Statementby

PermanentMission of the Islamic Republicof Iran

Agenda item 69: The right to self-determination T h i rd C o mmi tteeof the 62nd Session the UNGA of

New York, 7 November 2007

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, Merciful the

M r . C h a i rma n , At the outsetmy delegation would like to thankthe SpecialRapporteur on the situationof humanrights in the Palestinian territoriesfor his reportcontained in documentAl621215.As the SpecialRapporteur articulatedin the said report, the right of Palestinian peopleto self-determination cannotbe disputed.Such a right has been recognizedby all United Nations entities as well as by the internationalcommunityas a whole. However,this undisputable right has been deniedand obstructed nearly60 yearsby the occupyingpower. fbr The Resolutionadoptedby the Human Rights Council at its third special sessionexpressed concernat the gross and systematic its violations of human rights of the Palestinian people in the occupiedPalestinian Territories the by occupying Power, Israel, and calls for urgent internationalaction to put an immediate'end theseviolations,includingthoseemanating to liom the series of incessant and repeated Israeli military incursions therein. The resolution succeeded the HumanRightsCouncilresolution its first Special by in Session on 6"' of .luly 2006 which has expressed graveconcefflat the breaches Israel, its by the occupying Power, of international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinianterritories, including the arbitrary arrest of Palestinianministers, members the Palestinian of Lesislative Councilandotherofficials.aswell asthe

arbitraryarrestof other civilians.Theseoperations have beendoneregardless of fundamentalprinciples of internationalhumanitarianlaw and basic rights of pe Palestinian ople. M r . C ha i rma n , Regrettably,despite all these recommendations, Israeli regime not only continuesto defy this right, but also perpetuate massiveabuseof humanrights, extensivelyreporledby various United Nation treaty bodies including Special Rapporteurs mandated the Human Rights Council.According to the reportof by the SpecialRapporteur, the past year Israel has violated importantnorms of in internationalhumanitarianlaw and human rights law by underlakingmilitary action againstcivilian targetsand by creatinga humanitarian crisis by meansof the closure of Gaza'sexternalborders.Moreover, the constructionof the wall moves ahead and settlements continue to expand. Military incursions, accompanied arrests, by continueunabated. Housedemolitionsremain a feature of life in the West Bank and East.Ierusalem. Finally, the Israeli denial of the right to self--determination, refusal of its withdrawal from all Palestinianterritories, and continuationof settlements is indeed a manifested mockery. The fact that Palestinian territories have systematically beenoccupiedby Israeli regime obligatesthis regimeto return to the peopleof Palestine, their ancestral lands.

T h a n k yo u Mr. C h a i rma n