CEIRPP meeting – Press release

Committee on Exercise of Inalienable Rights of Palestinian People Hears

Report on UN Asian Meeting on Question of Palestine

The Pope's historic visit to Palestine was the most important recent development on the situation in the Middle East, Nasser Al-Kidwa, the Permanent Observer for Palestine, told the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People this morning.

The Committee was meeting to consider reports by its Chairman on the United Nations Asian Meeting on the Question of Palestine held in Hanoi from 1 to 3 March. It also heard his report on the recent session of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) Council of Ministers in Addis Ababa from 6 to 10 March.

Addressing developments in the Middle East peace process and the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, Mr. Al-Kidwa quoted statements by the Pope, particularly that the Holy See had always recognized the Palestinians' natural right to a homeland and to live in peace and tranquility with the region's other peoples. He also referred to the Pope's satisfaction at the unanimous acceptance by the United Nations of the resolution on Bethlehem 2000.

He said that the Palestinian-Israeli track of the peace process, after a long and harmful interruption, had reached an understanding on the implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum. That interruption had been the result of Israeli attempts to evade redeployments on the West Bank. The two sides had solved the issue with the participation of the United States.

The most important point, final status, should be agreed by September 2000, he stressed. Other important matters were the release of prisoners, the opening of the northern free passage and the release of Palestinian money held by Israel. There had been good news, but experience had shown the need for caution and vigilance.

Reporting on the Asian meeting, Ibra Deguene Ka (Senegal), Committee Chairman, stated that participants had adopted the Declaration of Hanoi which supported the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent and sovereign State. The Declaration had also noted that Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, as well as other Arab territories, must end without delay and that mutual recognition and peaceful coexistence must be given the opportunity to flourish.

He said that the Declaration had urged the United Nations to grant full membership to Palestine so that it could participate fully in the Millennium Summit, which marked an opportunity for a moral recommitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and new political momentum for international cooperation. Representatives from 51 governments, as well as from the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, among other institutions, attended the meeting.

Responding, Mr. Al-Kidwa noted the importance of the Declaration in providing the basis for the work of the General Assembly and other international forums on the issue of Palestine. The document had affirmed clear positions on other issues, such as the September 2000 deadline for achieving a permanent status agreement in accordance with the Sharm-el-Sheikh Memorandum and the international consensus that had been developed last May. It also indicated the road his delegation intended to follow.

The Committee approved the provisional programme for the upcoming International Conference on Palestine Refugees, to be held in cooperation with the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the League of Arab States, scheduled for 26 and 27 April at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris. A meeting of non-governmental organizations would follow that conference on the same theme on

28 April.

Brief statements in appreciation of the Chairman's report and in support of the peace process were made by the representatives of the United Arab Emirates, as Chairman of the Arab Group, and Egypt, as Chairman of the African Group.

The Committee will meet again at a time to be announced in The Journal.

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