REPORT OF THE COMMITfEE ONTHEEXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLERIGHTS OF THE Pj~ESTINIAN PEOPLE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL. RECORpS: THIRTY-NINTH SESSION SUPPLEMENT No. 35 (A/39/35) ., . ~, ", REPORT OF THE COMMI'ITEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE · GENERAL ASSEMBLY OFFICIAL RECORDS: THIRTY-NINTH SESSION SUPPLEMENT No. 35 (A/39/35) UNITED NATIONS New York,1984 NOTE Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letterscombined with fiSUre5· Mention of sueh a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document. [Original: English] [5 OCtober 1984] CONTENTS Paragraphs LE'1"I'ER OF TRANSMI'1"I'AL ······················································· 1. II. Page v 1 2 INTRODUCTION ······················ e . 1-9 10 MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE ·································· III. ORGANIZATION OF WORK ·········.· , .··········.·········.···· A. 11- 17 11 - 12 3 3 3 3 4 Election of officers . . B. C. IV. Participation in the work of the Committee ············ Re-establishment of the Working Group ················· TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE ····························· 13 - 16 17 18 - 132 ACTI0~ A. Action taken in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 5 of General Aseembly resolution 38/58 A ················ 1. Review of the situation relating to the question of Palestine and efforts to implement the recommendations of the Comnittee ·················· Reaction to developments affecting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people ·················· (a) (b) (c) 3. 4. Communications to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council ········· Action taken within the Security Council Other action relating to the question of Palestine ·············.···············.······ 18 - 124 4 18 - 38 4 2. 39 - 89 7 39 - 64 65 - 85 7 10 86 - 89 90 12 13 Attendance at conferences ························· Action taken by the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, United Nations bodies, regional and other organizations ······························· (a) (b) (c) The Fourth Islamic Summit Conference ········· Conference of Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries ························ Fortieth session of the Commission on Human Rights ······································· -iii- 91 - 124 94 - 98 14 14 99 - 100 15 101 - 107 1S CONTENTS (continued) Paragraphs (d) Declaration by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the States members of the European Economie Community ··························· Oonferen~e Page 108 - 113 114 - 117 17 18 (e) (f) (g) B. V. VI. The seventy-first Inter-Parliamentary ··································· The Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee of the Organization of the Islamic Conference ······· Second regular session of the Economie and Social Council ······························· 118 - 122 123 - 124 125 - 132 133 - 142 18 19 19 21 Action ta ken in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of General Assembly resolution 38/58 B................ ACTION TAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 38/58 E ······· ACTION TAKEN BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPHS 5, 6, 7 AND 8 OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 38/58 C ········································ RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ·························· Annexes 143 - 154 155 - 160 23 25 VII. 1. Recommendations of the Committee endorsed by the General Assembly at its thirty-first session ~ ···································· ~.... Geneva Declaration on Palestine ana Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights ···································· Report of the ninth United Nations Seminar on the Question of Palestine ···········.··············· 27 30 II. III. IV. V. c................................. 40 51 55 North American NDn-governmental Organization SymPOsium on the Question of Palestine: the North American Declaration ··············· International Meeting of Non-governmental Organizations 011 the Question of Palestine: resolution of non-governmental organizations. -iv- LETTER OF TRANSMITTl'L 18 September 1984 Sir, l have the honour to enclose herewith the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rignts of the Palestinian People for submission to the General Assembly, in accordance with paragraph 5 of resolution 38/58 A. Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration. Massamba SARRE Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (Sig~) His Excellency Mr. Javier pérez de Cuéllar Secretary-General of the united Nations -v- I. INTROôUCTION 1. The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, established by General Assembly resolution 3376 (XXX) of 10 Novernber 1975, is currently composed of 23 Member States. 11 2. The first report of the Committee ~ contained specifie recommendations designed to enable the Palestinian people to exercise its inalienable rights, as previously recognized and defined by the General Assembly. Those recommendations were first endorsed by the As~embly at its thirty-fir.st s~ssion, as a basis for the solution of thé question of Palestine. 3. In its subsequent reports to the General Assembly, 11 the Committee retained its original recommendations unchanged. On each occasion they were again endorsed by the Assembly with renewed emphasis. 4. After a thorough discussion of the COlnmittee's reports and an appraisal of the situation in Palestine, the General Assembly each year has renewed an~, as necessary, reviewed the mandate of the Committee. 5. Despite repeated urgings by the Committee, however, the Security Council has not yet been able to act on the recommendations of the Committee, nor have they yet been implemented in the area. 6. Meanwhi1e, arising from Israe1i practices, tension and violence persist in the illegally occupied P~lestinian and other Arab terri tories, including Jerusa1em. In particular, widespread conflict resu1ted from the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. 7. In consequence, as authorized by the Gène~al Assemb1y, the original date proposed for the International Conference on the Question of Palestine was advanced, and the Conference was he Id from 29 August to 7 September 1983 at Geneva. The Cornmittee made a1l the necessary preparations for the widely attended Conference, which assessed the situation and made appropriate recommendations, contained in the Geneva Declaration on Palestine il and the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights (see annex Ir to the present report), 21 endorsed by acclamation by the participants. 8. The ina1ien~ble rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people remain unattained. Tension and violence in the area prevail. It therefore remains the hope and expectation of the Cornmittee that resolute and concerted international action will 1ead to a peaceful politica1 s~lution to their plight. 9. For this purpose, the the propased international contacts already initiated must be maintained through Committee attaches importance to the early convening of peace conference on the Middle East and appreciates the in that regard. The momenturn for a peaceful solution practical action. -1- II. MANDATE OF THE COMMITTEE 10. The 1atest mandate of the COmmittee was specified in paragraphs 3 and 5 of General Assemb1y reso1ution 38/58 A and paragraphs 2 and 3 of resolution 38/58 B, of 13 December 1983. By those paragraphs the Assemb1y: (a) Requested the Committee (i) to keep under review the situation relating to the question of Palestine and the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Pa1estinian Rights 2/ adopted by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine and (ii) te report and make suggestions to the General Assemb1y or the Security Council, as appropriate, (b) Authorized the COmmittee (1) to continue to exert aIl efforts to promote the implementation of its recommendations, (ii) to send delegations or· representatives to international conferences and (iii) to report thereon to the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session and thereafter. The General Assemb1y a1so: Requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the Division for Rights of the Secretariat continued to discharge the tasks alssigned to it, in consultation with the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and under its guidance, Palest~nian (a) (b) Requested the Secretary-General to provide the Division for Palestinian Rights with the necessary resources to accomplish its tasks and to expand its work programme througha (i) closer contacts with the media and wider dissemination of the Division's information material, particularly where information on the question of Palestine is inadequate, and (ii) increased contacts with non-governmental organizations and the convening of symposia and meetings for non-governmental organizations in different regions in order to·heighten awareness of the facts relating to the question of Palestine. -2- III. A. ORGANIZATION OF WORK Election of officers 11. The Committee, at its 98th meeting, on 9 January 1984, decided to re-elect the following officers: Chairman: vice-Chairmen: Rapporteur: Mr. Massamba Sarré (Senegal) Mr. Raul Roa-Kouri (Cuba) Mr. Mohammed Farid Zarif (Afghanistan) Mr. Victor J. Gauci (Malta) 12. The Committee, at its l05th meeting, on 18 September 1984, elected by acclamation Mr. Oscar Oramas Oliva (Cuba) as Vice-Chairman in place of Mr. Raul Roa-Kouri (Cuba) who had departed from New York on another assignment for his country. B. Participation in the work oi the Committee 13. As in previous years, the Committee, at its first meeting of the year, reconfirmed that all States Members of the United Nations and Permanent Observers to the United Nations desiring to participate in the work of the Committee as observers could do so. 14. During 1984 the Committee again welcomed in that capacity all the States and organizations that had participated in the preceding year.!I The Committee also welcomed the participation of Lebanon in the work of the Committee as an observer from 18 September 1984. As in previous years, the Committee decided to invite the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to participate in the work of the Comm1ttee as an observer, to attend all its meetings, and to make observations and proposals for the consideration of the Committee. 15. In view of the critical situation of Palestinians in the occupied territories, especially after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the Committee also authorized its Chairman, at its 99th meeting, on 22 February 1984, to address a letter to the Secretary-General requesting him to invite all States Members of the United Nations to participate more actively in the work of the Committee. The Secretary-General was also asked to direct the attention of all Member States to the call for the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East. 16. Because of the importance attached by the Committee to the proposed conference, a letter to that effect was sent on 22 February 1984 to the Secretary-General; it was transmitted to Member States on 12 March 1984. C. Re-establishment of the Working Group 17. The Committee, at its 99th meeting, decided that the Working Group, originally created in 1977, should be re-established and constituted as before, on the understand~ft9 ~~at ~ny ~amber or observer could participate in its proceedings. 11 -3- IV. A. 1. ACTION TAKEN BY THE COMMITTEE Action taken in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 5 of General Assembly resolution 38/58 A Review of the situation relating to the question of Palestine and efforts to implement the recommendations of the Committee 18. In terms of its mandate, the Committee kept the situation in Palestine constantly under review and continued to exert aIl efforts to prornote the implementation of its recommendations. 19. Accordingly, in response to a series of events which directly affected the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, the Committee authorized its Chairman and Acting Chairman, on several occasions, to communicate its grave concern to the Secretary-General and to the president of the Security Ceuncil. 20. Those communications, for the most part, dealt with practices and policies of the Israeli Government which, in the opinion of the Committee, were not only in direct contravention of international law and of the fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, ~ but were also contrary to the spirit of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on the subject and contradictory to the recommendations of the Committee itself. 