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

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Records of the General Conference

32nd Session

Paris, 29 September to 17 October 2003

Volume 1

Resolutions

United Nations Educational,

Scientific and

Cultural Organization

32 C/Resolution 54

Implementation of 31 C/Resolution 43 concerning educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories²

The General Conference,

Having examined the report of the Director-General (32 C/16),

Recalling Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with regard to the right to education and Articles 4 and 94 of the Geneva Convention with regard to the denial of the right of children to education,

Further recalling the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) and The Hague Convention (1954) and its additional protocols,

Also recalling the role that UNESCO is called upon to play in the exercise of the right to education for all and in the protection of the cultural, historic and natural heritage,

Considering the need for safe access of Palestinians to the educational system, and particularly recalling the consequences of recent measures which affect the fulfilment of this need,

Deeply concerned about the safeguarding of monuments, works of art, manuscripts, books and other cultural property to be protected in the event of conflicts,

Highly appreciative of the efforts of the international community to halt the violence and safeguard the peace process, which is seriously threatened by tragic events,

1. Recalls paragraph 32 of the Medium-Term Strategy (31 C/4 Approved), defining a “road map for a revitalized UNESCO: principles of action and programming”, and paragraph 12 of 31 C/Resolution 43;

2. Requests the Director-General to implement expeditiously activities listed in paragraphs 10 to 15 of document 32 C/16 and parts IV and V of document 167 EX/44, and notes the efforts of the Director-General in respect of 166 EX/Decision 10.1;

3. Regrets the delays as regards the implementation of some parts of some resolutions and decisions of UNESCO, and requests the Director-General to ensure that they are fully implemented;

4. Urgently appeals for the necessary measures to be taken so as to enable the functioning of the Palestinian educational establishments;

5. Profoundly regretting that the implementation of the UNESCO Programme for Palestine (UPP) has long been suspended, expresses its hope that the Joint UNESCO-Palestinian Authority Committee, which was recently reactivated, will meet regularly on an annual basis with a view to being resultoriented;

6. Requests the Director-General to reinforce his action in favour of reconstruction, rehabilitation and restoration of Palestinian cultural heritage and archaeological sites;

7. Urges the Director-General to strengthen the plan of action, through the intersectoral coordination team, with a view to implementing the UNESCO Programme for Palestine, which is included as a priority in the Programme and Budget for 2004-2005 (32 C/5);

8. Appreciates the establishing of the Director-General’s Task Force on Reconstruction and Reconciliation in the Middle East through which participation has been increased in UNESCO’s fields of competence in the United Nations efforts for peace;

9. Invites the Director-General to address the needs for capacity-building in all UNESCO’s fields of competence by expanding the financial assistance programme for Palestinian students from both regular budget and extrabudgetary sources;

10. Calls on the Joint UNESCO-Palestinian Authority Committee to convene a donor meeting within a period of 12 months in order to have additional capacities to achieve the objectives set out in this resolution;

11. Expresses the hope that the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli peace negotiations will be resumed and that a just and comprehensive peace will speedily be brought about in accordance with UNESCO’s Constitution and the United Nations resolutions, particularly the relevant Security Council resolutions on this matter;

12. Also invites the Director-General:

(a) to continue the efforts he is making with a view to preserving the human, social and cultural fabric of the occupied Syrian Golan, in accordance with the relevant provisions of this resolution;

(b) to undertake efforts with a view to offering appropriate curricula, and to provide more study grants and also special assistance to the educational institutions of the occupied Syrian Golan;

13. Decides to include this item in the agenda of its 33rd session.

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² Resolution adopted on the reports of Commissions II and IV at the 18th and 21st plenary meetings, on 15 and 17 October 2003.