SUPR Monthly Bulletin, No. 1 – CEIRPP, SUPR bulletin (June 1978) – SUPR publication

SPECIAL UNIT

ON PALESTINIAN RIGHTS

Department of Political and

General Assembly Affairs

June 1978

BULLETIN NO.  1

Contents

1.         Establishment of Special Unit on Palestinian Rights

2.        Action taken by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People  (January-June 1978)

3.         Resolutions relating to the rights of the Palestinian people adopted by United Nations bodies (January-June 1978)

4.        Statement made by the Chairman of the Committee at the eighth special session of the General Assembly

5.         Plans  for International Solidarity Day, 1978

6.        Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries reaffirms  position on Palestinian  rights

1.  Establishment of Special Unit on Palestinian Rights

At its twenty-ninth session the General Assembly adopted resolution 3236 (XXIX) which reaffirmed the rights of the Palestinian people including,

(a) The right to self-determination without external interference;

(b) The right to national independence and sovereignty: and

(c) The inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted.

Subsequently at its thirtieth session, the General Assembly adopted two resolutions, 3375 (XXX) and 3376. Resolution 3375 invited the PLO, the representative of the Palestinian people, to participate in all efforts, deliberations and conferences on the Middle East which are held under the auspices ")f the United Nations on an equal footing with other parties on the basis of resolution 3236. Resolution 3376 (XXX) established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to consider and recommend to the General Assembly a programme of implementation designed to enable the Palestinian people to exercise the rights recognized in resolution 3236 (XXIX).

At its thirty-first session the General Assembly considered the following recommendations made by the Committee in its first report (A/31/35) and endorsed them:

PART TWO.  RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE

I.  BASIC CONSIDERATIONS AND GUIDELINES

59. The question of Palestine is at the heart of the Middle East problem, and, consequently, the Committee stresses its belief that no solution in the Middle East can be envisaged which does not fully take into account the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.

60. The legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to return to their homes and property and to achieve self-determination, national independence and sovereignty are endorsed by the Committee in the conviction that the full implementation of these rights will contribute decisively to a comprehensive and final settlement of the Middle East crisis.

61.  The participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, on an equal footing with other parties, on the basis of General Assembly resolutions 3236 (XXIX) and 3375 (XXX) is indispensable in all efforts, deliberations and conferences on the Middle East which are held under the auspices of the United Nations.

62. The Committee recalls the fundamental principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and stresses the consequent obligation for complete and speedy evacuation of any territory so occupied.

63. The Committee considers that it is the duty and the responsibility of all concerned to enable the Palestinians to exercise their inalienable rights.

64. The Committee recommends an expanded and more influential role by the United Nations and its organs in promoting a just solution to the question of Palestine and in the implementation of such a solution. The Security Council, in particular, should take appropriate action to facilitate the exercise by the Palestinians of their right to return to their homes, lands and property. .The Committee, furthermore, urges the Security Council to promote action towards a just solution, taking into account all the powers conferred on it by the Charter of the United Nations.

65.  It is with this perspective in view and on the basis of the numerous resolutions of the United Nations, after due consideration of all the facts, proposals and suggestions advanced in the course of its deliberations, that the Committee submits its recommendations on the modalities for the implementation of the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

II.  THE RIGHT OF RETURN

66. The natural and inalienable right of Palestinians to return to their homes is recognized by resolution 194 (III), which the General Assembly has reaffirmed almost every year since its adoption. This right was also unanimously recognized by the Security Council in its resolution 237 (1967); the time for the urgent implementation of these resolutions is long overdue.

67. Without prejudice to the right of all Palestinians to return to their homes, lands and property, the Committee considers that the programme of implementation, of he exercise of this right may be carried out in two phases:

Phase one

68. The first phase involves the return to their homes of the Palestinians displaced as a result of the war of June 1967. The Committee recommends that:

(i) The Security Council should request the immediate implementation of its resolution 237 (1967) and that such implementation should not be related to any other condition;

(ii) The resources of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and/or of the United Rations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, suitably financed and mandated, may be employed to assist in the solution of any logistical problems involved in the resettlement of those returning to their homes. These agencies could also assist, in co-operation with the host countries and the Palestine Liberation Organization, in the identification of the displaced Palestinians.

Phase two

69. The second phase deals with the return to their homes of the Palestinians displaced between 1948 and 1967. The Committee recommends that:

(i) While the first phase is being implemented, the United Nations in co-operation with the States directly involved, and the Palestine Liberation Organization as the interim representative of the Palestinian entity, should proceed to make the necessary arrangements to enable Palestinians displaced between 19^8 and 1967 to exercise their right to return to their homes and property, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly General Assembly resolution 194 (III);

(ii) Palestinians not choosing to return to their homes should be paid Just and equitable compensation as provided for in resolution 194 (III).

III.  THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE AND SOVEREIGNTY

70. The Palestinian people has the inherent right to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty in Palestine. The Committee considers that the evacuation of the territories occupied by force and in violation of the principles of the Charter and relevant resolutions of the United Nations is a conditio sine qua non for the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights in Palestine. The Committee considers, furthermore, that upon the return of the Palestinians to their homes and property and with the establishment of an independent Palestinian entity, the Palestinian people will be able to exercise its rights to self-determination and to decide its form of government without external interference.

71. The Committee also feels that the United Nations has an historical duty and responsibility to render all assistance necessary to promote the economic development and prosperity of the Palestinian entity.