21. The communications thus expressed concern over the continuing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian and Arab territories and its pelicies of establishing illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, the confiscation of Arab-owned land and widespread and frequent violation by Israel of the rights of the palestinian people. The communications also draw attention t0 reported plans of the Israeli Government to apply its legislation to the occupied terri tories. They also expressed the constant concern of the Committee over Israeli actions affecting the lives and well-being of Palestinians living as refugees in Lebanon. 22. Those Israeli actions led the Committee, in addition to its letters of protest, to urge as a priority matter the re-activation of the Commission established by the Security Council under its resolution 446 (1979} to examine the situation relating to Israeli settlements in the Arab and Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The Committee pointed out that the latest report of the Commission had been adopted as far back as 25 November 1980, but had still not been considered by the Security Council, despite persistent urging by the Committee. 23. In its previous reports, the Committee drew the attention of the international community te the extent of the measures taken by the Government of Israel in establishing and enlaKging settlements in the occupied territories, notwithstanding the illegality of such action, the censure of international opinion and the decisions of the united Nations. The Committee noted that there had been public and parliamentary questioning of such policies within Israel itself. The Committee recalled that both the General Assembly and the Security Council had declared such actions to be illegal. -4- 24. During the year under review, the Committee noted that according to a study prepared for the Economic and Social Council which contained information supplied by the Jordanian authorities (see A/39/233-E/1984/79, para. 8), by the end of 1983, Israel had expropriated 47.4 per cent of the West Bank territory. Israeli sources have asserted that Israel now controls between 50 and 60 per cent of the land in the occupied terri tories. Of the expropriated land, 26 per cent has been allocated to Israeli settlements. Estimates based on Israeli and palestinian data indicate that, by now, almost all of the Jordan Valley's potentially cultivable land has been expropriated for new Israeli settlements. 25. The impact of Israeli policies in the occupied territories has been particularly evident in so far as national resour=es are concerned, especially water (see A/39/326-E/19'34/l11, paras. 40 and 41). In effect, restrictive measures have been imposed on the Palestinian population of the are~ requiring that usage of water be maintained at 1967 levels. On the other hand, preferential treatment has been reported to be practised by the occupying authorities in supplying water to Israeli settlers (see A/39/233-E/1984/79, para. 11). 26. The Committee also noted that, in relentless pur suit of its policy, Israel continues to establish settlements that limit or impair the expansion and growth of Palestinian towns and villages. In a new development, Israel has initiated the establishment of an urban settlelnent in the very centre of Bebron, as dètailed in the letter from the Chairman of the Committee to the Secretary-General (A/39/ll6-S/l6366). Similar action has also been taken in Jerusalem. 27. There is at the same time an overall annual decline in residential construction in towns and villages of the occupied territories (see A/39/233-E/1984/79, ..ras. 12-14). New construction of housing barely covers the need resulting from the natural increase in population. For many years, no lowincome housing has been publicly subsidized. In addition, punitive demolition of houses continues at an accelerated rate; this is made worse by a new measure of sealing houses or rooms with concrete. Absence of construction to replace dilapidated and substandard housing, together with restrictive policies of the occupying authorities concerning building permits and transfer of funds from abroad, is expected to worsen the serious housing condition. 28. Longer-term trends are ominous. According to document A/39/233-E/1984/79, paragraph 15, present indications are that the Israeli Government will continue to establish settlements in the occupied terri tories aiming at a projected minimum of 100,000 Israelis in such settlements by 1987 and 190,000 by the year 2010. The numbers exclude Israelis in E~st Jerusalem and other Palestinian localities incorporated into the city immediately after the 1967 war. 29. The Committee notes and stresses in particular that the same document, in paragraphs 19 and 2u, draws attention to the conflict and confrontation, often leading to violence, that has resulted from this persistent Israeli settlement policy. The settlers form a privileged class, have the support of the administering authorities and the Government of Israel, are permitted to carry firearms and have often resorted to the use of these firearms to harass and terrorize Palestinian people, thus becoming a force of oppression against these Arabs. The report points out that the system appears to be designed to attract Israeli settlers and to compel the Palestinians to leave the territories. -5- 30. The Committee notes from the report that, despite the fact that the settlers are there in violation of the fourth Geneva Convention, they are enabled by the occupying authorities to pursue their activities within the occupied territories without hindrance. On the other hand, Palestinian people are subjected to frequent curfews which restrain th~ir activities. In addition, Palestinians in the occupied territories, even those in refugee camps, have been subjected to frequent harasernent, mostly because of their justified resistance to the objective of Israel to relocate them elsewhere, so as to undermine Palestinian defense of their just cause. 31. The Committee also notes that security checks carried out by the Israeli occupation authorities, including soldiers, police and settlers, at any time of day or night against the Arab population in the occupied territories have become a routine practice. The resulting tension is further exacerbated by the fact that Palestinians are subject to the jurisdiction of military courts, against which there ia no appeal. Additionally, frequent c10sing of Arab schools and universities has severely disrupted academic life. 32. Confrontation has extended even to places of religious worshipJ more recently, violent acts were attributed to Jewish terrorist groups intending to damage or destroy Islamic holy places. Other desecration has taken place under the guise of archaeological excavation. 33. Apart from social considerations, it should be added that the policies designed to promote, protect and develop the illegal settlement~ have had a direct ecohomic effect on the Palestinian population resulting in severe structural changes in the economy of the occupied territories (see A/39/233-E/1984/79, paras. 16-18). 34. These changes have diminished the importance of the agricultural sector, but without the corresponding development of an industrial base. There has been a relative lack of employment opportunity in the occupied terri tories, with consequent daily commuting to Israel by the Palestinian labour force. Furthermore, production of gocds has been reoriented towards those that can be sold to and through Israel, while Palestinian consumption is met by increased imports from Israel. 35. The net resu1t is that the economic policies of the occupying Power have created a situation of total dependence of the economies of the West Bank and Gaza, by controlling their production and reducing their capacity to create employment in such a manner as to diminish their potential for independent economic development. 36. Th~ Committee wishes to bring forcefully to the notice of the General Assembly aIl these details, which are accurately reported examples of Israeli actions which are seriously affecting the dai1y li~es of the Palestinian people and are clearly in violation of the relevant provisions of the Geneva Conventions. 37. After the increased tension occasioned by the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the Committee deplored the action taken by the Israeli occupation forces in entering the Ein El-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp outside Sidon on 15 May 1984. Subsequent events resulted in violence and loss of life and, as a result, the Security Council met on 21 May 1984 to consider the matter. The President of the Council announced at the conclusion of that meeting that consideration of the item would be continued at a later date. -6- 38. The Committee also noted that the Security Council met on 29, 30 and 31 August and on 4 and 6 September 1984 to consider aIl practices and measures taken by the Israeli occupying authorities in southern Lebanon, the western Begaa and the Rashaya reg ion. The Council did not adopt a draft resolution submitted by Lebanon owing to the negative vote of a permanent member of the Council. 2. (a) Reaction to developments affecting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people Securi~ Communications to the Secretary-General and the President of the Council 39. In further pursuit of its mandate, the Committee, through its Chairman, transmitted, as occasion demanded, several letters on matters of urgency to the Secretary-General and to the President of the Council. 40. On 4 November 1983, the Chairman drew attention to the decision of the Israeli authorities to close down Bethlehem University for two whole months (A/38/569-S/l6l26), partly because of an exhibition given at the university, entitled "Palestinian Heritage" which, according to the occupying authorities, contained "inflammatory" material. 41. Student council members responsible for the exhibition were arrested. On announcing the closing of the University, the co-ordinator of Israeli activities in the West Bank stated that Israel intended "to respond with extreme severity in the future to any manifestat:on of breaches of erder" in the occupied territories. 42. In the light of that development, the Chairman, expressing the view of the Committee, stresaed that such a repressive Israeli policy could only aggravate the extremely tense situation in the occupied Palestinian Arab territories and thereby increase the threat to international peace and security in the reg ion. 43. On 18 November 1983, the Chairman expressed the deep concern of the Committee regarding the Israeli arrest of two Israeli Arabs on the grounds that they were "in breach of security law" for having attended the Geneva International Conference on the Question of Palestine and having met with representatives of the Palestine Liberation organization in working sessions of the Conference (A/38/595-S/l6l7l). 44. Expressing concern that similar action might be taken against other participants from Israel in the Conference, the Chairman protested against that discriminatory action which amounted to an act of intimidation, since the two persons arrested were merely pursuing their legitimate activities on behalf of their non-governmental organizations at a COnference organized under the aegis of the United Nations. 45. The Chairman urged that the Committee's eoncern be conveyed to the Israeli authorities and that any restriction placed on the 1;wo persons arrested be lifted. That matter was taken up later by the Chairman in his letter of 24 February 1984. 46. On 24 February 1984, in follow-up action regarding the arrest of the two Israeli Arabs by the Israeli authorities, the Chairman pointed out that, although both persons concerned were subsequently released from custody, their movements had been restricted to their home towns for a period of six months. The -7- Chairman again protested against that action and urged the Secretary-General to convey the Committee's concern to the Israeli authorities (A/39/117-S/16373). 47. On 9 January 1984, the Chairman of the Committee referred to current discussion in the Israeli Knesset on two proposed new laws that would extend Israeli legislation into the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip (A/39/70-S/16261). 