Land Expert’s report/Identification and valuation of Arab refugee property – Report (Supplement 2).

Date…………..

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION

FOR PALESTINE

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INTERIM REPORT OF THE COMMISSION'S

LAND EXPERT ON THE IDENTIFICATION AND VALUATION OF

ARAB REFUGEE IMMOVABLE PROPERTY HOLDINGS IN ISRAEL

I    INTRODUCTION

1. In the Interim Report of the Commission's Land Expert dated 15 September 1961 (A/AC.25/W 63) the work of the Technical Office was des-cribed. The identification project together with the first part of the valuation work was dealt with in detail. The report explained the various methods of valuation adopted to arrive at an estimate of the over-all value of all Arab property in that part of Palestine which now forms the State of Israel. It also described the methods and techniques adopted by the Technical Office to estimate the value of property which belonged to Arabs who remained in Israel and concluded with an estimate of the value of the property of Arab refugees from Israel. Finally, the report contained as appendices the statistical data on which the estimates of value had been based, and tables of the resulting values in each sub-district. In the Supplement to the Interim Report dated 10 September 1962 (A/AC.25/W.83/Add.1) the work of ascribing an individual value to each separate parcel of immovable property derived from an addition of the individual parcel values so found.

2. In the same supplement in Section II was described the process of creating an index of owners' names and the calculation of each owner's share in jointly owned properties. This work has been authorized by the Commission following the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 1725 (XVI) dated 20 December 1961.

3. Following the adoption of General Assembly Resolution 1856 (XVII) on 20 December 1962 the Commission at the 353rd meeting on 9 January 1963 authorized the completion of the index of owners and requested the Secretary-General to provide the necessary staff and facilities to enable the task to be completed by the eighteens General Assembly.

4. This report forms a second and final supplement ot the Interim Report (A/AC.25/W 63) and should be read in conjunction therewith.

II.    INDEX OF OWNERS

5. Following the Commission's authorization referred to in paragraph 3 and its request to the Secretary-General for the provision of the necessary additional staff and facilities, work has continued intensively on the preparation of a card index.

6. There now exists as part of the records of the Commission's Technical Office a card index which covers every parcel of property in the territory which is now Israel and which was in the ownership of Arabs on 15 May 1948.

7. The index is arranged in alphabetical order of owners' names and a card has been prepared for each owner indicating:-

a. The block and parcel number

b. The area of the parcel

c. The Tax Category of the land in Rural area and in the case of Urban areas whether the property comprises a building or is a vacant site.

d. The owner's share in the property.

e. The value of the whole parcel and the value of the owner's share.

8. The index is arranged by villages and urban areas and no attempt has been made to cross-index the cards of owners who may own property in more than one village. It is believed that the number of such owners is very small and the results would not justify the work involved.

9. It will be apparent that the card index which has been created makes it possible to ascertain at short notice, for any particular individual, the essential particulars of his property provided only that he is able to state the localities in which the property is situated.

10. The limitations referred to in the Interim Report (A/AC.25/W 63) are reflected in the index. For example, in the case of Ramle Urban Area where the tax records have not been found and in consequence only an overall estimate of values has been possible, the card index does not show the individual value of the parcel. Again, in the case of non-settled land, the names recorded are reputed owners and taxpayers and may not include all the owners of any particular parcel.

11. Nevertheless, the limitations do not detract from the value of the index as it is to be expected that any particular refugee would know the names of his co-owners and the index would readily permit an easy reference to the property concerned.

12. Statistical tables are on course of preparation and will be completed by 31 December 1963. These tables will summarize for each village all the relevant data for each village and urban areas and will provide a convenient form of reference to enable statistical evidence to be extracted for any purpose for which it may be desired.

III.   PHOTOCOPYING OF BASIC DOCUMENTS

13. At its 353rd Meeting on 9 January 1963 the Commission authorized the copying, by photographic process, of the basic forms (RP/1).

14. In accordance with this authorization arrangements were made with the Communications, Archives and Records Service of the United Nations to carry out this work internally.

15. This work has now been completed and two microfilm copies have been made of each basic form (RP/1).

16. The completion of this work not only provides a safeguard against accidental loss or damage of the basic forms but will also permit the storage of the large number of manuscript documents while at the same time affording easy reference to any desired form.

IV.   CONCLUSION

17. With the issue of this report the programme of identification and valuation of Arab Refugee Immovable Property holdings in Israel, which commenced in 1952, has been completed subject to the limitations outlined in the Interim Report (A/AC.25/W.83).

18. There remains the possibility that further documentary evidence may be forthcoming in the future which may require modification of the results and which in any case will supplement the existing evidence.