72.  To these ends, the Committee recommends that:

(a) A time-table should be established by the Security Council for the complete withdrawal by Israeli occupation forces from those areas occupied in 1967; such withdrawal should be completed no later than 1 June 1977;

(b) The Security Council may need to provide temporary peace-keeping forces in order to facilitate the process of withdrawal:

(c) Israel should be requested by the Security Council to desist from the establishment of new settlements and to withdraw during this period from settlements established since 19^7 in the occupied territories. Arab property and all essential services in these areas should be maintained intact;

(d) Israel should also be requested to abide scrupulously by the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of war, of 12 August 1949, and to declare, pending its speedy withdrawal from these territories, its recognition of the applicability of that Convention-,

(e) The evacuated territories, with all property and services intact, should be taken over by the United Nations, which with the co-operation of the League of Arab States, will subsequently hand over these evacuated areas to the Palestine Liberation Organization as the representative of the Palestinian people:

(f) The United Nations should, if necessary, assist in establishing communications between Gaza and the West Bank;

(g) As soon as the independent Palestinian entity he.s been established, the United Nations, in co-operation with the States directly involved and the Palestinian entity, should, taking into account General Assembly resolution 3375 (XXX), make further arrangements for the full implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, the resolution of outstanding problems and the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the region, in accordance with all relevant United Nations resolutions;

(h) The United Nations should provide the economic and technical assistance necessary for the consolidation of the Palestinian entity.

At its thirty-second session the General Assembly once more endorsed these recommendations, the validity of which the Committee had unanimously decided to reaffirm in its second report (A/32/35).

By its resolution 32/40 B the General Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to create the Special Unit for Palestinian Rights because the Committee felt, and recommended in its report to the General Assembly, that an intensification of efforts was. necessary to implement the recommendations with the minimum delay and that the various sectors of the United Nations system should act in concert to promote their implementation by peaceful means. The Special Unit established within the Department of Political and General Assembly Affairs is entrusted with the task of producing, in 1978 under the guidance of the Committee, several studies on the question of Palestinian rights, bulletins and a film. It has also to organize annually on 29 November the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.

2.  Action taken by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (January-June 1978)

In the first six months of 1978, the Committee had occasion to address, through the Chairman, several letters to member States and organizations on matters directly related to the work of the Committee.

(i) At its first meeting in 1978, the Committee decided that it would be appropriate for it to draw the attention of all parties directly interested in the Middle East question to the basic principles relating to the problem of the Middle East. These principles were:

(a) The Question of Palestine is the heart of the problem of the Middle East and consequently no solution to the Middle East problem could be envisaged without taking into account the interests of the Palestinian people,

(b) The realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to . turn to their homes and to self-determination, independence and national sovereignty would contribute to a solution of the crisis in the Middle East;

(c) The participation of the PLO as a representative of the Palestinian people on an equal footing with all other parties on the basis of resolutions 3236 and 3375 was indispensable in all efforts, deliberations and conferences on the Middle East undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations;

(d) The inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and the obligation which devolved on Israel to withdraw completely and quickly from all territory so occupied.

At the same time attention was to be drawn to the fact that the Palestine national Council had at its meeting in Cairo in March 1977 decided to consider the recommendations of the Committee approved by the General Assembly at its thirty-first session as a positive step towards the realization of the aspirations rights of the Palestinian people and that on instructions from the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO, this decision had been reaffirmed by the Permanent Observer of the PLO at the Committee's meeting on 10 January 1978.

Letters were accordingly addressed to the Secretary-General, the President of the thirty- second session of the General Assembly, the President of the Security Council, the Permanent Representatives of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Co-Chairmen of the Conference – the United States of America and the USSR.

At the request of the Committee, these letters have been published as documents of the General Assembly and the Security Council (A/33/51, A/33/55, S/12531).

(ii) at that meeting the Committee also decided to send through its Chairman the following message to the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Chairman Yasser Arafat:

"I would like to thank you most cordially for the message and good wishes you conveyed to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and for your reaffirmation of support for the recommendations contained in the Committee's reports and endorsed by the General Assembly.

"As Chairman of the Committee, I wish to assure you once more of our solidarity with the Just cause of the Palestinian people and of our continued determination to exert all efforts to promote the implementation of the recommendations concerning the exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights, i.e. the right of return and the right to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty."

(iii) A message of greetings and good wishes was also sent by the Chairman of the Committee to the President of the Human Rights Commission at the commencement of the thirty-fourth session of the Human Rights Commission. In that message the Chairman expressed the Committee's interest in the deliberations on the question of the violation of human rights in the occupied territories including Palestine and the certainty that such discussions would draw once more the attention of all States and world public opinion to the General Assembly's recommendations concerning the implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

(iv) At its meeting on l6 March the Committee decided to send through its Chairman a message to the President of the Security Council unanimously associating itself with those provisions of the Security Council's resolution 425 (1978) of March 1978 which called upon Israel to cease immediately its military action against the territorial integrity of Lebanon and to withdraw forthwith all its forces from Lebanese territory. The view was expressed also that it was imperative that the Security Council should take more energetic action to bring about the urgent establishment of peace in the Middle East through a positive response to the General Assembly's recommendations on the Question of Palestine. This letter has been published as a document of the Security Council (S/12614).

(v) Referring to the reported reply of the Government of Israel to the Government of the United States concerning the future of the occupied territories and the clarification given by Mr. Dayan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel quoted in The New York Times of 20 June 1978, the Chairman of the Committee addressed the following letter to the Secretary-General with the request that it be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly. The letter has been circulated as General Assembly document A/33/154.