48. The Chairman pointed out that the Committee understood :rom reliable reports that an amendment to one of the laws had gone so far as to authorize the Israeli occupying authorities to impose the application of Israeli legislation in a number of cases with the purported aim of replacing Jordanian legislation in the occupied West Bank. The Chairman also drew attention to reports that a new provision had been approved which authorized the Israeli Minister for Justice to apply civil and criminal laws in the occupied territories subject to approval of the constitutional sub-committee of the Knesset, but without the approval of that body. 49. The Chairman expressed the Committee's belief that such measures were indicative of one more step in the Israeli process of annexing the occupied territories and discriminating against the Palestinian people, and that such measures were to be considered in flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the innumerable resolutions of the Security Council on the question. The Chairman reaffirmed that appropriate and vigorous measures should be taken without delay to protect the legitimate rights of the Palestinians living in the occupied territories. 50. On 6 February 1984, the Acting Chairman of the Committee referred to an attempt to desecrate the holiest Moslem shrine in Jerusalem - the Dome of the Rock and AI-Aqsa Masque, which is considered the third most sacred place in Islam, after Ma~kah and Al-Madinah (A/39/99-S/16327). 51. The attempted destruction occurred on 27 January 1984, but was fortunately foiled by Arab guards. According to the accounts of bath the police and Moslem leaders, a Moslem guard, aware of the intrusion, appealed for help. As policemen arrived, two intruders fled, leaving behind explosives and hand grenades purportedly issued by the Israeli Army. 52. The Acting Chairman pointed out that, over recent months, many such instances of explosives placed at entrances to churches and mosques had been reported. He urged that the attention of members of the General Assembly and the Security Council be drawn to those events, which had raised the concern even of Israeli leaders. 53. In his letter of 23 February 1984, tr!,~ Chairman of the Committee again took up the matter of the Israeli policy of establishing Jewish settlements in the occupied territories (A/39/116-S/16366). He pointed out that, despite representations made in his previous letter of 18 July 1983 (A/38/306-S/15880), it had been reported that "the Government of Israel is determined to renew the Jewish presence in Hebron and will help rebuild its old Jewish Quarter" and that "even if the Hebron Arabs did oppose such a presence it would not alter the Government's objectives of renewing the Jewish Quarter in Hebron". 54. The Chairm~n added in his letter that despite a reported freeze on settlements in what the Israeli Gove~~nt had termed "Judea" and "Samaria", the corner-stone -8- of yet another new settlement, to be called "Ganei Modiin", had been laid on 19 January 1984 in the "Benjamin" region, as the area between Ramallah and Nablus is now termed by Israel. He reiterated the Committee's concern over the Israeli settlements policy. 55. On 26 March 1984, th~ Acting Chairman of the Committee referred to still further reports that yet another new settlement, named Eruvin, had been established on 4 March 1984 in the Gush Etzion region to the north of the Arab town of Hebron (A/39/157-S/16442). 56. The Acting Chairman also referred to two confidential plalAs prepared with the object of developing what has been termed "greater Jerusalem". In effect, this would result in three new Israeli centres being established around Jerusalem. 57. on a related matter, the Acting Chairman referred to reports of the proposed expansion of the municipal limit of the city of Jerusalem to the north-East areas of the West Bank, so as to provide land for the city's industrial growth. 58. In a letter dated 19 April 1984, the Acting Chairman of the Committee reiterated the Committee's concern at the action ta ken by the Government of Israel to complete its plan to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel (A/39/201-S/l6493). He recalled Security Council resolution 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, which had called upon those States that had transferred their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem to withdraw such missions from the Roly City. 59. The Committee reaffirmed that withdrawal of diplomatic missions from Jerusalem reflected the concern of Governments for the sentiment and opinion of the vast majority of the international community, as weIl as respect for decisions of the Security Council. 60. In this connection, the Acting Chairman drew attention to a report that the Government of El Salvador had officially transferred its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In consequence, the reported move by the Government of El Salvador was regretted by the Committee as detrimental to a satisfactory solution of the question of the status of the Holy City and contrary to the spirit of Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on the subject. 61. On 16 May 1984, the Acting Chairman of the Committee drew attention to news items regarding an Israeli search operation which had taken place the day before at the Ein El-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp outside Sidon in Lebanon, with subsequent casualties and arrests among the Palestinian refugees and destruction of property. 62. He expressed the belief of the membership of the Committee that it was unconscionable that the Israeli army of occupation should have taken such action against refugees (A/39/263-S/16568). 63. On 25 June 1984, the Chairman referred to still further action taken by Israel of establishing three new settlements in its continuing process of annexing the occupied terri tories of the West Bank. The Chairman also drew attention to a report that the Israeli Minister for Finance had approved an additional budget of 1.5 billion shekels to be invested in new settlements in the Gaza Strip on lands belonging to Arabs (A/39/329-S/16646). 'J -9- 64. In a letter addressed to the Secretary-General on 8 August 1984 (A/39/403), the Chairman drew attention to a number of United Nations reports detailing the effects of the Israeli occupation on the enjoyment of the political, social, economic and cultural rights of the Palestinian people and on its opportunities for development. To the letter were annexed the relevant reports prepared by the International Labour Office, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (b) Action taken within the Security Council 65. In addition to transmitting letters on matters Df urgency to the SecretaryGeneral and the President of the Security Council, the Committee, through its Chairman, participated in activities of the Council when matters relating to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, or viol~tion of those riqhts, were considered. 66. On Il November 1983, following informaI consultations of the Security Council in which the Chairman of the Committee was involved, the President of the Council read out a statement (S/16l42). 67. The statement expressed the p'rofound concern of Council members at recent and current developments in nor tharn l.ebanon, which had caused and were still causing widespread suffering and loss of human lives. The members appealed to aIl parties concerned to exercise the utmost restraint and freely seek to attain, and to respect, an immediate cessation of hostilities, to settle their differences exclusively by peaceful means and to refrain from the threat or use of force. 68. Appreciation was expressed for the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross CICRC) in providing emergency humanitarian assistance to Palestinian and Lebanese civilians around the city of Tripoli. Members of the Security Council would continue to follow the situation in Lebanon with the greatest attention. 69. Subsequently, on 23 November 1983, the Security Council, without debate, unanimously adopted a resolution on the events taking place in northern Lebanon (resolution 542 (1983». 70. In that resolution, the Security Council deplored the loss of human life caused by those events and reiterated its calI for the strict respect for the sover~ignty, political independence and territorial integrity of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries. 71. The parties cOncerned were requested to accept a cease-fire immediately and to observe scrupulously the cessation of hostilities. They were also invited to aettle their differences exclusively by peaceful means and to refrain from the threat or use of force. 72. The parties concerned were also asked to comply with the provisions of that resolution which requested the Secretary-General to follow the situation, to consult with the Government of Lebanon and to report to the Council. Tribute was again paid to UNRWA and ICRC in providing emergency humanitarian assistance to Palestinian and Lebanese civilians. -10- 73. In pursuance of that request, the 5ecretary-General submitted a report to the 5ecurity Council on 21 December 1983 (5/16228), in which he referred to a request by the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) regarding the departure of the armed elements of PLO from Tripoli. The 5ecretary-General recalled that, in his statement of 3 December (5/16194), during consultations of the 5ecurity Council, he had informed the Council of his decision to authorize the flying of the United Nations flag alongside the national flag of the country concerned on the ships which would evacuate the armed elements of PLO from Tripoli. That decision was taken on purely humanitarian grounds to facilitate the resolution of a situation which had already cost many innocent lives and caused great destruction. The evacuation would involve sorne 4,000 men carrying personal weapons only. After consulta~iQns with the members of the 5ecurity Council on 3 December 1983, the Pr~sident of the Council confir~ad that the 5ecretaryGeneral's statement had the support of the members of the Council (5/16195). 74. In a letter dated 21 December 1983 (5/16230) the Permanent Representative of Greece ihformed the Secretary-General that, in response to a request made by the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Hellenic Government had decided, for humanitarian reasons, to make five vessels available to him for transporting Palestinian forces from the Lebanese port of Tripoli to Democratic Yemen, Yemen, Tunisia and Algeria. The operation had boen conceived and carried put in collaboration with the French Government after consultations with the other Governments concerned. The Greek vessels flew the united Nations flag in addition to the national flag throughout the operation. The evacuation operation had taken place on 20 December and had been carried out successfully. 75. On 26 January 1984, following consultations held on that date, the President of the 5ecurity Council issued a statement (5/16293) regarding legislation then under consideration by the Israel Knesset. 76. In his statement, the President of the Council noted a letter dated Il January 1984 on that matter from the Permanent Represent,~~ive of Israel (5/16269). The President recalled previous resolutions stressing the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, !I and urged that no steps be taken which could lead to further aggravation of tension in the area. 77. On 21 May 1984, at the request of the Arab Group contained in a letter dated 17 May 1984 from the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations (5/16569), the Council met to consider "the most recent act of aggression committed by Israel against the refugee camp of Palestinians at Ein EI-Helweh in South Lebanon". 78. The Chairman of the Committee intervened in the debate and stated that the very fact that the 5ecurity Council and the General Assembly had met so often to consider the question of Palestine and related events in Lebanon was confirmation of the international community's deep concerne He added that the Israeli operation carried out on 15 and 16 May 1983 was a flagrant violation of human rights as defined in the Charter of the United Nations and of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 79. The Chairman said that the Committee had noted that, taking advantage of the tragedy in Lebanon, Israel was trying to silence the Palestinians who were -11", protesting against the occupation of their territory and was pursuing its illegal plans to annex the West Bank and Gaza in defiance of international law and world public opinion. He noted that that policy of annexation had even been condemned by a certain section of Israeli public opinion which had the merit of understanding that Israel's security lay in .dialogue with the parties concerned, rather than in annexation of territory. 