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53rd Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 71st Session
Upon the recommendation of its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), the General Assembly adopted 35 resolutions and 2 decisions today, on issues including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and decolonization.
Taking up Israeli-Palestinian issues, the Assembly adopted nine draft resolutions, all by recorded vote. Taking up a draft titled “Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)”, it adopted that text by a recorded vote of 167 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, United States), with 5 abstentions (Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Nauru, Paraguay, South Sudan).
By that draft, the General Assembly urged the international community to provide or increase their contributions to UNRWA in order to address its serious financial constraints. It also requested that the Secretary-General facilitate broad consultations with Member States, notably host countries, international financial institutions and other donors, to explore all ways and means, including voluntary and assessed contributions, to ensure sufficient, predictable and sustained funding for the duration of the Agency’s mandate.
The Assembly narrowly adopted — by a recorded vote of 91 in favour to 11 against, with 73 abstentions — a draft titled “Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories”. By that text, the Assembly noted with deep regret the onset of the fiftieth year of Israel’s occupation. It expressed grave concern over the critical situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a result of unlawful Israeli practices and measures. The Assembly condemned all illegal settlements, called for the lifting of Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip, and for an end to its indiscriminate use of force and military operations against the civilian population.
Turning to decolonization questions, the Assembly adopted 21 draft resolutions and one draft decision. Taking up a draft titled “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations”, the Assembly adopted it by a recorded vote of 125 in favour to none against, with 55 abstentions. According to that text, the Assembly urged those and other United Nations entities to provide moral and material assistance, as needed, to the peoples of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
By recorded vote, the Assembly also adopted drafts on assistance to Palestine refugees; persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities; Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues; Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan; Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; as well as a resolution on the occupied Syrian Golan. It also adopted a text on the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other occupied Arab territories.
The Assembly went on to adopt, also by recorded vote, draft resolution on information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73(e) of the United Nations Charter; economic and other activities affecting the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories; and dissemination of information on decolonization. It further adopted, by recorded vote, texts relating to implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by specialized agencies and international institutions associated with the United Nations, as well as to implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.
Closely following the Fourth Committee’s recommendations, the Assembly also adopted, without a vote, a series of annual texts relating to the decolonization of specific Non-Self-Governing Territories. They included drafts affirming the right to self-determination for the peoples of Western Sahara, Tokelau, American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guam, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands, New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
Also without a vote, the Assembly adopted drafts relating to special political missions, atomic radiation, outer space affairs and offers by Member States of study and training facilities for inhabitants of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
It took note of a report on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, and another on the programme planning for the Fourth Committee.
Acting without a vote, the Assembly adopted two decisions, one relating to the question of Gibraltar and the other to the revitalization of its own work.
Presenting Fourth Committee reports for the Assembly’s consideration was that body’s Rapporteur.
The General Assembly will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 7 December, to consider draft resolutions relating to oceans and the law of the sea, as well as sustainable fisheries.