"The reply of the Government of Israel to the Government of the United States concerning the future of the occupied territories, reported in the press, and the clarification given by Mr. Dayan, Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs, quoted in The Hew York Times of 20 June 1978, that 'the plan for autonomy in the occupied territories would be permanent and not a transitional phase to a separate Palestinian homeland confirm that Israel has no intention of honouring the resolutions of the United Nations opposing the occupation of territories by force. These resolutions recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, which have been the subject of recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The recommendations in question have been adopted by the General Assembly,

"Mr. Dayan's clarification constitutes, moreover, a violation of the principle of self-determination.

"It is clear that all the assurances given by the Israeli Government concerning the territories occupied for the past 11 years have been aimed at enabling the Israeli State to evade its responsibilities and its obligations with respect to the United Nations and its Charter. It is also clear that a solution to the problems of the Middle East can be achieved only when the United Nations- and the Security Council in particular, take positive action in keeping with the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, which has recognized that the question of Palestine is at the heart of the problem of the Middle East.

"I should be grateful if this letter could be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly under item 31 of the preliminary list."

3.  Resolutions relating to the rights of the Palestinian people adopted by United Nations bodies (January-June 1978)

On 5 May 1978 the Economic and Political Council adopted resolution 1978/2, by which, having considered the report of the Commission on Human Rights on its thirty-fourth session, it took note of the decisions of the Commission concerning the violation by Israel of human rights in the occupied territories: commended the Commission for its vigilance and its decisions on the protection of human rights in the occupied Arab territories including: Palestine: and requested the Commission to pursue its efforts for the protection of human rights in the occupied territories including Palestine and to continue to take appropriate measures in this respect.

The relevant resolutions adopted by the Commission on Human Eights at its thirty-fourth session are as follows:

A

The Commission on Human Rights,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations as well as the principles and provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Bearing in mind the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 and of other relevant conventions and regulations.

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 32/5, 32/l4, 32/20, 32/40, 32/42, 32/90, 32/91, 32/122, 32/161 and 32/171,

Taking into account that the General Assembly has, in resolution 31/20, recalled its resolution 3376 (XXX), in which it expressed grave concern that no progress has been achieved towards:

(a) The exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights in Palestine, including the right to self-determination without external interference and the right to national independence end sovereignty,

(b) The exercise by Palestinians of their inalienable right to return to the homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted,

Taking into consideration that the General Assembly had adopted resolution 33l4 (XXIX), which defines as an act of aggression the invasion or attack by the armed forces of a State of the territory of another State, or any military occupation, however temporary, resulting from such invasion or attack, or any annexation by the use of force of the territory of another State or part thereof,

Recalling the statement adopted by the Security Council at its 1969th meeting on 11 November 1976, by which the Council, inter alia, expressed its grave anxiety and concern over the serious situation in the occupied Arab territories as a result of continued Israeli occupation,

Taking note of the reports of the United Nations organs, specialized agencies and international humanitarian organizations on the situation of the occupied Arab territories and their inhabitants,

Taking into account" the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories, which contained, inter alia, public statements made by leaders of the Government of Israel, indicating Israel's determination to pursue and consolidate its expansionist and annexationist policies,

Noting with deep concern the fears expressed by the Special Committee "that the situation of civilians in the occupied territories, especially the situation of the detainees which has been shown during recent months to be a matter of particular concern, may deteriorate still further in the near future" and its statement that "The international community must assume its responsibilities to ensure the protection of" the fundamental rights of civilians in the occupied territories",

Greatly alarmed by the continuation of the violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Israel in the occupied Arab territories, particularly the measures aiming at annexation, as well as the continuing establishment of settlers' colonies, mass destruction of homes, torture and ill-treatment of detainees, expropriation of properties and imposition of economic and fiscal measures aimed at the exploitation of the population of the occupied territories,

1.  Expresses its grave anxiety and concern over the deteriorating serious situation in the occupied Arab territories as a result of continued Israeli occupation and aggression, in particular:

(a) The intensification of the establishment of settlers' colonies;

(b) The continued and increasing use of arbitrary detention, torture ill-treatment and cruel treatment of Arab detainees and prisoners;

2.  Calls upon Israel to take immediate steps for the return of the Palestinians and the other displaced inhabitants of the occupied Arab territories to their hones;

3.  Declares that Israel's grave breaches of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 are war crimes and an affront to humanity;

4. Condemns the following Israeli policies and practices;

(a) The annexation of parts of the occupied territories;

(b) The establishment of Israeli settlements therein and the transfer of an alien population thereto(c) The evacuation, deportation, expulsion, displacement and transfer of Arab inhabitants of the occupied territories, and the denial of their right to return;

(d) The confiscation and expropriation of Arab property in the occupied territories and all other transactions for the acquisition of land involving Israeli authorities, institutions or nationals on the one hand, and inhabitants or institutions of the occupied territories on the other;

(e) The destruction and demolition of Arab houses;

(f) Mass arrests, administrative detention and ill-treatment of the Arab population;

(g) The ill-treatment and torture of persons under detention;

(h) The pillaging of archaeological and cultural property;

(i) The interference with religious freedoms and practices as well as family rights and customs;

(j) The illegal exploitation of the natural wealth, resources and population of the occupied territories;

5.  Further condemns administrative and legislative measures by the Israeli authorities to encourage, promote and expand the establishment of settlers' colonies in the occupied territories, which further demonstrate Israel's determination to annex those territories;

6.  Reaffirms that all measures taken by Israel to change the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure or status of the occupied territories, or any part thereof, including Jerusalem} are null and void, and that Israel's policy of settling parts of its population and new settlers in the occupied territories constitutes a flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and of the relevant United Nations resolutions;