80. Stressing the importance of convening an international peace conference on the Middle East, the Chairman said that such a Conference would have beneficial effects on th~ whole region, and particularly on Lebanon, whose unity and territorial integrity must be safeguarded. Faced with the constant worsening of the situation in the region, the Security Council had the dutY and reElonsibility to take appropriate measures to put an end to those tragic events and to bring abcut tl'.e renewal of the policy of dialogue among aIl the parties concerned. 81. At the conclusion of the meeting, the president of the Security Council said that further discussion of the item would take place at a later date. 82. In response to an urgent ·request by the Permanent Representative of Lebanûn dated 24 August 1984 (S/16713), the Security Council met on 29,30 and 31 August and on 4 and 6 September 1984 to consider aIl practices and measures taken by the Israeli.occupying authorities in southern Lebanon, the western Begaa and the Raf'lhaya reg ion. 83. In the course of the debate, t~e Chairman of the Cownittee stated that it was the duty and the responsibility of th~ Security Council to take aIl appropriate steps to save Lebanon from imminent dinintegration. He reiterated that the framework for peace in the region had been defined by the General Assembly in its resolution 38/58 C which called for the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East. He drew attention to the encouraging replies received to that proposaI and to the fact that the international community as a whole supported a just and comprehensive settlement of the Middle East question, as shown by the decisions adopted by several recent intergovernmental and non-governmental meetings. 84. The Security Council had before it a draft resolution sponsored by Lebanon (S/16732), by which the Council would have reiterated its calI for strict respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon within its internationally recognized boundaries. The Council would al50 have affirmed that the provisions of the four th Geneva Convention of 1949 applied to the 'territories occupied by Israel in southern Lebanon, the western Begaa and the Rashaya district and would have called upon Israel to respect strictly the rights of the civilian population in those areas, in compliance with that Convention. 85. Because of the negative vote by a permanent member, the Security Council did not adopt the draft resolution. (c) Other action relating to the question of Palestine legitimate~y 86. The Committee noted that on 30 July 1984 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in its declared des ire to contribute to the est~blishment of peace in the Middle East, put forward proposaIs on a Middle East settlement and ways of reaching it, (see A/39/368-S/l6685). The principles of this settlement comprised, inter alia: -12- 1 (a) The inadmissibility of the and, consequently, the return of aIl to the Arabs, the dismantling of the territories and the inviolability of capture of foreign lands through aggression the territories occupied by I~rael since 1967 settlements established by Israel in those borders between Israel and its Arab neighbours, (b) The guarantee in practice of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, whose sole legitimate representative is the PLO, to self-determination and to the establishme~t of its own independent State on th~ Palestinian lands - the West Bank of the River Jordan and' the Gaza Strip - which could be handed over by Israel for a short transitional period, not exceeding a few mo~th8, under United Nations control) the Palestinian 5tate would itself determine the nature of its relations with neighbouring cljuntries, including the possibiHty of forming a confederation) the opportunity for the Palestinian refugees to return to ,their homes or receive appropriate compensation for the property left behind by them, (c) East Jerusalem should be returned to the Arabs and become an inalienable part of the Palestinian State) (d) The right of aIl, States in the region to a secure and independent existence and development should be effectively guaranteed, with, of course, full rc:~iprocity, (e) ~tween An end should be put'to the state of war, and peace should be established the Arab States and Israel; International guarantees of the settlement. 1 (f) 87.' It was stressed by the proponent of the proposaIs that the only right and effective way of ensuring a radical solution to the Middle East problem was through collective efforts with the participation of aIl parties concerned, in other words, through talks within the framework of an international conference on the Middle East specially convened for the purpose. The proposaIs a1so contained provisions concerning the aims of such a conference, its participants and the organization of work. 88. The Soviet Union appealed to aIl parties to the conflict to act on the basie of a sober assessment of each other's legitimate rights and interests, and to aIl other States not to hamper, but to 'contribute to, the q~est for such a settlement. 89. The Committee noted with satisfaction that those preposaIs conformed on major points with its own long-standing recommendations and constituted, inter alia, a positive response by the Soviet Union towards the appea1 contained in paragraph 98 of the Committee's report of 1ast year. 21 3. Attendance at conferences 90. In accordance with its mandate, the Committee was represented at the Fourteenth Is1amic COnference of Foreign Ministers, held at Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 6 to Il December 1983, the fourth summit meeting of the Islamic Conference, he1d at Casablanca from 16 to 19 January 1984) the Sixth Congress of the Afro-~sian Peoples' Solidarity Organization, held at Algiers from 27 to 30 May 1984, the Conference of Arab Solidarity with the Struggle for Liberation in Southern Africa, held at Tunis from 7 to 9 August 1984, and the International Dialogue on the United Nations and the ..# --.~ Forces, held at Geneva from 10 to 12 September 1984. Peace . . " -13- 4. Action taken by the Movement oi Non-Aligned Countries, United Nations bodies, regional and other organizations 91. The Committee continued to follow with great interest action ta ken by other organizations on matters relevant to its work. Action taken in 1983 after the Committee had submitted its report 2/ to the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly was duly noted and appreciated. 92. This action included: the statement of the Al-Quds Committee at its eighth meeting held in New York, 30 September 1983, the paragraphs on the Middle East and Palestine in the Final Communiqué adopted at the Meeting of Ministers and Heads of Delegations of the Non-Aligned Countries to the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly, held in New York from 4 to 7 October 1983 (see A/38/495-S/l6035, annex, paras. 47-57)J the communiqué issued following the co-ordinating meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, held in New york on 10 OCtober 1983 (A/39/236-S/l6535, anne~), the paragraphs adopted in the Final Communiqué of the Commonwealth Heads of G~vernment meeting on the Middle East, held at New Delhi from 23 to 29 November 1983J the resolutions and the paragraphs on the question of Palestine of the final declaration adopted at the Fourteenth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, held at Dhaka, Bangladesh v from 6 to Il December 1983 (see A/39/l33-S/l6417, annexes land IV)J and the twelfth session of the Presidium of the Afro-Asian peoples' Solidarity Organization, held at Nicosia, Cyprus, from 13 to 15 December 1983. 93. Action relevant to the work of the Committee undertaken by other organizations in 1984 included meetings held by: the Fourth Islamic Summit Conference on the Palestine Question and the Situation in the Middle EastJ the Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned CountriesJ the Commission on Human Rights at its fortieth sessionJ the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of States Members of the European Economie Community, the seventy-first Inter-Parliamenta=y ConferenceJ the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Co~mittee and the Economie and Social Council at its second regular session, as indicated in paragraphs 94-124 below. (a) The Fourth Islamic Summit Conference 94. The Fourth Islamic Summit Conference was held at Casablanca from 16 to 19 January 1984. At that time, the Conference adopted several resolutions relating to the question of Palestine (see A/39/l31-S/l64l4 and Corr. l, annex II). 95. By its resolution 1/4-P (IS), the Conference reaffirmed that a just peace in the region could only be achieved on the basis of complete and unconditional withdrawal by Israel from aIl the occupied Arab territories, and on the recovery by the Palestinian people of their Inalienable national rights. 96. Th~ Conference reaffirmed that Al-Quds al-Sharif, the capital of Palestine, was an Integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and that Israel must unconditionally and totally withdraw from it and restore it to Arab sovereignty. It was further reaffirmed that no solution could be considered as comprehensive, just and acceptable unless the PLO participated in its formulation as an independent party on equal footing with the other parties concerned. 97. The Conference called upon member States to work collectively for the adoption of a new Security Counci1 reso1ution which wou1d provide exp1icit1y for the withdrawa1 of Israel from aIl the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, -14- including the City of Al-Quds al-Sharif, and safeguard the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to return to their homeland and to achieve self-determination in accordance with United Nations resolutions, particularly resolution 3236 (XXIX), and the recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. 98. By resolution 2/4-P (IS) on the city of Al-Quds al-Sharif, the Fourth Islamic Summit Conference urged all countries to refrain from dealing with the occupying authorities in Any way that could be exploited a~ a recognition and acceptance of Al-Quds al-Sharif as the capital city of Israel. (b) COnference of Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned Countries 99. A meeting of the Conference of Ministers of Information of Non-Aligned COuntries was held at Jakarta from 26 to 30 January 1984. At that time, the Ministers agreed to support the Department of Public Information of the United Nations Secretariat, particularly in expanding publication and audio-visual ccverage of facts and of developments pertaining to the question of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian people to attain and exercise its inalienable rights (see A/39/l39-S/l6430, annex, sect. IV, para. 21). 100. The Ministers found it necessary to contribute towards increasing awareness by the international community of the economic and social burdens borne by the Palestinian people as a result of the continued Israeli occupation and its negative effect on the economic development of the West 'Asian region as a whole (~.). (c) Fortieth session of the Commission on Human Rights 101. At its fortieth session, held from 6 February to 16 March 1984, the Commission on Human Rights adopted five resolutions dealing with the situation in the occupied Arab terri tories, including Palestine (1984/1 A end B, 1984/2, 1984/3, 1984/11 and 1984/20). !2/ 102. In resolution 1984/1 A, the Commission strongly condemned Israeli policies and practices, administrative and legislative measures to promete and expand the establishment of settler colonies in the occupied territories, as well as the following specific aSPects: "(a) The annexation of parts of the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, "(b) The continuing establishment of new Israeli settlements and expansion of the existing settlements on private and public Arab lands, and the transfer of an alien population thereto, "(cl The arming of settlers in the occupied territories to commit acts of violence against Arab civilians, and the perpetration of acts of violence by these armed settlers against individuals, causing in jury and death and wide-scale damage to Arab propertYJ "(dl The arming of settlers in the occupied territories to strike at Muslim and Christian religious and holy places, -15- "(el The evacuation,"deportation, expulsion, displacement and transfer of Arab inhabitants of the occupied territories, and the denial of their right to return, "(f) The confiscation and expropriation of Arab property in the occupied territories and aIl other transactions for the acquisition of land involving Israeli authorities, institutions or nationals on the one hand, and inhabitants or institutions of the occupied territories on the other; "(g) The destruction and demolition of Arab houses; "(hl Mass arrests, collective punishments, administrative detention and ill-treatment of the Arab population, the torture of persons under detention and the inhuman conditions in prisons; "(il The pillaging ·of archaeological and cultural property; "(j) The interference with religious freedoms and practices as weIl as with .family rights and customsJ "(k) The systematic Israeli repression against cultural and educational institutions, especially universities, in the occupied Palestinian terri tories, closing them or restricting and impeding their academic activities by subjecting selection of courses, textbooks and educational programmes, admission of students and appointment of faculty members to the control and supervision of the military occupation authorities and by the expulsion of numerous faculty members of several universities (or refusing to sign statements containing political positions, in flagrant defiance and disregard of their right to academic freedom; "(1) The illegal exploitation of the natural wealth, water and other resources and the population of the occupied territories; ma~ors -(ml The dismantling of municipal services by dismissing the elected as weIl as the municipal councils and forbidding Arab aid funds." 