of the new developments;

"10. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session, through the Economic and Social Council, on the implementation of the present resolution, containing:

"(a)  An assessment of the assistance actually received by the Palestinian people;

"(b)  An assessment of the needs still unmet and specific proposals for responding effectively to them."

"The Economic and Social Council,

"Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/212 of 21 December 1993,

"Reaffirming the principle of the permanent sovereignty of people under foreign occupation over their national resources,

"Guided by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, and recalling Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981,

"Recalling Security Council resolution 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980 and other resolutions affirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,** to the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967,

"Recalling also Security Council resolution 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994, in which, among other things, the Council called upon Israel, the occupying Power, to continue to take and implement measures, including, inter alia, confiscation of arms, with the aim of preventing illegal acts of violence by Israeli settlers, and called for measures to be taken to guarantee the safety and protection of the Palestinian civilians in the occupied territory,

"Aware of the negative and grave economic and social repercussions of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territory, occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and on the Arab population of the Syrian Golan.

"Welcoming the ongoing Middle East peace process started at Madrid, in particular the signing of the first implementation agreement of the Declaration of Principles on the Gaza Strip and Jericho area, in Cairo on 4 May 1994, between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people,

"1. Takes note of the note by the Secretary-General;***

"2. Reaffirms that Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, are illegal and an obstacle to economic and social development;

"3. Recognizes the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem, and on the Arab population of the Syrian Golan;

"4. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the population of the Syrian Golan to their natural and all other economic resources, and regards any infringement thereof as illegal;

"5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fiftieth session, through the Economic and Social Council, a report on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution."

"1994/44.  Middle East peace process

"The Economic and Social Council,

"Recalling General Assembly resolution 48/58 of 14 December 1993,

"Recalling also the convening of the Peace Conference on the Middle East at Madrid on 30 October 1991, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, and the subsequent bilateral negotiations, as well as the meetings of the multilateral working groups, and noting with satisfaction the broad international support for the peace process,

"Noting the continuing positive participation of the United Nations as a full extraregional participant in the work of the multilateral working groups,

"Bearing in mind the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, signed by the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993,**** and the subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, signed by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, in Cairo on 4 May 1994,

"Also bearing in mind the Agreement between Israel and Jordan on the Common Agenda, signed in Washington, D.C., on 14 September 1993, and the Washington Declaration signed by the Governments of Jordan and Israel on 25 July 1994,

"1. Welcomes the peace process started at Madrid, and supports the subsequent bilateral negotiations;

"2. Stresses the importance of, and need for, achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;

"3. Expresses its full support for the achievements of the peace process thus far, in particular the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements signed by the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the subsequent Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area, signed by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, and the Agreement between Israel and Jordan on the Common Agenda, and the Washington Declaration signed by the Governments of Jordan and Israel on 25 July 1994, which constitute important initial steps in achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, and urges all parties to implement the agreements reached;

"4. Also stresses the need for achieving rapid progress on the other tracks of the Arab-Israeli negotiations within the peace process;

"5. Welcomes the results of the International Donors  Conference to Support Middle East Peace, convened in Washington, D.C., on 1 October 1993, and the subsequent work of the World Bank consultative group, and urges Member States to provide economic, financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian people during the interim period;

"6. Calls upon all Member States also to extend economic, financial and technical assistance to parties in the region and to render support for the peace process;

"7. Considers that an active United Nations role in the Middle East peace process and in assisting in the implementation of the Declaration of Principles can make a positive contribution;

"8. Encourages regional development and cooperation in the areas where work has already begun within the frame-work of the Madrid Conference."

________________

  *A/49/263-E/1994/112.

  **United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973.

 ***A/49/169-E/1994/73.

****A/48/486-S/26560, annex.

VII.  MEMORANDUM OF COOPERATION SIGNED BY THE UNITED NATIONS

      EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION AND

      THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION

At the 142nd meeting of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held on 21 October 1993, the PLO leadership requested that UNESCO should play an active role in building up Palestinian educational and cultural institutions.  On 25 October 1993, the twenty-seventh General Conference of UNESCO invited the Director-General of UNESCO to draw up, in consultation with the relevant Palestinian authorities, a comprehensive work plan to meet immediate needs of the Palestinian people within the framework of UNESCO's fields of competence.