7.  Demands that Israel desist forthwith from the policies and practices referred to in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 above;

8.  Demands that Israel cease forthwith all acts of torture and ill-treatment of Arab detainees and prisoners;

9.  Calls upon Israel to release all Arabs detained or imprisoned as a result of their struggle for self-determination and the liberation of their territories, and to accord to them, pending their release, the protection envisaged in the relevant provisions concerning the treatment of prisoners of war;

10. Renews its request to the Secretary-General to collect all relevant information concerning detainees, such as their number, identity, place and duration of detention, and to make this information available to the Commission at its thirty-fifth session;

11.  Condemns once more the massive deliberate destruction of Quneitra perpetrated during. Israeli occupation and prior to the withdrawal of Israeli forces, from that city in 1974 and considers this act a grave breach of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War;

12. Reiterates its call upon all States, in particular the States parties to the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in accordance with article 4 of that Convention, and upon international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize any changes carried out by Israel in the occupied territories and to avoid taking any action or extending any aid which might be used by Israel in its pursuit of the policies of annexation and colonization or any of the other policies and practices referred to in the present resolution;

13. Calls upon Israel to report, through the Secretary-General, to the Commission at its thirty-fifth session on the implementation of paragraphs 2, 7, 8 and 9 above;

l4. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Governments, the competent United Nations organs, the specialized agencies, the regional intergovernmental organizations and the international humanitarian organizations and to give it the widest possible publicity, and to report to the Commission on Human Rights at its thirty-fifth session:

15. Decides to place on the provisional agenda of the thirty-fifth session, as a matter of high priority, the item entitled "Question of the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine:, and requests the Secretary-General to bring to the attention of the Commission all United Nations reports appearing between sessions of the Commission that deal with the situation of the civilians of these territories.

B

The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling its resolution 1 B (XXXIII) and General Assembly resolutions 3092 A (XXVIII) and 32/91 A,

Bearing in mind that the provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August must be fully applied in all circumstances to all persons who are protected by those instruments, without any adverse distinction based on the nature or origin of the armed conflict or on the causes espoused by or attributed to the parties to the conflict ,

Recalling resolution 10, on the application of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 in the occupied territories in the Middle East, of the Twenty-third International Conference of the Red Cross held in Bucharest in October 1977,

Taking into account that States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 undertake 3 in accordance with article 1 thereof, not only to respect but also to ensure respect for the Conventions in all circumstances,

1.  Expresses its deep concern at the consequences of Israel's refusal to apply fully and effectively the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War in all its provisions to all the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;

2.  Reaffirms that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War is applicable to all the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem;

3.  Strongly deplores the failure of Israel to acknowledge the applicability of that Convention to the territories it has occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;

4  Calls upon Israel to abide by and respect the obligation arising from the Charter of the United Nations and other instruments and rules of international law, in particular the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in all the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem;

5. Urges once more all States parties to that Convention to exert all efforts in order to ensure respect for and compliance with the provisions thereof in all the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem;

6.  Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the attention of all Governments, the competent United Nations organs, the specialized agencies, the regional intergovernmental organizations, the international humanitarian organizations and non-governmental organizations.

The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling General Assembly resolutions 1511 (XV), 3236 (XXIX), 32/l4, 32/20, 32/40 and 32/42,

Recognizing that the Palestinian people are entitled to self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other relevant United Nations resolutions,

Recalling further Economic and Social Council resolutions 1365 (LVI) and 1366 "(LVI),

Reaffirming its resolutions 3 (XXXI) and 6 (XXXI),

Bearing in mind the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (A/32/35),

Expressing its grave concern that the Palestinian people have been prevented by force from enjoying their inalienable rights, in particular their right to self-determination,

1.  Affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination without external interference and the establishment of a fully independent and sovereign State in Palestine;

2.  Reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted, and calls for their return in the exercise of their right to self-determination;

3.  Recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to regain their rights by all means in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

4.  Urges all States and international organizations to extend their support to the Palestinian people through their representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization, in its struggle to restore its rights in accordance with the Charter;

5.  Requests the Secretary-General to make available to the Commission on Human Rights and to the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities the reports, studies and publications prepared by the Special Unit on Palestinian Rights, which was established by General Assembly resolution 32/40 B.

3 (XXXIV). The right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation

The Commission on Human Rights,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 1511 (XV) of l4 December 1960, concerning the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and the importance of its implementation.

Recalling also its resolutions 3 (XXXI) of 11 February 1975 and 9 (XXXII) of 5 March 1976,

Mindful of the different resolutions adopted by the General Assembly on the recruitment and employment of mercenaries against national liberation movements and sovereign States, particularly resolutions 2465 (XXIII) of 20 December 1968, 2708 (XXV) of 14 December 1970 and 33l4 (XXIX) of 14 December 1974,

Taking into account General Assembly resolution 32/l4 of 7 November 1977,

Noting with interest the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference in Support of the Peoples of Zimbabwe and Namibia, held at Maputo in 1977, and the declaration adopted by the World Conference for Action against Apartheid, held at Lagos in August 1977

Welcoming the declaration adopted by the First Afro-Arab Summit Conference, held at Cairo in March 1977, on this question,

Stressing the importance of the effective realization of the right of peoples to self-determination, national sovereignty and territorial integrity and of the speedy granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples as imperatives for the enjoyment of human rights,