10.3. In its resolution 1984/1 B, the Commission reaffirmed that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War was applicable to aIl the Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem, and expressed its deep concern at the consequences of Israel's systematie refusaI to apply that Convention. 104. In its resolution 1984/2, the Commission called upon Israel to reseind forthwith its deeision of 14 December 1981 to impose its laws, jurisdietion and administration on the Syrian Golan Heights, and firmly emphasized the overriding neeessity of the total and uneonditionàl withdrawal by Israel from aIl Palestinian and Syrian territories oeeupied sinee 1967, ineluding Jerusalem, whieh was an essential prerequisite for the establishment of a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East. lOS. In its resolution 1984/3, the Commission condemned Israel for its persistenee in developing the colonization of the ocdupied territories, including Jerusalem, whieh aimed at ehanging their demographie composition, institutional structure and status. -16- 106. In its resolution 1984/11, the Commission strongly condemned anew Israel's responsibility for the large-scale massacre in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, which constituted an act of genocide, and expresGed its grave concern that, until a just and equitable solution to the problem of Palestine had been implemented, the Palestinian people would be exposed to grave dangers such as the appa11ing massacre perpetrated in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. 107. In its resolution 1984/20, the Commission urged Israel to re1ease immediately not only aIl those civilians arbitrarily detained since its invasion and continued occupation of Lebanese territories, but also those whom Israel rearrested and detained again in Ansar Camp, thereby violating the agreement on the exchange of prisoners concluded with ICRC in November 1983. (d) Declaration by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the States members of the EurOpean Economie Community 108. On 27 March 1984, at Brussels, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Ten States members of the European Economie Community adopted a declaration on the question of the Middle East (see A/39/l6l-S/l6456, annex). 109. The Ministers recognized the need for a sett1ement guaranteeing peace among aIl States of the region which should include the right to existence and security of aIl these States, including Israel. The declaration also stated that aIl the parties concerned had conceded that settlement must taka account of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. In the view of the Ten, that wouId entail aaceptance of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, with aIl that that implied. 110. The declaration further stated that it had been universal1y acknowledged that aIl the problems which existed between Israel and its neighbours must be resolved in accordance with the principles recognized by the international com~unity, including non-recourse to the use of force and non-acquisition of territory by force. That meant that, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), Israel must put an end to the territorial occupation which it had maintained since the conflict of 1967. A negotiated settlement would require the continuing and independent expression of the will of the Palestinian people, and the PLO must be associated with the negotiations. 111. The Ten States members of the Community expressed concern at the co1lapse of the hopes engendered in September 1982 by certain converging and promising peace initiatives and they declared that the absence of aIl prcg~ess towards a negotiated solution since then had exacerbated antagonism and entrenched the positions of those who favoured confrontation. 112. The declaration also noted that certain recent deve10pments, such as the meeting of the Islamic Conference in Casablanca and the resumption of dialogue between Jordan and the Palestinians, had been encouraging. 113. The Ten requested aIl parties to re-examine their positions with a view to reducing the gap between them, taking particularly into account elements contained in the Reagan Plan and in the Fez Declaration. They also calIed upon the Government of Israel to put an end to its policy of establishing settlements in the occupied territories, and undertook to support any constructive step which might be initiated by the parties concerned. -17- (~) The seventy-first Inter-Parliamentary Conference 114. At its seventy-first Conference, held at Geneva from 2 to 7 April 1984, the Inter-Parliamentary Union adopted a resolution entitled "Escalation of the dangers threatening international peace and security in the Middle East region". 115. The ~esolution declared aIl Israeli policies and practices of, or aimed at, annexation of the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territQries, including Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, to be illegal and in violation of international law and of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The resolution strongly deplored any political, eéonomic, financial, military and technical support toIsrael that encouraged Israel to commit acts of aggression and to consolidate and perpetuate its occupation and annexation of Arab territories. 116. In addition, the resolution condemned Israel's aggression, policies and practices against the Palestinian people in theoccupied Palestinian territories and outside these territories, particularly in southern Lebanon, including the expropriation and annexation of territory, the ~stablishment of settlements, assassination attempts and other terrorist, aggressive and repressive measures which were in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, the principles of international law and the relevant international conventions. '117. The Inter-parliamentary Union reaffirmed its full support for the Arab and palestinian.peoples under the leadership of the PLO, and rejected aIl agreements and arrangements which violated the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to retucn to their homeland and to self-determination and the establishment of their own sovereign Palestinian State in Palestine. (f) The AI-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee of the Organization of the Islamic Conference 118. At its special session held at Fez, Moracco, on 19 and 20 April 1984, the (Jerusalem) Committee adopted a final communiqué (see A/39/2$7-S/l6562, annex) · Al~Quds 119. The final communiqué stated that the Committee had examined Israel's various attempts to exert pressure on different countries to transfer their embassies from Te! Aviv to Al-Quds. In the view of the Committee, such a transfer on the part of Costa Rica and El Salvador impinged upon Arab rights and violated international law. In addition, the Committee had examined the moves being made in order to obtain a decision for the transfer of the Embassy of the United States of America to Al-Quds. 120. In its final communiqué, the AI-Quds (Jerusalem),Committee recommended that it be left to its Chairman to preside over a delegation and to proceed to the United States of America, in order to undertake necessary contacts with the United States Administration. Contacts should also be made with the permanent members of the S~curity Council in order to gain their support. 121. The Committee also recommended that aIl relations with Costa Rica and El Salvador should be severed, in compliance with Islamic resolutions cal1ing upon aIl member States to break relations with any country that had decided to transfer its emhassy to Al-Quds, or had recognized that city's annexation by Israel, or its status as Israel's capital. -18- 122. The communiqué also recommended the adoption of a unified Islamic stand aimed at explaining to any count~y ~hat Islamic States would implement the resolutions of the Third Islamic Summit, namely, resolution 1/3 C, paragraph 2, of the AI-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee special session, he Id at Casablanca from 16 to 18 April 1980. (g) Second regular session of the Economie and Social Council 123. At its second regular session of 1984, the Economie and Social Council considered the provision of economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people by the appropriate agencies and organizations of the United Nations system. The Council, in particular, reviewed the results of an inter-agency meeting which was held pursuant to General Assembly resolution 38/145 to develop a co-ordinated programme of assistance and ensure its implementation, with the participation of the PLO, the Arab host countries and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. 124. In its resolution 1984/56 of 25 July 1984, the Council drew the attention of the international community, the United Nations system and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to the need to ensure that their aid to the occupied Palestinian territories was disbursed only for the benefit of the Palestinian people and was not used in any manner to serve the interests of the Israeli occupation authorities. The Council requested the competent bodies of the United Nations system to intensify their efforts, in co-operation with the PLO, to provide economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people and requested that such assistance in the Arab host countries should be rendered in co-operation with the PLO and with the consent of the Arab host Government concerned. B. Action taken in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of General Assembly resolution 38/58 B 125. The Committee had intended to ho Id three regional seminars on the question of Palestine during 1984, in Europe, Africa and Latin America. The Committee decided, however, that the European and African seminars should be combined and that the Latin American Seminar should be postponed until early 1985. 126. Accordingly, the ninth United Nations regional Seminar on the Question of Palestine took place in Tunis (rom 14 to 17 August 1984 at a critical time in the efforts of the united Nations to advance the prospects of a solution. The report of that important seminar is annexed to the present report (see annex III). 127. The Committee once more had occasion to confirm the importance of seminars and its conviction that, given the collective contributions of academicians, parliamentarians and other opinion-makers at such events, the seminars had considerable influence in promoting wide-ranging and more objective understanding of the Palestinian question and in urging governmental action for a just solution, as for instance called for at the Tunis Seminar. 