In the implementation of that resolution, a Memorandum of Cooperation between UNESCO and the PLO was signed at Granada, Spain, on 9 December 1993, by PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Federico Mayor.  In accordance with the terms of the Memorandum, a Joint UNESCO/PLO Coordination Committee has been set up to plan and monitor the execution of the activities set out in the memorandum.

VIII.   UNICEF EXECUTIVE BOARD ADOPTS DECISION ON PROPOSALS FOR

       PROGRAMME COOPERATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

At the conclusion of its one-week session which ended on 29 April 1994, the Executive Board of UNICEF adopted a decision on UNICEF cooperation and programme reviews, including the funding of programmes affecting Palestinian women and children (see E/1994/34 (Part II)-E/ICEF/1994/13).  The text of the decision is presented below:

"Decision 1994/R.2/6.

"Proposals for UNICEF cooperation and programme reviews

"The Executive Board

"1.  Approves the following recommendations of the Executive Director for programme cooperation as summarized in document E/ICEF/1994/P/L.3 and Add.1:

"…..

"(e)  $39,947,720 for general resources  funding and $102,100,000 for supplementary funding for programme cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa, as follows:

….."

The Executive Board also adopted decision 1994/R.2/7 on assistance to Palestinian children and women (see the May 1994 issue of the Bulletin, Vol. XVII).

IX.  DECLARATION BY THE EUROPEAN UNION ON THE VISIT BY

     CHAIRMAN ARAFAT TO GAZA/JERICHO; STATEMENT ON

     THE MEETING BETWEEN KING HUSSEIN OF JORDAN

      AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER RABIN

On 14 July 1994, the following statement was issued by Detlev Graf zu Rantzau (Germany) on behalf of the European Union (see A/49/230-S/1994/822):

"The European Union welcomes the first visit of the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat, to the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area.  This event is evident proof of the progress already achieved in the Middle East peace process and, in particular, relations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides. At the same time, the European Union welcomes the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in Jericho.  The European Union hopes that this body and the Palestinian administrative structure put in place in the economic field will become operational in the near future and, thereby, partners for dialogue with the European Union in those areas identified in the agreement signed in Cairo on 4 May 1994, by Israel and the PLO, as well as partners for the European Union economic assistance programmes.

"The European Union encourages both sides and the other regional parties in the peace process to continue their search for solutions to outstanding issues in the context of the bilateral and multilateral tracks."

On 28 July 1994, the following statement was issued on behalf of the European Union (see A/49/285-S/1994/891):

"The European Union warmly welcomes the meeting of his Majesty King Hussein of Jordan and Prime Minister Rabin of Israel in Washington on 25 July 1994.

"This meeting, the prior talks between Jordanian and Israeli representatives which took place in the Middle East region itself, as well as the signing of the declaration in Washington, represent another important breakthrough in the peace process.  The European Union pays  tribute to the vision and courage of the Jordanian and Israeli leaders, which have made such direct talks and agreements possible.

"The European Union expresses the hope that, on the basis of the declaration signed in Washington, further negotiations between the two sides on the solution of outstanding questions can be brought to a successful completion in the near future and thus lead to an agreement which would be of paramount importance for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East."

X.  EUROPEAN COMMUNITY HUMANITARIAN OFFICE PLEDGES

    CONTINUED ASSISTANCE TO THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

On 21 June 1994, the following press release was issued by the European Community Office of Press and Public Affairs:

"From January 1993 to the present, the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has supplied 15.1 million ecu in food, medical, logistical and infrastructure aid in favour of the Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories.

"The numerous projects financed by ECHO's contributions have been carried out in the field by non-governmental agencies (NGOs) and UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East).

"Most recently, the European Commission agreed to 2.4 million ecu in assistance for hospitals, clinics and other health-related establishments in Gaza and the West Bank. To implement the new aid, the following NGOs have been selected: OXFAM (UK), the Netherlands Red Cross, MAP (UK) and Pharmaciens sans Frontières (France).