Expressing its profound indignation at the continued and serious violations of the human rights of the peoples still under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation, the continuation of the illegal occupation of Namibia and South Africa's attempts to dismember its territory, the perpetuation of the racist minority regimes in Zimbabwe and South Africa and the denial to the Palestinian people of their inalienable rights,

1.  Calls upon all States to implement the resolutions of the United Nations regarding the right to self-determination of peoples under colonial domination or foreign occupation;

2.  Reaffirms the legitimacy of the peoples' struggle for independence, territorial integrity and liberation from colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle;

3.  Reaffirms also the inalienable right of the peoples of Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, of the Palestinian people and of all peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation to self-determination, national independence, territorial integrity, national unity and sovereignty without external interference;

4.  Condemns the practice of using mercenaries against national liberation movements and sovereign States as a criminal act and the mercenaries themselves as criminals, and calls upon the Governments of all countries to enact legislation declaring the recruitment, financing and training of mercenaries in their territory and their transit through it to be punishable offences and prohibiting their nationals from serving as mercenaries,and to inform the Commission of the legislation enacted to that effect;

5.  Condemns in particular the policy of those countries which, in disregard of the wishes of the major part of the international community as expressed in numerous United Nations resolutions, maintain political, economic, military or sporting relations with the racist regimes in southern Africa and elsewhere, thereby encouraging then to persist in their suppression of the aspirations of peoples to self"determination and independence;

6.  Censures all government policies which do not recognize in practice the right to self-determination and independence of ell peoples still under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupations notably the peoples of southern Africa and the Palestinian people, and draws attention to the grave responsibility incurred "by the authors and promoters of those policies in the eyes of the community of nations and world public opinion;

7.  Expresses its appreciation for the material and other forms of assistance which the peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation continue to receive from Governments, United Nations agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and requests the maximization of this assistance;

8.  Decides to continue giving the question "The right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien domination or foreign occupation" priority consideration at its thirty-fifth session.

The Thirty-first World Health Assembly which met in Geneva from 8-24 May 1978 adopted on 23 May 1973 the following resolution on health conditions of the Arab population in the occupied Arab territories including Palestine:

The Thirty-first World Health Assembly,

Recalling resolution WHA30.37, adopted on 18 May 1977 and previous resolutions concerning health conditions of refugees and displaced persons, and relevant resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights:

Acting in accordance with the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments;

Pursuant to the provisions of the Geneva conventions, and in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949;

Taking note of the principles set forth in the Constitution of the World Health Organization, particularly the principle that the health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security, and aware of its responsibility for ensuring proper health conditions for all peoples, particularly those peoples suffering from exceptional situations, especially foreign occupation and settler colonialism;

Having considered the Report of the Special Committee of Experts appointed to study the health conditions of the inhabitants of the occupied territories in the Middle East, including Palestine;1/

Bearing in mind that the Special Committee of Experts was unable to fully determine the health conditions of the inhabitants of those territories due to the brevity of its visit to the region and to the lack of statistics and data on the services available there;

Convinced that the occupation of territories by force gravely affects the health, social, psychological, mental and physical conditions of the population under occupation and that this can be only rectified by the complete and immediate termination of the occupation;

I

Decides:

1.  to express its thanks to the Special Committee of Experts for its efforts at this stage;

2.  that the Committee continue its task as defined by resolution WHA26.56 by virtue of which it was established and subsequent resolutions and pursue its study of the health conditions of the Arab inhabitants of the occupied Arab territories;

II

Taking note of the report of the Director-General on health assistance to refugees and displaced persons of the Arab population in the occupied territories, including Palestine;

1.  Expresses its appreciation of the efforts of the Director-General for the implementation of resolution WHA30.37, and requests that he continue his collaboration with the Palestine Liberation Organization in providing all necessary assistance to the Palestine people;

2.  Requests the Director-General to continue to provide the necessary funds to improve the health conditions of the Arab population in the occupied Arab territories, and to ensure the disbursement of the aforementioned funds under the direct supervision of the World Health Organization, through its representatives in the occupied Arab territories;

3.  Calls upon the Director-General of the World Health Organization to exert all efforts in order to improve the health conditions of the Arab inhabitants in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine, in accordance with the findings of the Special Committee of Experts and its recommendations, 1/ that he make use of voluntary contributions from Governments, governmental and non-governmental organisations and individuals for this purpose, and that he seek assistance in this respect from Arab organizations working in this field inside the occupied Arab territories without any intervention by the occupying authorities;

III

1.  Expresses its deep concern at the poor health and psychological conditions suffered by the inhabitants of the occupied Arab territories;

2.  Condemns the inhuman practices to which Arab prisoners and detainees are subjected in Israeli prisons, resulting in the deterioration of their health, psychological and mental conditions;

3.  Condemns Israel for its refusal to implement World Health Assembly resolutions calling upon it to allow refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes;

4.  Condemns Israel for its refusal to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949;

5.  Calls upon Israel to desist forthwith from the establishment of settlements in the occupied Arab territories and from requisitioning and confiscating Arab lands for the establishment of these settlements, as the establishment of these settlements deprives the inhabitants of the occupied territories of their rights to their land and property and the enjoyment of their natural resources, thereby affecting the health, psychological and social conditions of those inhabitants;

6.  Considers that the persistence of Israeli occupying authorities in their arbitrary practices affecting the physical, social and psychological health conditions of the Arab inhabitants, changing the structure of the occupied Arab territories is a matter that necessitates Member States to consider the application of the measures stipulated in the Constitution of the World Health Organization;

IV

Denouncing the military Order 745 of 4 January 1978 issued by the Israeli Military Commander of the West Bank Zone, concerning the practicing and the licensing of medical and health professions in the West Bank of the occupied Arab territories, thus further changing the legal structure of the institutions of the occupied territories, in particular:

(a) granting, withholding or withdrawing licences, contrary to existing and accepted professional rules;

(b) forcing the migration of Arab medical and health personnel, and imposing restrictive conditions on the inhabitants as regards the practice of the medical and health professions:

Calls upon Israel to desist forthwith from changing the legal status of medical and health professions in the occupied Arab territories, and to immediately nullify the aforementioned military Order and any other similar orders.