128. The Committee noted with appreciation that, in further compliance with General Assembly resolution 38/58 B, the Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat continued to prepare, update and distribute studies on matters relating to the question of Palestine. -19- 129. In pursuit of the objective of fur~her increasing its contacts with non-governmental organizations, the Division for Palestinian Rights, under the guidance of the Committee, organized a North American non-governmental organization symposium on the question of Palestine. This symposium was he Id at united Nations Readquarters from 25 to 27 June 1984, as the first in a series of non-governmental symposiums and international meetings held in response to General Assembly resolution 38/58 B. 130. More than 60 organizations and sorne 20 panelists participated in th~ North American symposium. The Committee noted ~ith appreciation that the symposium concluded its work by the adoption of a declaration, which is annexed tO,the present report (see annex IV). 131. An international non-governmental organization meeting on the question of Palestine was held at Geneva from 20 to 22 August 1984 with the participation of 102 organizations and 26 panelists. The Committee noted with appreciation the resolution adopted ~t the meeting, which is annexed to the pres~~nt report (see annex V). 132. The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People was duly observed by the United Nations on 29 November 1983 at its Headquarters in New York and at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The Committee noted with appreciation that the day had been equally commemorated in many capitals in 1983. -20- V. ACTION TAKEN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 38/58 E 133. By reso1ution 38/58 E of 13 December 1983, the General Assemb1y requested the Depa~tment of Public Information of the Secretariat, in full co-operation and co-crdtnat Ion with the Conunittee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Pa1elstinian People, to: (a) disseminate a11 information on the activities of the United Nations system re1ating to Palestine; (b) expand publications and audiovisua1 coverage of the facts and deve10pments pertaining to the question of Palestine; (c) pub1ish news1etters and articles in its relevant publications on Israe1i violations of the human rights of the Arab inhabitants of the occupied territories, and organize fact-finding missions to the area for journa1ists; (d) organize regiona1 encount~rs for journa1ists; (e) disseminate appropriate information on the resu1ts of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine. 134. The Committee noted with appreciation that the Department of Public Information continued to disseminate information on the activities re1ating to Palestine within the United Nations system through articles, press re1eases, news1etters and pamphlets. In particu1ar, that Department had issued a news1etter in Arabie, Eng1ish, French and Spanish covering the content and outcome of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine. 135. Another pamphlet containing the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the Conference, as wel1 as information on attendance and the texts of relevant reso1utions adopted subsequently at the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly, had been issued in all the official languages of the united Nations. In addition, the UN Chronic1e reported extensively on the consideration given to the question of Palestine by the General Assemb1y at its thirty-eighth session. 136. Further coverage of the Palestine question was presented in radio news programmes which were broadcast in the official languages of the Unite~ Nations and in many other languages. The question of Palestine was a1so the subject of special feature programmes. 137. A fact-finding news mission to the Middle East was also organized. A team of 10 prominent journa1ists and media representatives from around the wor1d visited Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic from 23 April to 11 May 1984. 138. The purpose of the mission was to provide an opportunity for members of the team to acquaint themse1ves with first-hand and in-depth information regarding the various aspects of the Palestinian question. The mission received extensive media coverage i~ al1 the countries it visited and participants published numerous articles on their return to their home countries. 139. The Committee noted with appreciation that the first in a series of regional journalists' encounters on the question of Palestine was held at Vienna, Austria, from 4 te 7 June 1984. The objective of the encounter was to promote a better understanding of the question among leaders of the media by bringing them together with experts on the subject for brief, informal discussions. 140. According1y, 17 high-1eve1 European journa1ists from the press, radio and television media participated in the encounter. The journalists were impressed by -21- the high calibre of the panelists and by the informaI and candid character of the presentations made. It was their belief that the encounter, which they found useful, informative and interesting, had qreatly increased their knowledge of the subject. A simi1ar encounter for African journaliste was he1d at Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, fro. 28 to 31 August 1984. 141. The United Nations information centres throughout the wor1d held activities in connection with the observance of Solidarity Day. The centres continued to make available to the public Department of Public Information publications on the question of Palestine as weIl a8 publications prepared for, and under the guidance of, the Committee. 142. In addition, the Department of Public Information continued to screen the filma entitled ·Palestinian people do have rights· and ·Palestinians of 1983· in information centres. More than 100 copies of the films have been distributed in four languages to aIl information centres and offices of the United Nations Development Programme. -22- VI. ACTION TAIOEN BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ACCORDA~ WITH PARAGRAPHS 5, 6, 7 AND 8 OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION 38/58 C 143. Paragraph 5 of the Geneva Declaration on palestine, y endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 38/58 C, recommended that an International Peace Conference on the Middle East be convened on the basis of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant resolutions of the united Nations, with the aim of achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, an essential element of which would be the establishment of an independent palestinian State in Palestine · 144. Accordingly, the 8ecretary-General was requested, in consultation with the securi ty Counc il, urgently to convene the Conference. General Assembly resolution 38/58 C invited the Security COuncil to facilitate the organization of the Conference and also requested the secretary-General to report on ru s efforts no later than 15 March 1984. I t was further decided that the report of the SecretarY-General on the subject would be considered by the General Assembly at its thirty-ninth session. 145. The Committee noted that, in his interim report of 13 March 1984 (A/39/130-S/l6409), the Secretary-General reviewed action taken regarding the proposed Conference, including a letter addressed by him on 9 March 1984 to the 15 members of the Security COuncil, as weIl as to those Governments which were directly involved in the Ara~Israeli conflict but were not members of the security Council, and to the PLO. 146. The committee further noted that replies to the secretary-General's letter of 9 March 1984 had been received from the Governments concerned and from the PLO. 11/ 147. O'l 4 May 1984, in a letter addressed to the secretary-General (A/39/234-S/l653l), the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people conveyed the Committee's appreciation for the contacts which the secretarY-General had initiated on the convening of an International Peace conference on the Middle East. 148. In the course of his letter, the Chairman stressed the substantive significance of the support given to the recommendations of the Cmnmittee. The recommendations had been formulated free from the pressure of eveûts and, on the basis of consensus, they not only respected aIl previous decisions of the United Nations, but also went further by prescribing a comprehensive formula for a peaceful and fair solution. 149. Although those recommendations had yet to be acted upon, mainly because the protagonists themselvas had adhered to positions which made it difficult to reach agreement on fundamental principles, they now had gained quasi-universal acceptance, especially as recently amplified by the International COnference on the Question of Palestine held at Geneva in August and september 1983. 150. The Chairman said that a new, resolute approach to the problem was necessary, am such was the pur po se of the proposed Conference calIed for in General .lI.ssembly resolution 38/58 C. -23- 151. On behalf of the COmmittee, he expressed the belief that the Conference would represent an important and overdue step forward, and he urged co-operation by aIl concerned so as to ensure a positive outcome in the common interest. 152. The Committee further noted that in his additional report (A/39/13G/Add.I-S/16409/Add.I), the Secretary-General stated that, from the replies he had receiv~d and the discussions he had held with the Governments and authorities concerned, it was evident that the convening of the proposed Conference would require, in the first place, the agreement in principle of the parties directly concerned, aS weIl as the United States of America and the Union of Soviet SOcia1ist Republics to participate in the Conference. The Secretary-General also stated that it was clear from the replies of the Governments of Israel and the United States that they were not prepared to participate in the proposed Conference · 153. The Cornmittee noted that the Secretary-General would continue to follow the questions closely and to keep Member States informed of further developments. 154. The Committee nevertheless expressed regret over the negatîve ~ttitude of Israel and the United States and decided to maintain its efforts for the earlier convening of its proposed Conference, while urging the understanding and co-operation of aIl concerned for the resolution of a problem fundamental to the maintenance of international peace and security, and involving a clear case of the application of the inalienable rights of the Pàlestinian people to selfdetermination. -24- VII. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE 155. The Committee is increasingly convinced that positive action by the Security Council to act on the Committee's recommendations would advance prospects for a, just and lasting peace in the Middle EastJ it recalls that those recommendations are solidly founded on fundamental and internationally-recognized principles relating to the problem of Palestine, the core of the conflict. 156. The Committee, therefore, once more unanimously reiterates the validity of the recommendations and annexes them to the present report (annex I). It also recommends that the General Assembly should aga in renew its urging of the Secu~ity Council to take positive and overdue action on those recommendations. 157. The Committee also reaffirms the vali3ity of the recommendations adopted by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, he Id at Geneva in August and September 1983, which are annexed to the present report (see annex II). 158. The Committee believes that it should consolidate its efforts to increase awareness and understanding of its recommendations, which are specifically designed to enable the Palestinian people to attain its inalienable rights, as weIl as to achieve peace in the Middle East, with due regard for ~he concerns of aIl the parties to the conflict in the region. In tnis connection, it is encouraged by the better understanding of those recommendations which is now increasingly evident in aIl regions of the world. 159. The Committee feels that, at this critica1 juncture, a concentrated effort to find a just solution to the question of Palestine and to end the unacceptable plight of the Palestinian people is long overdue. 160. The Committee is convinced that the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, recommended by the General Conference and endorsed in General Assembly res01ution 38/58 C, will provide an opportunity for aIl parties concerned to participate in negotiations which should lead to a just solution of the problem. The Committee, therefore, strong1y recommends that international action should henceforth concentrate on the preparations necessary for the convening of this Conference and contribute to its successful and peaceful outcome. Notes !I The Committee is composed of the following members: Afgha~istan, Cuba, Cyprus, German Democratie Republic, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratie Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and Yugoslavia. ~ Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-first Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/31/35). 