General Assembly Adopts 40 Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) Texts, Addressing 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories, Aid to Palestine Refugees

5 December 2025

The General Assembly today adopted a total of 40 texts — half of them taking recorded votes — recommended by its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), addressing the 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories and assistance to Palestinian refugees, among other topics.

Noteworthy among the adoptions today were the resolutions concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which were negotiated against the backdrop of the war and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Adopted by a recorded vote of 145 in favour to 10 against (Argentina, Fiji, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, North Macedonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, United States) with 18 abstentions, “Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East” (document A/C.4/80/L.16) affirmed the Assembly’s full support for the mandate of that Agency and condemned the killing and injury of its personnel, including over 300 staff members.

Further, it strongly warned against any attempts to diminish its operations and mandate and called upon the Israeli Government to respect the Agency’s privileges and immunities.  The Assembly also urged immediate efforts to address the financial and operational crises affecting UNRWA.

By the terms of the draft resolution on “Assistance to Palestine refugees” (document A/C.4/80/L.17), the Assembly commended the Agency for its provision of vital assistance to the Palestine refugees and its role as a stabilizing factor in the region and decided to extend its mandate until 30 June 2029.  That text was adopted by a recorded vote of 151 in favour to 10 against (Argentina, Fiji, Hungary, Israel, North Macedonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, United States) with 14 abstentions.

Luxembourg’s delegate, speaking for the countries that form the Core Group of the “Shared Commitments” in Support of UNRWA, highlighted the New York Declaration which underlines its indispensable role, as well as the recent advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice which reaffirmed Israel’s obligations as an occupying Power to allow the Agency to operate. Expressing concern about its financial challenges, he added that UNRWA “enjoys public trust” and called on Israel to reverse legislation restricting its operations.

China’s delegate, highlighting the “historic injustice” done to the Palestinian people, said his country will provide $100 million to help alleviate the crisis in Gaza and support its recovery.

Adopted by a recorded vote of 157 in favour to 10 against (Argentina, Fiji, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, United States) with 9 abstentions (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Marshall Islands, Panama, Samoa, South Sudan, Togo, Tuvalu), the draft on “Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues” (document A/C.4/80/L.18) reaffirmed that they are entitled to their property and the income derived therefrom.

Drafts on Israeli Practices in Occupied Territories

The draft resolution “Israeli practices and settlement activities affecting the rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories” (document A/C.4/80/L.19) was adopted by a recorded vote of 88 in favour to 19 against with 64 abstentions.

By its terms, the Assembly commended the work of its Special Committee tasked with investigating those practices and activities “in spite of the obstruction of its mandate”.  It deplored Israeli policies and practices that violate the human rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories and expressed grave concern over the critical situation there resulting from unlawful Israeli practices and measures.

The Assembly also adopted “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan” (document A/C.4/80/L.20) by a recorded vote of 146 in favour to 13 against with 17 abstentions, which reaffirmed that these settlements are illegal.  It reiterated its demand for the immediate and complete cessation of all Israeli settlement activities in those territories — which it deemed essential to salvaging a two-State solution — and, among other things, called for targeted measures against extremist settlers and against entities and organizations which support them.

Similarly, by the terms of a resolution titled “The occupied Syrian Golan” (document A/C.4/80/L.21) — which it adopted by a recorded vote of 146 in favour to 6 against (Israel, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga, United States) with 23 abstentions — the Assembly called upon Israel to desist from changing the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure and legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan and especially to desist from establishing settlements there.

While welcoming these adoptions, Iran’s delegate expressed reservations towards any elements that may not align with his country’s principled positions on the question of Palestine, and dissociated from any language that could be interpreted, explicitly or implicitly, as constituting recognition of Israel.

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