Twelfth plenary meeting, 23 May 1978

A/31/VR/12

On 22 April 1978 the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People made the following statement at the eighth special session of the General Assembly convened to consider the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.

As the representative of a country which has sent a contingent to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), I cannot but begin my statement by associating myself with the tribute Just paid to the soldiers of peace who are sacrificing their lives in order that peace may soon be restored in the beautiful country of Lebanon.

This special session of the General Assembly on the financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is a symptom of the worsening of the conflict in the Middle East. Indeed, the invasion and occupation by Israel of a part of Lebanese territory have added a new dimension to the conflict and complicated the outlook for peace. Furthermore, they place on the United Nations a burden of expenditure caused by the acts of a State about which the least that can be said is that it has never made the task of our Organization easy. The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, over which I have the honour to preside, had on 20 March last expressed to the Security Council its deep concern and disquiet about the invasion of Lebanon by Israel.  That invasion, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, was above all directed against the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The pretext advanced at that time by the Israeli leaders, any more than the Justifications that they put forward for carrying out their acts of aggression, did not in fact correspond to their real motives. Those are less readily admissible and very "far from the alleged crusade against international terrorism. In fact, the aim of Israel's acts is the physical and moral destruction of the Palestinian people, which has become the more embarrassing and troublesome since it is more than ever resolved to defend its legitimate and inalienable rights. Israel is therefore seeking to eliminate it as a people, which explains the enormous disproportion between the operation of the Palestinian fedayeen near Tel Aviv of 11 March last and the invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon by the Israeli armed forces. The aim pursued was very clear: It was a matter not of eliminating a few straggling terrorists, but in fact of breaking the will of a whole people. Hence the massive bombardments of Palestinian camps, even when they were very far from the combat zones and occupied only by women, children and the elderly.

The Israeli troops, furthermore, forced 250,000 Lebanese and Palestinians, all civilians, to leave their homes to become in their turn refugees, that is to say, persons at the mercy of international charity. They seriously damaged 82 villages and completely destroyed six of them. The number of victims of the invasion of Lebanon stands today at roughly 1,000 dead.

On 19 March 1973 the Security Council, at an emergency meeting, called upon Israel to withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese territory. Unfortunately, that decision still has not been fully implemented. Israel has evacuated only port of the zone which it illegally occupies. This attitude can only be detrimental to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force, whose purpose is to confirm the withdrawal of the Israeli forces,  Furthermore, the occupation, if it were to be prolonged, would surely lead to the resumption of fighting. Such a situation, therefore, could scarcely be favourable for the restoration of the effective authority of the Lebanese Government in the region and would hence be contrary to the provisions of Security Council resolution 425 (1978) of 19 March. Israel should be called upon by the Security Council to withdraw without delay from the whole of Lebanese territory.

The consequences of the Israeli aggression against Lebanon are.now showing their adverse effects. First, there is the prospect of the considerable expense of maintaining peace that our Organization will have to bear. The estimate of $54 million, submitted by the Administrative and Budgetary Committee, seems to us not to be correct but to be simply the beginning of a spiralling expenditure caused by the Israeli invasion. For it is highly probable, in our view, that the United Nations Interim Force will remain in Lebanon for more than six months. In that case, the United Nations must expect additional expenses, which could be substantial. Similarly, the material destruction and the displacement of 65,000 Palestinians cannot but have financial implications for this Organization.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has already tackled the task of assisting the Palestinian and Lebanese refugees. An initial estimate of the cost of that operation is $2 million.

The question that arises at this stage is whether the United Nations intends to pay the costs of ensuring the security of Israel's northern borders. Israel should be made liable for the entire expenditure resulting from its armed intervention in southern Lebanon. Compensating the victims of that operation should also be envisaged.

Moreover, the limited objectives given the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon make its task difficult and dangerous, since the Force is faced with an extremely complex situation that cannot be overcome by a mere separation of the parties involved. Indeed, the United Nations troops, however useful their task may be, cannot be a substitute for a political settlement nor delay such a settlement. What is worse, the longer these troops remain, the greater the danger that they will find themselves in the middle of a war with dangerously unforeseeable consequences.

At its thirty-second session the General Assembly adopted a resolution providing for the establishment within the Secretariat of the United Nations of a special unit to study the implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The expenditure for that unit was estimated at less than $1 million. Everyone remembers the indignation expressed at that time by the representative of Israel, who felt that such an expenditure would bankrupt the Organization.

Today we are called upon to provide for covering the expenditure resulting from the aggressive policy of the Government of Israel an expenditure provisionally estimated at $5 million, not including the even greater damages caused to the Lebanese State and to the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples.