11 Ibid., Thirty-second Session, Supplement No. 35 {A/32/35)J ibid., Thirty-third Session, Supplement No. 35 {A/33/35 and Corr.l)J ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 35 {A/34/35 and Corr.l)J ibid., Thirty-fiftb Session, Supplement No. 35 {A/35/35 and COrr.l)J ibid., Thirty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 35 {A/36/35)J ibid., Thirty-seventh Session, SUpplement No. 35 {A/37/35 and Corr. l)J and ibid., Thirty-eighth Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/38/35). -25- NOtes (continued) il Report of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, Geneva, 29 August-7 September 1983 (united Nations publication, sales No. E.83.I.2l), chap. l, sect. A. Y' Ibid., ehap , l, sect. B. !I The observers of the Committee are as follows~ Algeria, Czechoslovakia, Ecuador, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mauritania, Morocco, Nicaragua, Niger, Syrian Arab Republic, united Arab Emirates, Viet Nam, League of Arab States, Organization of the Islamic Conference and Palestine Liberation Organization. y Current membership of the w:>rking Group is as fol1ows~ Malta (Chairman), Afghanistan, Cuba, German Democrat ic Republic, Guinea, Guyana, India (alternate Chairman), Pakistan, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey, ukrainian Soviet. Socialist Republic and, as representative of the people directly con~erned, the Palestine Liharation organization. !I United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973, p. 28i 21 Official Records of the General ASsernbly, Thirty-eighth supplement No. 35 (A/38/35). !2.:.....! (S/1984/l4-E/CN.4/1984/77), 11/ documents~ ilion, 10/ See Official Recualy that the text of the state_nt ehould be annexed to the report. 59. At the cloaing sesaion, Mr. Farouq Qaddoumi thanked the participants for the concern ahawn and aolidarity expresaed for the plight of the Palestinian people and the valuable contribution they had made to advance further the search for a aolution of the problem. 60. The Se.inar concluded its work with the expressions of appreciation to the Government of Tunisia for the gracious welcome and hospitality extended to the participants and for the facilities provided, which had contributed to the success of the Seminar. -48- Appendix Closing message from Chairman Yasser Arafat 1. On the conclusion of the ninth United Nations Seminar on the Question of Palestine, l have pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of our Palestinian Arab people and my fellow members of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, my warmest revolutionary greetings as an expression of our great appreciation for the honourable stand that you have taken and for the diligent endeavours that you have made in preparing the papers, in examining t~e facts of the question of Palestine and the injustice that has befal1en our peo~le, and in the serious discussions which have characterized the meetings of this Seminar. 2. Having closely followed the work of the Seminar, it is with great appreciation that we have observed the profundity of the studies submitted, the manifestly earnest manner in which the meetings have been conducted, and the evident des ire of the distinguished participants to ensure the triumph of truth and to dispel the confusion and misrepresentation surrounding the terrible injustice to which our Palestinian Arab people have been subjected through the~r expulsion from their homeland in 1948, the 10ss of their national identity, and the denial of their Inalienable rights to their national territory. In this connection, we must express our high esteem for the painstaking efforts made by the authors of the papers submitted. We must also emphasize the important role that the European and African parliamentarians participating in this Seminar can play within their national parliaments in support of the established rights of the Palestinian people to its national territory by encouraging their colleagues and Governments to promote the Palestinian cause by explaining the justice of that cause and by clearly advocating the right of the Palestinian people to return to its land, to the exercise of self-determination and to the establishment of its independent national State. 3. We also wish to reiterate in this forum the commitment of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the resolutions of the united Nations and our sincere hope that international legitimacy will play a more effective role in the achievement of a solution to the question of Palestine and in the restoration of peace in the region of the Middle East. We condemn all of the attempts that are being made to obstruct the role of the United Nations and to detract from the prestige and effectiveness of that organization since we are well aware of the grave dangers that those counter-productive actions entail for peace and security not only within our region but througho~~ the world as a whole. 4. Our struggling people are still suffering the disastrous consequences of the successive wars that the Zionist enemy has launched against them and in which use has been made of the most modern devices for mass slaughter and destruction produced by the American military arsenal. Our people are also being subjected to the most odious forms of repcession and persecution within occupied Palestine whose Islamic and Christian holy places are being desecrated. Attempts are being made to change the demographic and historical character of the city of Jerusalem, and the Government of the enemy is supporting terrorist groups by providing them with funds and weapons, thereby encouraging them to launch attacks against the Palestinian Arab population with a view to driving the~ from their homes and expropriating their lands and water resources in order to establish Zionist settlements. Furthermore, our people outside occupied P&lestine are suffering from the bitter -49- tor. .nt experienced by displaced refugees living in camps and other places of exile and froe the anguish of being unabl~ to return to their homeland. Notwithstanding these sufferings, however, and also a& a result thereof, our people are yearLing for the achievement of r~ace in Palestine, the land of peace, through the establishment of their independent Palestinian state so thAt they can contribute to the enhancement of human civilization and use their scientific abilities and creative human capacities to play their natural role in promoting the prosperity and happiness of the human race on this planet. S. TheBe n~ble aspirations of our people cannot he realized, nor can peace and stability he achieved in our region, unless the American Administration and the Government of Israel renounce their policy of aggression and recognize our people's inalienable national rights, including their right of returr., their right to selfdeteraination, and their right ta the establishment of the!r independe~t national State. Oonsequently, we believe that the convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East, under the auspices of the United Nations, is the only way to secure the triumph of international legitimacy, to safeguard the established rights of our people, and to ensure security, peace and stability in our reg ion. 6. We ncw calI upon you, my dear friends, to use your high standing and influencQ with the peoples and Governments of your countries to give increased momentum to the peaceful endeavours and initiatives that are heing made in favour of the established national rights of our people. 7. In conclusion, 1 reiterate my gratitude and appreciation for your noble endeavours in support of the just Palestinian cause and wish you every success. Revolution until Victory -50- ANNEX IV North American Non-governmental Orgahization symposium on the Question of Palestine (United Nations Headquarters, New York, 25-27 June 1984) The North American Declaration 1. We wish to thank the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for Palestinian Rights for making this meeting possible. 2. As non-governmental organizations (NGOs), we are particularly grateful to the united Nations for the creation of an NGO liaison staff function and for the provisiûn of annual NGO meetings · . 3. We, the representativesof 60 NGOs represented at the North American NGO Symposium on the Question of Palestine, he Id from 25 to 27 June 1984 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, calI upon the peoples and Governments of the United States and Canada to take definitive steps to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict, the core of which is the question of Palestine. 4. We wish to voice our support for the United Nations, especially its work to achieve a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine through the implementation of relevant resolutions. 5. We are of the opinion that there exists an international consensus on the elements of such a peace which is reflected in the relevant resolutions and documents of the United Nations and the positions of the majority of the States Members of the United Nations as expressed in the 1983 Geneva Declaration on Palestine (see annex II above). 6. Recent polIs have shawn that this international consensus is paralleled by an emerging consenRUS among the peoples of Canada and the United States of America for such a just peace. The paoples of our two nations are increasingly recognizing that Palestinians, like Israelis, constitute a nation and ar~ endowed with an inalienable right to national self-determination and statehood within historie palestine. This rignt means the right to return to Palestine, the right to be represented by their chosen representatives, the Palestine Liberation Organizatior(PLO), and the right to live securely in peace with aIl the neighbouring States, including Is~ael. 7. We believe that it is imperative that steps toward3 peace be taken immediately, since the de facto annexation of the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and Gaza by the Government of Israel is proceeding rapidly and threatens to dsstroy the possibility of a peace based on the mutual recognition of the rights of palestinians, as weIl as Israelis, to national self-determination. We calI upon the Government of the united States to declare unequivocally that the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War !I applies to aIl ter ci tories occupied by Israel in and aftar 1967 and to secure Israeli compliance with the Convention, as the United States is required to do by the terms -51- of the Convention. We are aware that the United states Government and, consequently, the American taxpayer, give more United states aid to Israel than to any other country. Much of it is in the form of grants which do not need to be repaid. This money permits Israel illegally to build and expand existing settlements. 8. It is our belief that all the parties to the conflict should come together in an international peace conference on the Middle East, as called for by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine of August 1983 and as endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 38/58 C. It is esaential that the conference be inclusive and be attended by representatives of Israel and the Palestinians, the PLO, those Arab States parties to the conflict, the United States and the SOviet Union. Just as General Assembly resolution 181 (II) of November 1947 recognized the right of both peoples to self-determination and statehood, so now should the States Members of the General Assembly reiterate these principles as the basis for a negotiated peace under the auspices of the United Nations. 