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G e n e r a lA sse mb l y Sixty-First Session Fourth Committee U N I T E DN A T ION S Report of the SpecialCommitteeto InvestigateIsraeli Practices Affectingthe H u m a n R i g h tso f th e P a l e sti nian Peopleand Other Ar abs of the Occupied Territories

S ta te me nton behalfof the Eur opean Union M r . Taisto Huimasalo Am bassador P e rma n e n tMi s sion Finland to the United Nations of N e w Yor k, 7 November2006

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') M r . C ha i rma n , I h a v e t h e h o n o u r to sp e a k o n behalfof the Eur opean Union. T h e Ac ce d i n gC o u n tri e sB u l g ar iaand Romania, the Candidate Countr ies Tur k ey , C r o a t i a * a n d th e fo rme r Y u g oslavRepublic M acedonia*, of the Countr ies the of S t a b i l i sa ti o n n d A sso ci a ti o n ocess a Pr and potentialcandidates Albania,Bos ni aand H e r z e g ovi n a Mo n te n e g ro n d the EFTAcountr y Liechtenstein, , a member of t he Eu r o p e a nE co n o mi c re a , a s well as the Republic M oldovaalign themsel v esw i th A of t h i s d e cl a ra ti o n . x ) C r o a ti aa n d th e fo rme r Y u goslavRepublic of M acedonia continueto be par t of pr t h e St a bi l i sa ti o n n d A sso ci a tion ocess. a Mr Chairman, The EuropeanUnion reaffirms that it remains committed to the two-State solution, a s l a i d ou t i n th e R o a d ma pa n d agr eedbetweenthe par ties,which would r e s ul t i n a v i a b l e , co n ti g u o u s, ve re i gnand independent so Palestinian state existings i de by s i d e w i t h Isra e l i n p e a cea n d secur ity.W e r ecallthe established positionthat EU t h e U n i o n w i l l n o t re co g n i se ny changeto the pr e- 1967 bor der sother than thos e a arrived at by agreement between the parties. T h e E u r o p e a nU n i o n u n d e rl i n es that ther e is an ur gent need to make pr ogr es s towards a comprehensivesettlement to the Arab-Israeliconflict, based on r e l e v a n tS e cu ri tyC o u n ci lre so lutions, the Roadm apand the euar tet for m ula,and with a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflictat its core. T h e r e s e e ms to b e a co n se n sus within the inter national com m unityfor an ur gent need to work together to move forward on the path to peace. Mr. Chairman, T h e E u r op e a nU n i o n re ma i n sdeeply concer ned the continuedIsr aeliope r ati on at i n t h e Pa l e sti n i a n rri to ri e sa nd deplor esthe loss of civilianlife it has br ought.It te c a l l so n th e P a l e sti n i a ne a d e rship br ing an end to violenceand ter r or ist l to activities,includingthe firing of rockets on Israeli territory. The EU recognises Israel's legitimate right to self-defence,but it urges Israel to exerciseutmost restraint and not to resort to disproportionate action. We also reiterate our call on Israel to refrain from extra-judicialkillings,which are contrary to the international l a w a n d un d e rmi n eth e co n ce ptof the r ule of law. T h e E u r op e a nU n i 6 no n ce a g a in r eiter atesits call for the im m ediateand u n c o n d iti o n are l e a seo f th e a bductedIsr aelisoldier .W e also r epeatour call for l t h e i m m ed i a tere l e a seo f P a l e stinian inister s M and legislator s Isr aelicustody . in The EU voices its serious concern about the administrativedetentionspracticedby I s r a e l . We a re p a rti cu l a rl y n c er ned co that detainees e not pr om pgy infor medol ar t h e r e a s o no f th e i r d e te n ti o n . Mr. Chairman,

T h e E u r op e a nU n i o na ckn o w l edges Advisor yOpinionof the Inter nation al the C o u r t o f J u sti ceo n th e L e g a lC onsequences the Constr uction a W all in the of of OccupiedPalestinian Territory. We reiterate our demand that Israel stop and r e v e r s et h e co n stru cti o n f th e separ ationbar r ier in the OccupiedPalestini an o T e r r i t o r y , i n cl u d i n gi n a n d a ro und Jer usalem, which is in depar tur eof the Armistice Line of L949 and is in contradictionto relevant provisionsof International Law. Furthermoreit could prejudge final borders of a future Pa l e s t i n i a n ta te . S T h e E u r op e a nU n i o n u rg e s th e Isr aeligover nm entto ceaseall activitiesin the P a l e s t i n i a n rri to ri e s,i n cl u d i ngsettlem entbuilding,the constr uction the te of s e p a r a t i o nb a rri e r a s w e l l a s th e demolitionof Palestinian hom es, which ar e contrary to internationallaw and threaten the territorial contiquity of a future Pa l e s t i n i a n te . T h e E U i s p a rticular ly sta concer nedabout the im plementation of p o li ci e si n a n d a ro u n d E astJer usalem. these The EU callson the Isr aeli g o v e r n me n tto ce a sea l l d i scri minator y eatm ent of Palestinians East tr in J e r u s a l em, sp e ci a l l y n ce rn ing e co wor k per m its,accessto educationand hea l th s e r v i c e s,b u i l d i n gp e rmi ts,h o u se demolitions, taxation and expenditur e. T h e Eu r op e a nU n i o n re ca l l sth e utmost impor tanceof the full im plementation of t h e Ag r e e me n to n Mo ve me n ta nd Access, and callson Isr ael to facilitate the d e l i v e r yo f h u ma n i ta ri a n ssi stance, par ticularin Gaza.The per manent a in r e o p e n i n go f R a fa h ,w h i ch co u ld be follqwedby the openingof Kar ni and other c r o s s i n g s, a s a p a rti cu l a rp ri o r ity in this r espect.The Eur opeanUnionalso h reaffirms its demand for clarificationconcerningthe exact rules and procedure a p p l i e dt o E U ci ti ze n sw i sh i n gto visit Isr ael or the Palestinian r itor ies. Ter T h e Eu r op e a nU n i o n e xp re sse s suppor t to Pr esident its Abbas and callson the Palestinians join his efforts towards national unity and the formation of a to g o v e r n m e n tw i th a p o l i ti ca lp l a tfor m r eflectingthe and allow i ng Quar tet pr inciples f o r e a r l y en g a g e me n t. F i n a l l y ,t h e E u ro p e a nU n i o nre i ter atesits continuingsuppor tto Isr aeliand Palestinian efforts to advancethe peace process. T h a n ky o u , M r . C h a i r m a n .