Educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories – UNESCO General Conference – Resolutions (excerpts)

Records of the General Conference

Twenty-second Session

Paris, 25 October to 26 November 1983

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 in the occupied Arab territories

The General Conference,

Affirming that the forcible occupation of the territories of others constitutes a grave violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitution of UNESCO and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular the right of access to national education and culture, and also constitutes a permanent danger to peace, development and stability,

Recalling all resolutions of the General Conference and decisions of the Executive Board relating to educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories,

Recalling further the resolutions adopted by the United Nations relating to the Palestinian question and the occupied Arab territories,

Noting with keen anxiety, after taking cognizance of the report of the Director-General set forth in document 22C/18 and addenda and in the light of the available facts and information, that Israel continues:

(a) to refuse to implement the General Conference resolutions and Executive Board decisions, and to refuse to authorize the Director-General to keep a permanent watch on the functioning of educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories through an effective UNESCO presence in those territories;

(b) to close, by arbitrary military orders, educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories or to restrict their academic freedoms; to restrict the freedom of thought, opinion and expression of the inhabitants of those territories; to persecute students and teachers; and systematically to apply a policy designed to efface Arab culture in all the occupied territories, including Jerusalem and the Golan;

(c) to refuse to rescind Military Order No. 854; to compel teachers to sign written undertakings in order to obtain work permits, linking those undertakings to unjust military orders; to open fire on students and teachers during demonstrations; to resort to collective punishments and other means of repression which jeopardize human lives and fundamental human rights; and to paralyse educational and cultural institutions,

1. Reaffirms the previous resolutions and decisions adopted by the General Conference and the Executive Board on this subject;

2. Strongly condemns the measures taken by Israel to efface the cultural identity of the Palestinian

people, and the actions of the Israeli authorities in closing universities and other educational institutions, violating academic freedoms and opening fire on Arab students and teachers;

3. Expresses once again its thanks and profound gratitude to the Director-General for his tireless

efforts with a view to the implementation of the UNESCO resolutions relating to educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories;

4. Invites Member States to take the necessary measures to induce Israel to comply with the resolutions of UNESCO;

J. Urges Israel to rescind Military Order No. 854 immediately, to cancel the undertakings required in order to obtain work permits, and to rescind the two orders under which such undertakings are required (Orders Nos. 65 and 938) and all other military orders limiting the academic freedom of educational institutions and restricting the right to education;

6. Invites the Director-General:

(a) to make all necessary efforts with a view to the reopening of the University of Bethlehem and the other educational institutions closed by military orders, and to enabling all teachers who have been dismissed to resume their work in universities and educational institutions;

(b) to strengthen the technical and material support provided by UNESCO to educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories in order to give effect to the recommendations of the mission sent by UNESCO to the occupied territories;

(c) to continue efforts to enable UNESCO to keep a permanent watch on the functioning of educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories and to submit a report on this matter to the Executive Board at its 120th session;

(d) to see to it that a scholarship fund, to be financed by donations, is set up for the higher education of students of the occupied territories in order to improve and develop the skills of the staff of the educational and cultural institutions of the occupied Arab territories;

7. Decides to place this matter on the agenda of the twenty-third session of the General Conference.

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1. Resolution adopted on the report of Commission V at the thirty-second plenary meeting, on 25 November 1983.

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