9. With the intent to further this goal of a just and lasting peace, we, representatives of non-govermental organizations, will work towards the following, and urge our respective Governments of Canada and the United States to take similar actiom (a) CalI upon the Governments of Canada and the United States for the recognition of the right and just struggle of the Palestinian people under their sole and legitimate representative, the PLO, ~n (b) Promote the Palestinian rigbt of self-determination and the convening of international peace conference under the auspices of the United Nations, s~pansion (c) Work towards an immediate freeze on the construction and Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, of (d) Promote the reduction of militarization of this highly volatile re9ion, by refraining from supplying weapons and other means of war. The threat of a third world war and the possibility of a nuclear disaster cause great concern, (e) Take concrete steps to preserve and protect the human rights of all persons living in Israel and in aIl territories occupied by Israel, (f) Provide protection and assistance to Palestinians who are victime of dispossession and oppression, particularly women and childrenJ (g) Ensure academic freedom and freedom of cultural expression in the occupied Palestinian and other Arab terri tories, including Jerusalem, with particular attention to the function of universities in these areasJ (h) Urge meetings between religious groups, women1s organizations, labour unions, peace groups, human rights groups and other NGOs with their Israeli and Palestinian counterpartsJ (i) Facilitate trialogue among North American Muslims, Christians and Jews concerning the moral and theological basis for a lasting peace in the Middle EastJ -52- (j) Encourage meetings between Palestinians and progressive Jewish peace forces within and outside Israel in the hopes of furthering peace and mutual understandingJ (k) Work towards the elimination of discriminatory restrictions on visas fOI Palestinian leaders to visit the United States and CAnada, since such communications among Palestinians, progressive Israelis and the public of the United States and CAnada are ingredients in a peaceful resolution of the conflictJ (1) Urge that all American and CAnadian NGOs working for peace with justice in the Middle East be accorded the full protection of their rights to freed~m of expression and association without fear of surveillance, interception of mail, surreptitious entry, or harassment by the Governments of the united States or Canada, in the light of the deplorable Security Bill recently passed by the Bouse of Commons in CAnada and the various proposed "anti-terrorist" bills presently posing serious threats to the civil liberties and rights of Canadians and Americans working in support of various human rights strugglesJ (m) Work to initiate, particularly among North American women's organizationR, a co-ordinated campaign of support on behalf of Pal~stinian wornen at present imprisoned and under town and house arrest because of their social and political activitiesJ (n) Urge NGOs to raise the issue of the Inalienable rights of the Palestinian PeOple in the course of the upcoming electoral campaigns in the United States and CanadaJ (0) Urge that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) continue to provide its services Palestiniens without any decrease or dimunition. Cognizant 9f its the United Nations to re-evaluate and update the UNRWA regulations families and women receive aide Further, we urge that Governments financial support of UNRWAJ Palestinian to the mandate, we urge as to which increase tbeir (p) Promote the dissemination of the speech made by Chairman Yasser Arafat at the International Conference on the Question of Palestine in September 1983. 10. We urge the United Nations tOI (a) Include, in the mandate of the NGO liaison function of the Division for Palestinian Rights, work on the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women, to be held at Nairobi, 1985. This should facilitate inclusion and full participation of Palestinian wornen in thet ConferenceJ (b) Assist the North American NGO community in the establishment of a clearinghouse for information on the question of PalestineJ (c) Continue the development of a bimonthly North American calendar of NGO activities and facilitate its wide disseminationJ (d) Produce a comprehensive directory of all NGO organizations working on this issue, including those that have not p~rticipated in AnY United Nations acUvi Ues J -53- C.) CO-ordinate the development of a guide to resources, ·how to· expertise and action-ori.nted networking, including the development of a telephone tree for th. ~nicatlon of urgent information. 11. w. in turn will create ways for better communication among ourselves and for di····ination of our collective reaources, hoping that the formation of North Aaerican public opinion can he a joint NGO/United Nations venture. 12. Me urge the pub1iC4tion of the proceedings of this symposium, including the North Aaerican Declaration and the etatements of the panelists, by the United Nation·· 13. w. urge the Chairaan of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Right. of the Pa1e.tinian People to convey this resolution to the General Assembly at it. thirty-ninth 8e88ion as part of the Committee's report. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973, p. 287. -54- ANNEX V International Meeting of Non-governmental Organizations on the Question of Palestine (Geneva, 20-22 August 1984) Resolution of non-governmental organizations 1. We wish to thank the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for Palestinian Rights for making this meeting possible and without whose invaluable assistance our success would have been impaired. 2. As non-governmental organizations (NGOs) we are particularly grateful to the United Nations for the creation of an NGO liaison staff function and for the provision of annual NGO meetings and symposia on the question of Palestine. 3. con~equence We consider that the meeting of so many non-governmental organizations as a of United Nations resolution 38/58 C of 13 December 1983 is essential to the increase of international awareness of the question of Palestine. 4. We, the representatives of 98 NGOs represented at the International NGO Meeting on the Question of Palestine, held from 20 to 22 August 1984 at the United Nations Office at Geneva, calI upon aIl the peoples and aIl the Governments to take definitive steps to secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict, the core of which is the question of Palestine. 5. We wish to voice our support for the United Nations, especially its work to achieve a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine through the Implementation of aIl relevant United Nations resolutions. 6. We express our concern for the lack of protection of the Palestinian refugees through a United Nations agency, and urge the General Assembly to extend the mandate to the United Nations 8igh Commissioner for Refugees to include Palestinian refugees. 7. We reaffirm our support and our commitment to work for the Implementation of the 1983 Geneva Declaration on Palestine and the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights. 8. We decide to establish an interim Co-ordinating Committee on Palestine for NGOs as a positive development to further liaison between NGOs and the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People through the Division for Palestinian R1ghts. The names of the organizations on the Interim Co-ordinating Committee are attached.!I He request the Committee to ensure that at next year's conference a session shall be devotcd to enabling the NGOs to decide on the future structures for their co-operation with the Committee and the Division. 9. Since the United Nations has set aside 29 November each year as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, we calI upon aIl NGOs te express on that day, by aIl means available to them, solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-àetermination and statehood. -55- 10. We calI on the Committee through the Division to disseminate the pub1icity material, posters and information to aIl NGOs well in advance of 29 November to ensure that the preparation of our activities can be conc1uded by september each year. 11. Non-governmental organizations have decided to launch a campaign to collect signatures from the peoples of the world in support of an international peace conference on the Middle East, as called for by the International Conference on the Question of Palestine of August and September 1983 and as endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 38/58 C. It is essential that the conference be inclusive and be attended by the representatives of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, those Arab States parties to the conflict, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Just as General Assemb1y resolutions recogni~e the right of both peoples to self-determination and statehood, so now should the States Members of the General Assembly reiterate these princip1es as the basis for a negotiated peace under the auspices of the United Nations. 12. Non-governmental organizations accept responsibility to promote within their own countries support for this international conference and Agree to raise this with their own Governments. 13. We call upon the Committee, through the Division, to assist tâe non-governmental organizations in this most i~portant endeavour by providing administrative facilities and support in order to ensure the success of this petition, which will be launched on 29 November 1984 culminating on 29 November 1985 and then will be presented to all the parties involved. 14. We call upon the Oommittee through the Division to campaign actively in order to bring new organizations, especially from those areas of the world that were not represented at Geneva into the trork of solidarity in support of the Palestinian people and into the family of NGOs. 15. We call upo~ the COmmittee, through the Division, further to strengthen the network of women working for a just, comprehensi~e and lasting peace in the Middle East. We calI for a wide exchange of information, including with the representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization (General Union of Palestinian Women), with special focus on the situation of Palestinian women i~ preparation for the NGO forum in Nairobi in 1985. 16. We call upon the committee, through the Division, to facilitate co-operation and co-ordination of NGOs on a regiona1 basis. NGOs from the EEC region have envisaged during this conference an organization in the near future. 17. Non-governmental organizations regard as a priority the publication and early distribution of a comprehensive report including al1 the recommendations for action made by the panelists and the participants at the International NGO Meeting on the Question of Pale~tine, held at Geneva from 20 to 22 August 1984, and we call upon the Committee, through the Division, to accept this responsibility. Such a report should he made available no 1ater than 30 October 1984. 18. We call upon the Oommittee, through the Division, to provide the international HGO coemunity vith a clearinghouse for inf~rmation on the question of Palestine. -56- 19. We calI upon the Committee, through the Division, to provide a comprehensive resource guide and directory of aIl NGOs working on this issue, including thooe that have not participated in any United Nations activities. 20. We calI upon the Committee, thrc~gh the Division, to expand the bulletin of the United Nations Division for Palestinian Rights to include a regular section on NGO activity and information. 21. We calI upon the Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to convey the resolution and report of the International NGO Meeting on the Question of Palestine, helà at Geneva from 20 to 22 August 1984, to the Genergl Assembly at its thirty~üinth session as part of the Committee's report. Notes ~ The following organizations are members of the interim Co-ordinating Committee: Israeli Council foc Israeli-Palestinian Peace (Israel); Democratie Front for Peace and Equality (Israel); Law in the Service of Man ('l'lest Bank); Palestine Human Rights Campaign (United States oi America); National Council of Churches of Christ (United States of America); Trade Union Friends of Palestine (United Kingdom); French NGO Committee (France); Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity Cornrnittee in Association with SOviet Committee of Friendship and Solidarity with the Arab People of Palestine (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics); International Je~ish Peace Union; parliarnentary Association for Euro-Arab Co-operation; Arab Lawyers Union; Middle East Council of Churches in Collaboration with the World Council of Churches; World YWCA; International Commission of Jurists; World Peace Council. 84-23434 4357e (E) -57- ·.-:JI r'~l ..:"I.J~ ~ J".....JI ~ '4 Jol.;; ,;JI ~14J" ~ rJ-:-1 · r'1.l1 '\,,;I r.-'; e-).,-lIJJoJ .:.1.,:(.11 4J" ;.-:.)11'"':/1,:,1;.,:..:. ~ J...-JI ;,f...,. ·.~ .; JI !JJ7.J-! .; e::J1 r->' ;.-:.JI 1'"':/1 , JI .,.:lI Ji tofiJll:lnaftlilltlilï:rtJ .frlJlllllli~ll:~lt"~b~I6f1U~.ll:~:ff~.o ~taJ~T,!i~(iiJi&~l1ff!tH!~i&8J1i1Uf.J~*OOilll"llo HQWTO OBTAIN UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATIONS United Nations publicationsmay he obtained from bookstores and distributors throughout the world. 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