On 6 March the Secretary-General transmitted to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People a petition from several hundred Palestinians struggling in the occupied territories. It called upon all national and international bodies to help to put an end to any attempts to prejudice the rights of the Palestinian people and the legitimacy of their representation through the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).  The authors of the petition said in particular:

"The Palestinian people in the occupied territories reaffirms unequivocally its complete confidence in the unity of the Palestinian people, both within and outside these territories. It also affirms the unity of Palestinian representation through the PLO, the only organization authorized to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people, and denounces any attempt to establish another steering organization that would be a substitute for or equal to the PLO,

"The rights of our Palestinian people, as affirmed in various United Nations resolutions, cannot be the subject of any bartering. First among the rights of the Palestinian people is its legitimate right to decide, in complete freedom, its own future in its own country. We therefore reject any form of trusteeship system, whatever its origin may be, as well as any form of settlement that would be prejudicial to the independence of the Palestinian people and the autonomy of its will. We therefore also reject any compulsory link between the Palestinian State and any other party to the extent that this runs counter to our people's freedom to decide its own future."

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People believes that the presence of United Nations forces must not enable some people to solidify their injustices and pursue their policy of oppression and occupation. On the contrary, it should impel the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, to seek a lasting solution to the problem of southern Lebanon. Now, that problem can be solved only in the context of an over-all settlement making it possible for the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights. These rights, need we recall, have been recognized by the United Nations since 1947.

Our Committee has prepared recommendations that could not only enable the Palestinian people to exercise their rights, but also assist in finding a solution to the Middle East conflict. Those recommendations were approved by the United Nations General Assembly. The National Council of Palestine, the supreme body of the Palestinian people, has also approved them. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to implement them, because of the immobility of the Security Council, which has not yet taken a position on the question.

The Committee believes, nevertheless, that the present situation allows for no further delay. It is therefore imperative for the Security Council to act in a more decisive way to bring about a Just and lasting settlement of the Middle East question. Otherwise, a new cycle of violence and destruction could not only endanger international peace and security, but also jeopardize any chances for a peaceful settlement. In the Committee's opinion, a positive response to these recommendations would be an important step towards eliminating the danger of war in the Middle East, promoting a just and lasting peace and, finally, devoting large United Nations funds to profitable tasks, tasks more useful to the international community as a whole.

At its meeting on l4 June 1978 the Committee considered proposals for the commemoration of the International Solidarity Day 29 November 1978. It was decided that a special meeting of the Committee should be held at Headquarters in New York and that a similar special meeting should be organized in Geneva. It is expected that the film being produced by DPI would have its premier simultaneously in New York and Geneva on that day. Other plans for the Day include an exhibition of photographs at Headquarters during that week as well as the distribution of literature on Palestinian Rights and a special issue of the Bulletin.

Meeting in Havana, Cuba, from 15-20 May 1978, the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Countries at the level of Foreign Ministers examined the situation in the Middle Bast and the question of Palestine and included the following in its final communique, which has been published as United Nations document A/33/118.

MIDDLE EAST

26. On examining the situation in the Middle East the Bureau reached the conclusion that since the question was considered in the Ministerial Meeting of the Bureau in New Delhi the tensions existing in the region had become more acute. The serious threat to world peace and security, which the meeting in Hew Delhi regarded as capable of provoking a fresh armed conflict, had regrettably been confirmed by the recent violation and occupation by Israel of a large part of the territory of Lebanon.

27. The Bureau reiterated its conviction that the cause of that worsening situation continued to be Israel's policy of occupation and expansion and its stubborn refusal to comply with the principles established in the United Nations Charter and resolutions.

28. After considering the developments in the Middle East situation that had taken place since its last meeting in April 1977 in New Delhi, the Bureau emphasized that the question of Palestine constituted the heart of the Middle East problem, and that the solution of the two problems was inseparable. The Bureau further stressed the need for safeguarding the intrinsic unity of the question of Palestine whenever it was examined together with the Middle East situation.

The Bureau considered that any effort to establish a Just and lasting peace in the Middle Fast must necessarily include the withdrawal of Israel from all occupied territories and the recognition of the Palestinian people's inalienable national rights. It was also convinced that any solution failing to take those two basic conditions into account could not serve to further the cause of peace •-on the contrary, it could but help to pave the way for the attempts by the United States of America to liquidate the question of Palestine and assist Israel in achieving its aims and to perpetuate the status quo ensuing from the occupation, thus enabling it to fulfil its role as agent for imperialism and colonialism in the area.

29. The Bureau reaffirmed the decisions adopted by the non-aligned countries at their meetings concerning the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle Fast.  It noted that those decisions constituted a set of principles serving as a basis for any attempt to achieve a Just and lasting peace in the area.

The Bureau further noted that any attempt to undermine the struggle to have those principles applied was contrary to the resolve of the non-aligned countries to put an end to the occupation of Arab territories by Israel and to assist the Palestinian people to recover their inalienable national rights.

30. The Bureau paid tribute to the Palestinian people under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization in their resolute struggle for national independence and against imperialism and Israeli expansionism, and to the maintenance and strengthening of their forces in the face of Israeli aggression. It also paid warm tribute to the people of the Arab countries who were fighting valiantly and persistently, foiling successive dangerous attempts of deception by imperialism, and frustrating the stubborn policy of the Israeli Zionists.

31. The Bureau considered that Israel's expansionist policy of annexing occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories continued, while expulsions, mass arrests, mistreatment and a systematic policy of plunder and exploitation of the Arab population in the illegally occupied territories were being intensified.

The Bureau categorically denounced Israel's exploitation of the natural wealth and resources of Palestine and other Arab occupied territories in contravention of the provisions of the Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions and called on all countries to take the necessary measures to prevent any co-operation with Israel that would facilitate such illegal exploitation by the Israeli occupation authorities.

