UNCCP – 11th progress report

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

ELEVENTH PROGRESS REPORT

(For the period from 19 November 1951 to 30 April 1952)

Note by the Secretary-General:  The Secretary-General has the honour to communicate to the Members of the United Nations, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 512 (VI) of 26 January 1952, the eleventh progress report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine.

1. On 29 November 1951, the Conciliation Commission for Palestine submitted a progress report to the Secretary-General in which it gave an account of its activities during the period from 23 January to 19 November 1951.1/  As a result of the consideration of the report by the General Assembly, during its sixth regular session, Resolution 512 (VI) was adopted on 26 January 1952.  In that resolution, the General Assembly recalled its previous resolutions on the Palestine problem but went on to state that it considered that the governments concerned had the primary responsibility for reaching a settlement of their outstanding differences.  It urged those governments to seek agreement and to that end to make full use of United Nations facilities, and it expressed the opinion that the Conciliation Commission for Palestine should continue its efforts to secure the implementation of the resolutions of the General Assembly on Palestine and accordingly should be available to the parties to assist them in reaching agreement on outstanding questions.

2. As a result of an exchange of views between the members of the Conciliation Commission for Palestine, which took place on 28 January 1952, with regard to the functioning and future activities of the Commission arising out of the resolution of 26 January, it was decided that the Commission would hold its next formal meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York, at a date to be fixed later, for the purpose of making plans concerning its activities in New York and Jerusalem during the year.  The decision was communicated to the Secretary-General in a letter dated 30 January.

3. The Commission accordingly held a series of formal meetings at United Nations Headquarters, beginning on 21 April 1952.  The Commission decided to address a letter to Dr. Pablo de Azcarate, its departing Principal Secretary, in which the members of the Commission would express appreciation on behalf of their governments for the distinguished services rendered by him in his post of Principal Secretary.  A letter of commendation would similarly be addressed to Mr. Holgar Andersen for his services as Director of the Commission's Refugee Office.

4. In the course of the first meeting a general discussion on the questions of compensation and blocked accounts took place.

5. At the same meeting the Conciliation Commission decided to continue holding its meetings at Headquarters in New York, where representation of the States members of the Commission would be maintained by their respective permanent delegations to the United Nations.  The decision was communicated to the seven Arab Governments and to the Government of Israel by a letter dated 28 April 1952 (see annex).  Copies of the letter were also sent for information to the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the Chairman of its Advisory Commission, and to the Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization.  In announcing its decision, the Conciliation Commission pointed out that it had kept in mind the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 26 January 1952 and the emphasis therein, both on the responsibility of the governments concerned to reach a settlement of their outstanding differences, and on the obligations of the Conciliation Commission to be available to the parties to assist them in reaching agreement.  The Commission was satisfied that it could at present best discharge this obligation at United Nations Headquarters where it was able to convene without delay and where the governments concerned could readily make full use of United Nations facilities as the resolution urged them to do.  The Commission did not overlook the possibility of meeting at its Jerusalem headquarters and elsewhere if and when there should be a recognized need for such meetings.

6. In connexion with the question of blocked accounts, the Commission decided to resume discussions with the delegation of Israel in order to ascertain the present position of its Government on the problem.  The Commission will consider, in the light of these discussions, what further steps are to be taken towards the release of blocked accounts.

7. Since resuming its meetings in New York the Conciliation Commission has considered the reaffirmation by the delegation of Israel at the Paris conference on 14 November 1951 that Israel was ready to contribute to the settlement of the question of compensation for Arab property abandoned in its territory; it has also considered the delegation's suggestion that concrete discussions on the question of evaluation should be held immediately with the Commission or with any other United Nations body designated for the purpose.  At a meeting held on 28 April 1952, the Commission decided to ask the land specialist of its Refugee Office to undertake such discussions on a technical level and requested the Secretary-General to instruct him to proceed as soon as possible to Palestine, there to make contact with the competent Israel authorities in order to ascertain the views of the Government of Israel on the form which the discussions should take.  The land specialist was instructed, on reaching agreement as to the form of the discussions, to take part in the discussions themselves and, for that purpose, was authorized to seek such technical advice and assistance, including Arab and Israel specialists, as he might consider necessary.  He was required to keep in close touch with other organs of the United Nations in the area, and was requested to make periodic reports to the Commission in New York on the progress of his activities.

ANNEX

Letter from the Chairman of the Conciliation Commission for Palestine

regarding the place of future meetings of the Commission

New York, 28 April 1952

I have the honour to inform you that the first meeting of the Conciliation Commission for Palestine for the current year was held on 21 April, in New York, at United Nations Headquarters.

At this meeting it was decided that the Conciliation Commission would continue to meet at United Nations Headquarters in New York, where representation of the States members of the Commission will be maintained by their respective permanent delegations to the United Nations.

The Conciliation Commission has kept in mind the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 26 January 1952 and the emphasis therein, both on the responsibility of the governments concerned to reach a settlement of their outstanding differences, and on the obligation of the Conciliation Commission to be available to the parties to assist them in reaching agreement.  The Commission is satisfied that it can now best discharge this obligation at United Nations Headquarters where it can convene without delay and where the governments concerned can readily make full use of United Nations facilities as the resolution urges them to do.

The Commission does not overlook the possibility of meetings at its Jerusalem headquarters and elsewhere if and when there should be a recognized need for such meetings.

(signed) Claude de Boisanger

Chairman,

Conciliation Commission for Palestine

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1/ A/1985, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixth Session, Supplement No. 18.

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