Permanent sovereignty over natural resources in the OPT, Golan – GA Second Cttee vote – Press release (excerpts)

Second Committee

28^th Meeting (PM)

SECOND COMMITTEE APPROVES TEXT CALLING ON ISRAEL NOT TO EXPLOIT,

DAMAGE OR ENDANGER NATURAL RESOURCES IN OCCUPIED ARAB LANDS

Members Also Pass Drafts on Unilateral Coercive Measures,

Information Technology for Development, International Year of Astronomy, 2009

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Background

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this afternoon to take action on several draft resolutions relating to various agenda items.

Before the Committee was a draft resolution on permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources (document A/C.2/62/L.7/Rev.1), by which the General Assembly would reaffirm the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the population of the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources, including land and water.

By other terms, the Assembly would call upon Israel not to exploit, damage, cause loss or depletion of or endanger those resources, and to comply strictly with its obligations under international law with respect to altering the character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  It would also call upon Israel to cease dumping waste materials in the territories, and to stop destroying vital infrastructure, including water pipelines and sewage networks.

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Action on Draft Resolution

The representative of Egypt then introduced the draft resolution on permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources (document A/C.2/62/L.7/Rev.1).

The Committee approved that text, as orally revised, by a recorded vote of 143 in favour to 7 against (Australia, Canada, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Palau, United States), with 5 abstentions (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Nauru, Tonga).  (See Annex I.)

Explanation of Position after Vote

The representative of Portugal, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said she had voted in favour of the draft because natural resources seized by force should not be used illegally by the occupying Power.  The European Union emphasized the application of the Geneva Convention of 1949 and stressed that questions raised in the resolution should be addressed within the context of regional peace negotiations.  The text just approved should not affect those negotiations.

The representative of Israel said the text did not advance prospects for peace nor truly attempt to deal with situation of natural resources.  The draft was an abuse of the Committee’s mandate and egregiously failed to reflect the reality on the ground.  Israel had released $250 million in tax revenues to be transferred by year’s end, in accordance with the Palestinians’ wishes.

The representative of Canada said that, while the right to protection of natural resources was important to the viability of any future Palestinian State, the resolution did not contribute constructively to a lasting solution.  For that reason, Canada had decided to vote against the text.

The representatives of El Salvador, Uganda, Peru, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia all said they had been unable to be present during the vote, but asked that their votes be recorded as being in favour of the draft.

In a general statement, the observer for Palestine thanked those Member States who had voted in favour of the text resolution, saying the vote sent a clear message that the Palestinian people had the right to self-determination over their natural resources which remained seized by Israel.  The message was that the international community must hold all States to the same responsibilities and that no Member State was above international law.  The international community must safeguard a people’s right to self-determination, and the text provided such moral and legal protection.  Calling the draft irrelevant was an insult to the international community.  Approval of the text was repeated annually because of the occupying Power’s belligerence.  Israel should be confronted, not tolerated and supported.

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ANNEX I

Vote on Permanent Sovereignty

The draft resolution of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources (document A/C.2/62/L.7/Rev.1) was approved by a recorded vote of 143 in favour to 7 against, with 5 abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau, United States.

Abstain:  Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Nauru, Tonga.

Absent:  Afghanistan, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu.

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For information media • not an official record