"This aid is aimed not only to safeguard the Palestinian population's health but also to create local, health-related jobs, boosting the economy (and the new administration) during a critical phase in the transition of power."

XI.  NEW ZEALAND CONTRIBUTES $NZ 300,000 TO UNRWA

     FOR WOMEN'S TRAINING CENTRE IN GAZA

On 23 May 1994, the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand issued a statement announcing that New Zealand is contributing $NZ 300,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to build a women's training centre in Gaza. The  centre,  which  will be built in the Bureij refugee camp, would provide women with the skills to earn a living and to make a positive contribution to the development of the community.

In the statement, New Zealand Foreign Minister Don McKinnon said:

"This is a tangible expression of New Zealand's  support  for implementation of the recent agreements signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization on Palestinian interim self-government and for the wider Middle East peace process.  We recognize the Palestinian people need the active support of the international community to meet pressing development needs.  New Zealand is ready to do what it can to assist.  It is essential that the progress being made at the political level, since the Declaration of Principles was signed last September, is underpinned by practical improvements to people's daily lives."

XII.  UNITED NATIONS SPONSORS JOURNALISTS' ENCOUNTER AT

     ELSINORE, DENMARK, ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE

From 15 to 17 June 1994, the United Nations Department of Public Information held a journalists' encounter at Elsinore, which was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.  The theme of the encounter was "Prerequisites to Peace in the Middle East".

The Elsinore Encounter was the fourth in a series launched three years ago by the Department of Public Information to promote dialogue between the two sides in the Middle East conflict.  The Department of Public Information encounter programme on the question of Palestine was mandated by General Assembly resolution 48/158 C of 20 December 1993.  The Encounter reviewed the developments in the peace process since the signing, at Washington, D.C. last September, of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, including outstanding issues not covered by the Declaration.  These were: Israeli settlements, Jerusalem, the return of Palestinian refugees, future boundaries and the status of the Palestinian occupied territory.

The meeting brought together a panel of prominent Arabs, Israelis and Middle East experts to exchange views with a group of senior international media representatives on the issues facing the Palestinian and Israeli peoples in their attempts to secure lasting peace in the region.  Some 130 people, including 26 members of the diplomatic corps, attended the meeting.

The panelists were: Samir Abdallah, Chief of the Department of Economic Policies and Project Selection, Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction; Haider Abdel Shafi, President of the Red Crescent Society in Gaza; M. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations; Abdallah Bouhabib, Adviser to the World Bank's Vice-President for the Middle East and North Africa Region; and Helle Degn, Denmark's Minister of Cooperation and Development.

Other panelists were: Mustafa B. Hamarneh, Director, Centre for Strategic Studies, University of Jordan, Amman; Mark Heller, Senior Research Associate, Jaffee Centre for Strategic Studies, Tel Aviv; Yossi Katz, Member of the Israeli Knesset; Richard Murphy, Senior Fellow of New York City's Middle East Council on Foreign Relations; Ron Pundik, Senior Fellow, Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Tel Aviv; William Quandt, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C.; Ghassan Salamé, Senior Fellow, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Paris (Lebanon); Emmanuel Sharon, Director of the Hapoalim Bank, Tel Aviv; Mohammad Shiyyab, Director of International Studies, Royal Scientific Society, Amman; and Nikolai Tikhomirov, Department Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Directorate for the Middle East and North Africa.

In her keynote address on 16 June, Helle Degn, Minister of Cooperation and Development of Denmark, called on donors to "move away from pledges and implement specific, tangible projects to generate development for the Palestinian people".  She advocated "flexibility" in recognition of the special requirements of the situation.

In his concluding remarks, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Petrovsky, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, who acted as moderator of the meeting, said that peace was a partnership which required trust and was based on security.  "The security which I wish to underscore here describes a more comprehensive state of the human condition.  The Secretary-General has affirmed that this means, at the very least, freedom from hunger, torture, fear and disease" (see PI/852 and PI/856).

XIII.  DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ISSUES

       NEW PUBLICATION ON THE MIDDLE EAST

The Department of Public Information issued a publication entitled "Promoting a Culture for Peace in the Middle East".  The publication, which was the fourth  in  the Department's Israeli-Palestinian dialogue series,  reflects  the  proceedings  of  the  International Encounter for European Journalists on the Question of Palestine organized by the Department of Public Information from 9 to 11 June 1993 in London (see GA/PAL/661).

