Educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories – UNESCO decision

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DECISIONS ADOPTED

BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AT ITS 190th SESSION

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RELATIONS WITH MEMBER STATES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS

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The Executive Board decided, upon the recommendation4 of the Programme and External Relations Commission, that the debate on this item be adjourned to its 191st session, and that the draft decision contained in document 190 EX/PX/DR.8 be annexed to the present decision.

(190 EX/SR.8)

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⁴ After a roll-call vote of 28 votes in favour, 23 votes against and 4 abstentions,

the following States having voted for the adjournment of the debate: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Grenada, Haiti, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Slovakia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uzbekistan and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of).

the following States having voted against: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Ecuador, France, Gambia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

Abstentions: Angola, Gabon, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Absent: Barbados, Ethiopia and Papua New Guinea. 

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ANNEX

PROGRAMME AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COMMISSION (PX)

DRAFT DECISION

Submitted by: Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates

The Executive Board,

I

1. Recalling 36 C/Resolution 81 and 185 EX/Decision 36 as well as Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with regard to the right to education, Articles 4 and 94 of the Fourth Geneva Convention with regard to the denial of the right of children to education, as well as the Hague Convention (1954) and its additional Protocols and the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972),

2. Having examined document 190 EX/38,

3. Committed to the safeguarding of monuments, works of art, manuscripts, books and other historical and cultural properties to be protected in the event of conflict;

4. Supports the efforts made by the Director-General with a view to the implementation of 36 C/Resolution 81 and 185 EX/Decision 36, and requests her to do everything possible to ensure that they are fully implemented;

5. Expresses its appreciation for the substantial contributions of all concerned Member States and intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations to UNESCO’s action in Palestine, and appeals to them to continue assisting UNESCO in this endeavour;

6. Thanks the Director-General for the results that have been obtained in relation to the implementation of a number of current educational and cultural activities;

7. Invites the Director-General to strengthen UNESCO’s financial and technical assistance to the Palestinian educational and cultural institutions in order to address new needs and problems resulting from recent developments,

8. Expresses its continuing concern about the harmful impact of the Separation Wall and other practices on the activities of cultural and educational institutions, as well as obstacles that result which prevent Palestinian schoolchildren and students from being an integral part of their social fabric and from exercising fully their right to education, and calls for the observance of the provisions of UNESCO resolutions and decisions particularly 36 C/Resolution 81 and 185 EX/Decision 36,

9. Notes with deep concern the Israeli authorities censorship on the Palestinian curricula of schools and universities in East Jerusalem and urges them to timely halt this censorship,

10. Encourages the Director-General to continue to reinforce her action in favour of the reconstruction, rehabilitation and restoration of the Palestinian archaeological sites and cultural heritage and invites her to address the needs for capacity-building in all UNESCO’s fields of competence by expanding the financial assistance programme for Palestinian students,

11. Requests the Director-General to organize, as soon as possible, the ninth meeting of the Joint UNESCO-Palestine Committee;

II

12. Also invites the Director-General:

(a) to continue the efforts she is making to preserve the human, social and cultural fabric of the occupied Syrian Golan, in accordance with the relevant provisions of this decision;

(b) to undertake efforts to offer appropriate curricula, and to provide more grants and adequate assistance to the educational and cultural institutions of the occupied Syrian Golan;

(c) to dispatch an expert to assess and evaluate the needs of the educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Syrian Golan, who would report to the Director-General before the 191st session of the Executive Board;

III

13. Decides to include this item in the agenda of the Executive Board at its 191st session, and invites the Director-General to submit to it a progress report thereon.

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