32. The Bureau noted with grave concern and deplored statements made by certain leaders in the United States of America concerning repeated threats to use force against the oil-producing countries especially in the Arab Gulf area and their proposals concerning stand-by military contingents for intervention in that area.

33. The Bureau considered that the fundamental rights and freedoms continued to be denied to the Arab population of the occupied territories, and that religious freedom was restricted. Israel was also intensifying its policy of colonization, fostering and enlarging settlements in occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories, with the evident aim of hindering the achievement of a Just and lasting peace in the Middle East and of changing the physical, political, cultural, religious and demographic conditions of those territories. Israel not only illegally and wantonly exploited the Arab labour force, but also continued to violate their human rights, torturing and killing Arab prisoners.

34. The Co-ordinating Bureau expressed grave concern about the persistent violation of the human rights of the Arab population in all the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967. The Bureau condemned the Israeli authorities for their continuing refusal to allow the United Nations Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories to have access to the occupied territories and its policy of annexation of Arab land.

The Bureau expressed its complete support for United Nations resolution 32/91 reaffirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 19^9 as applicable to all the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem.

35. The Bureau stressed that the establishment of a Just and lasting peace in the region could only be attained within the framework of a global solution, "based on Israel's complete withdrawal from all occupied Arab territories and on the recovery and exercise by the Palestinian people of their legitimate and inalienable national rights, including that of establishing a national and independent State in Palestine, and the participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in any endeavours for the solution of the question of Palestine and the Middle East.

36. The Bureau confirmed that in the light of Israel's expansionist policy and its delaying tactics designed to perpetuate its illegal occupation of Arab territories, the political, economic and military support given to Israel by the United States of America and other States was a matter of grave concern.

37. The Bureau condemned Israel's recent aggression in the south of Lebanon in flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of that country. The Israeli invasion was aimed at occupying Lebanese territory by destroying-Lebanese villages and cities, compelling Lebanese citizens to leave their homes and land, and crushing Palestinian resistance. The Bureau demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from all Lebanese territory. It also demanded the implementation of Security Council resolution 425 and called for complete respect for the integrity of Lebanese territory and for the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon within its recognized international borders.

The Bureau called upon the Security Council to consider the adoption of mandatory measures under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to "bring about the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Israel's forces of aggression from the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Lebanon.

38. The Bureau called on all countries to lend their material and moral support to the Arab States and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in its struggle to put an end to Israeli occupation of Arab territories.

39. The Bureau renewed the call for the suspension of all aid designed to augment the military potential of Israel and for the rejection of the changes that the Zionist State was trying to introduce in the region, altering its physical, demographic end economic condition.

40. The Bureau condemned the Israeli military escalation in conventional arms and denounced its intentions of possessing nuclear weapons, as a serious threat to international peace and security and therefore called on all members of the Non-Aligned Movement at the special session of the United Nations General Assembly devoted to disarmament to endorse a proposal:

(a) calling upon all States, in particular the United States of America, to co-operate fully in effective international action, in accordance with Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, to avert the grave menace to international peace and security caused "by the continued escalation of Israeli armament:

(b) requesting the Security Council to call upon all States under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations and irrespective of any existing contracts, to refrain from any supply of arms, ammunition, military equipment or vehicles, or any spare parts thereof, to Israel; to ensure that such supplies do not reach Israel through other parties and to end all transfer of nuclear equipment or fissionable material or technology to Israel.

41. The Bureau also condemned Israel's growing military and economic ties with and the sale of arms to South Africa in its policy hostile to the African and Arab peoples, and noted with concern that the sale of Israeli manufactured arms to various countries, especially Guatemala and Nicaragua, strengthened the Israeli war industry.

QUESTION OF PALESTINE

42. The Bureau reaffirmed that the question of Palestine was at the heart of the conflict in the Middle East and condemned all the policies of the United States of America designed to ignore the legitimate inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and to impose partial settlements.

43. The Bureau reiterated its grave concern that Israel's continued usurpation of Palestine, its flagrant denial of the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, and the expansionist racist policy of the Zionist State, were being intensified in flagrant defiance of the international community and in steady and increasing violation of the principles of the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

44. The Bureau recalled that the Fifth Summit Conference in Colombo had stressed the need for the non-aligned countries to exert greater pressure on Israel in the United Nations and in all its specialized agencies and, in particular, had called on the Security Council to take effective measures including those under Chapter VII of the Chapter to oblige it to comply with the resolutions adopted by the United Nations.  It observed with great concern that despite those actions, the Zionist State had carried out further violations and aggressions which, like that perpetrated against Lebanon, had led to international condemnations. The Bureau considered it necessary to emphasize the gravity of the situation and to call for stronger and firmer action to halt Israel's policy of systematic aggression.

45. The Bureau urged the Security Council to implement the measures necessary for implementing the recommendations in the reports of the United Nations Special Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its thirty-first and thirty-second sessions and, in particular, the recommendations to enable the Palestinian people to attain and exercise their inalienable rights, including the right to return to their hones and property and their national right to self-determination and to establish their national independent State in Palestine.

46. The Bureau reiterated the decision of the Colombo Summit Conference asking all the non-aligned countries to pledge their support to the Palestinian people in their struggle under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, their sole legitimate representative, until they had fully recovered their inalienable national rights.

47. The Bureau called for the annual observance, commencing in 1978, of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

48. The Bureau recalled that the Colombo Conference had reaffirmed that Zionism was a form of racism and racial discrimination and had called upon the non-aligned countries to bear that in mind in their participation in the World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, to be held in August 1978.

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1/ Document A/31/37

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