XIV.  NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS:

     ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION

A.  Activities of the Geneva Conference

   Working Group

The Division for Palestinian Rights received information about a round of meetings in the occupied Palestinian territories organized by the NGO coordinating committees in the territories, to discuss the issues now being faced by the Palestinian people and the NGOs who serve them and to prepare the groundwork for the International NGO Meeting to be held at Geneva under the auspices of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People in late August 1994.  A brief summary of those meetings follows:

1. Regional NGO meetings summary report:

The Geneva Conference Working Group (GCWG) sponsored four informal meetings of NGOs in the occupied Palestinian territories.  They were held at Gaza on 10 May; Nablus on 17 May; Hebron on 26 May; and Jerusalem on 31 May 1994.

The objective of the meetings was to air views regarding the role of NGOs in the occupied Palestinian territories in the coming period, as well as issues of general concern to NGOs working in the area.  The meetings were also aimed at preparing grass-roots input for the upcoming national and international conferences dealing with developmental, humanitarian and political issues of importance to Palestinian and international NGOs.  A total of 430 institutions and 743 persons participated in these meetings.

2. The role of NGOs in the transition to Palestinian statehood:

From 17 to 19 June 1994, GCWG sponsored a meeting entitled "The role of NGOs in the transition to Palestinian statehood" at East Jerusalem.  There were four panel discussions on the following topics:

(a) NGOs and development strategies;

(b) NGOs and Palestinian civil society;

(c) NGOs and Jerusalem;

(d) NGOs, relationships to and among: Palestinian National Authority, Palestinian NGOs, International NGOs, Multilateral organizations and founders.

Information about GCWG's work can be obtained directly from GCWG, c/o SAAR, Telephone/Fax: (972-2) 819-553.

B.  Information received from NGOs

1. Middle East International, a biweekly publication, is available from P.O. Box 53365, Temple Heights Station, Washington, D.C. 20009, United States.  Issue No. 477 of 10 June 1994 includes articles on Israel and Syria, on Israeli settlements and on Palestinians as victims of apartheid.  Issue No. 478 of June 24 includes articles on the Palestinian prisoners' plight, on the PLO cash crisis, on Israeli Arabs' view of the peace process, on United States foreign policy, on European Union aid, on Israeli settlements and on Israeli Palestinians.  Issue No. 480 of 22 July includes articles on Jordan's peace gestures, on Syria's strategy for peace, on West Bank self-rule, on Israel's commission of inquiry and on World Bank assistance.  All issues also contain articles on other countries in the Middle East.

2. The Other Front, a weekly bulletin on developments in Israeli society, is available from P.O. Box 19543, Jerusalem.  Issue No. 276 of 8 June includes articles on the bombing in Lebanon, on the Israeli military and on a student demonstration at Tel Aviv University.  Issue No. 277 of 15 June includes articles on the question of Jerusalem, on the peace movement, on the settlers and on Palestinians inside Israel.  Issue No. 278 of 22 June 1994 contains articles on settlements and on immigration.  Issue No. 280 of 6 July contains articles on the peace movement, on the settlements and on Arafat's visit to Gaza.  Issue No. 281 of 13 July includes articles on immigrant students and on the `Trans-Israel' Highway.

3. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs is available from American Educational Trust, P.O. Box 53062, Washington, D.C. 20009 (Fax (202) 232-6754 or 265-4574).  The July-August issue, Vol. XIII, includes articles on the implementation of the Peace Accords (five views), on George Ball's Mid-East views, on the question of Jerusalem, on United States aid and on the United Nations and the Middle East, as well as stories from other Middle Eastern countries.

4. Nord-Sud XXI: Droits de l'Homme – Liberté is a book available from Nord-Sud XXI, 17 Rue Ferdinand-Hodler, CH-1207, Geneva (Fax 736 91 93).  The book contains an article by Naseer H. Aruri entitled "False promises and illusive opportunities: the Madrid Peace Process".

5. MECC News Report, which is published by the Communication Department of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), is available from P.O. Box 4259, Limassol, Cyprus, (Fax (357-5) 324 496).  The May/June 1994 issue contains articles on MECC's assistance to Palestinian refugees, a joint message of Episcopal leaders on Peace in the Holy Land and the Lutheran appeal to the Israeli Government concerning access to Jerusalem for Palestinians in the occupied territories.

6.   The B'Tselem Human Rights Report, which is published by B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, is available from 43 Emek Refaim Street, 2nd Floor, Jerusalem 93141 (Fax (02) 610756).  The Spring issue contains articles on human rights in the occupied territories, on enforcement of the law and settler violence, on the Israel-PLO Accord, on collective punishment after the Hebron massacre, on collaborators in the occupied territories, on the use of torture, on deaths at checkpoints and along roads, on Kach and Kachane Chai and on summary execution in the Jabalya refugee camp.  Other reports published by B'Tselem include:

(a) Firing at Vehicles by the Security Forces in the Occupied Territories (February 1994);

(b) Lethal Gunfire and Collective Punishment in the Wake of the Massacre at the Tomb of the Patriarchs (February 1994);

(c) Summary Execution: Jabalya Refugee Camp (March 1994).

7. News From Within, a newsletter of the Alternative Information Centre, is available from P.O. Box 31417, Jerusalem (Fax (972 2) 253151).  The June 1994 issue features articles on Israeli policy towards Palestinian prisoners, on Meron Benvenisti and the Oslo Plan, on Palestinian women and on the Palestinian police in Jericho, comments on Rabin's and Arafat's speeches at the signing of the Cairo Agreement and comments on the draft of the Palestinian constitution.

8. Breaking the Siege, a newsletter of The Middle East Justice Network, is available from P.O. Box 495, Boston, Massachusetts 02112, United States of America (Fax (617) 542-4947).  The June-July 1994 issue includes articles on United States aid to Israel and the Palestinians, on United States Jerusalem policy, on the Congress of the United States and the PLO and on economic relations between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as an assessment of the Cairo Agreement.

9. Newsletter, a publication issued by the Capital District Committee for Palestinian Rights, is a project of the Social Justice Center of Albany, Inc. and is available from 33 Central Avenue, Albany, New York 12210. The Spring/Summer 1994 issue contains articles on Palestine after the Declaration of Principles, on continued Israeli land confiscation, on settler violence and on the United States media and Palestine.

10.  Amnesty International Report 1994 is available from Amnesty International, 322 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10001, Telephone (212) 807-8400.  In a section entitled "Israel and the Occupied Territories", Amnesty International reports on arrests and detentions of Palestinians, on Palestinian and Israeli prisoners of conscience, including conscientious objectors to military service, on torture and ill-treatment during interrogations, on deaths in custody through possible medical negligence, on shooting deaths, on extrajudicial executions and on other human rights abuses.

11. Al-Haq, an affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists, published the following press releases for the month of June, which are available from P.O. Box 1413, Ramallah, West Bank, (Fax (972-2) 955194):

12. Press releases of the Palestine Human Rights Information Centre (PHRIC) of the Arab Studies Society are available from: PHRIC International, 4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20008 (Fax (202) 686-5140).  The following press releases have been issued for the month of June:

13. The Association of Palestinian Human Rights in the Diaspora (APHRD) issued a "News Report" dated 2 July 1994.  The report, which is available from P.O. Box 520, Valletta, Malta (Fax 00356 – 371978), includes articles on the plight of Palestinians living in different Middle Eastern countries and in Europe.

14.  Collaborators in Occupied Territories: Human Rights Abuses and Violations, which is a book published by B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, is available from 43 Emek Refaim St., 2nd Floor, Jerusalem 93141 (Fax 02 610756).  The book deals with the emergence of the phenomenon of collaboration in the territories since 1967 and the distinctive circumstances during the intifadah which gave rise to the attacks against suspected collaborators, explains the stand of B'Tselem, as a human rights organization, with regard to torture and killing of suspected collaborators, presents the stands of the PLO and Hamas on the question of collaboration and examines the policy of the Israeli authorities towards Palestinians who attack suspected collaborators.  

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