Resolution 41/23
(December 2, 1986)
In two days, the General Assembly
voted on the series of the annual anti-Israel resolutions that were designed
to add additional resolutions condemning Israel for various acts, real or
imaginary to a growing pile of resolutions the Arab-Israel conflict. The
sponsors of these resolutions sought to impose on various countries the
adoption of a public position in 'he matter of the Arab-Israel conflict. They
ignored developments in the region. Curiously enough, many Third World
countries that voted against Israel, asked the latter to ignore their votes,
saying they carried no operative value. Yet, Israel felt that there was some
value in the stand taken by certain countries, who refused to submit to the
Arab-Third World-Communist steamrolling majority. The following six
resolutions are the typical examples of the work of the Assembly on the Middle
East. There was no reference in the General Assembly to the Iraq-Iran War or
other regional developments.
A
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 181 (II) of 29 November 1947, 194 () of 11 December 1948, 3236
(XXIX) of 22 November 1947, 3375 (XXX) and 3376 (XXX) of 10 November 1975,
31/20 of 24 November 1976, 32/40 of 2 December 1977, 33/28 of 7 December 1978,
34/65 A and B of 29 November 1979 and 34/65 C and D of 12 December 1979,
ES-7/2 of 29 July 1980,35/169 of 15 December 1980,36/120 of 10 December 1981,
ES-7/4 of 28 April 1982, ES-7/5 26 June 1982, ES-7/9 of 24 September 1982,
37/86 of 10 December 1982, 38/58 A of 13 December 1983, 39/49 A of 11 December
1984 and 40/96 A of 12 December 1985,
Having considered the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian People,
1. Expresses its appreciation
to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian
People for its efforts in performing the tasks assigned to it by the General
Assembly;
2. Endorses the
recommendations of the Committee contained in paragraphs 112 to 120 of its
report and draws the attention of the Security Council to the fact that action
on the Committee's recommendations, as repeatedly endorsed by the General
Assembly at its thirty-first session and subsequently, is still awaited;
3. Requests the Committee to
continue to keep under review the situation relating to the question of
Palestine as well as the implementation of the Programme of Action for the
Achievement of Palestinian Rights and to report and make suggestions to the
General Assembly or the Security Council, as appropriate;
4. Authorizes the Committee to
continue to exert all efforts to promote the implementation of its
recommendations, including representation at conferences and meetings and the
sending of delegations where such activities would be considered by it to be
appropriate, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-second
session and thereafter;
5. Requests the Committee to
continue to extend its co-operation to non-governmental organizations in their
contribution towards heightening international awareness of the facts relating
to the question of Palestine and in creating a more favourable atmosphere for
the full implementation of the Committee's recommendations, and to take the
necessary steps to expand its contacts with those organizations;
6. Requests the United Nations
Conciliation Commission for Palestine, established under General Assembly
resolution 194 (111), as well as other United Nations bodies associated with
the question of Palestine, to co-operate fully with the Committee and to make
available to it, at its request, the relevant information and documentation
which they have at their disposal;
7. Decides to circulate the
report of the Committee to all the competent bodies of the United Nations and
urges them to take the necessary action, as appropriate, in accordance with
the Committee's programme of implementation;
8. Requests the
Secretary-General to continue to provide the Committee with all the necessary
facilities for the performance of its tasks.
B
The General Assembly,
Having considered the
report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian people,
Taking note,
in particular, of relevant information contained in paragraphs 73 to 101 of
that report,
Recalling its resolutions 32/40 B of 2 December 1977, 33/28 of 7 December 1978, 34/65 D
of 12 December 1979, 35/169 D of 15 December 1980, 36/120 B of 10 December
1981, 37/86 B of 10 December 1982, 38/58 B of 13 December 1983, 39/49 B of 11
December 1984, and 40/96 B of 12 December 1985,
1. Takes note with
appreciation of the action taken by the Secretary-General in compliance with
General Assembly resolution 40/96 B;
2. Requests the
Secretary-General to provide the Division for Palestinian Rights of the
Secretariat with the necessary resources and to ensure that it continues to
discharge the tasks detailed in paragraphs 2 and 3 of General Assembly
resolution 40/96 B in consultation with the Committee on he Exercise of the
Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and under its guidance;
3. Also requests the
Secretary-General to ensure the continued co-operation of the Department of
Public Information and other units of the Secretariat in enabling the Division
for Palestinian Rights to perform its tasks and in covering adequately the
various aspects of the question of Palestine;
4. Invites all Governments and
organizations to lend their co-operation to the Committee on the Exercise of
the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Division for
Palestinian Rights in the performance of their tasks;
5. Takes note with
appreciation of the action taken by Member States to observe annually on 29
November the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and
the issuance by them of special postage stamps for the occasion.
C
The General Assembly,
Having considered the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the
Palestinian People,
Taking note,
in particular, of the information contained in paragraphs 102 to 111 of that
report,
Convinced that the world-wide dissemination of accurate and comprehensive information
and the role of non-governmental organizations and institutions remain of
vital importance in heightening awareness of and support for the inalienable
rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the
establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State,
1. Takes note with
appreciation of the action taken by the Department of Public Information of
the Secretariat in compliance with General Assembly resolution 40/96 C,
2. Requests the Department of
public Information, in full co-operation and co-ordination with the Committee
on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, to
continue its special information programme on the question of Palestine for
the biennium 1986-1987 and, in particular:
(a) To disseminate information
on all the activities of the United Nations system relating to the question of
Palestine;
(b) To continue to update
publications on the facts and developments pertaining to the question of
Palestine;
(c) To publish brochures and
booklets on the various aspects of the question of Palestine, including
Israeli violations of the human rights of the Arab inhabitants of the occupied
territories;
(d) To expand its audio-visual
material on the question of Palestine, including the production of a new film
in 1987 and special series of radio programmes and television broadcasts;
(e) To organize fact-finding
news missions to the area for journalists;
(f) To organize regional and
national encounters for journalists.
D
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 38/ 58 C of 13 December 1983, 39/49 D of 11 December 1984 and
40/96 D of 12 December 1985, in which it, inter alia, endorsed the call
for convening the International Peace Conference on the Middle East,
Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Security Council,
Reaffirming its resolutions 39/49 D and 40/96 D, in which it, inter alia, requested
the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Security Council, to continue
his efforts with a view to convening the Conference,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 14 March 1986, in which he, inter
alia, stated that "the obstacles which have so far prevented the
convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East as called
for by the General Assembly still exist", and his report of 29 October
1986,
Expressing its regret that, owing to the negative attitude of some Member States, the difficulties
regarding the convening of the Conference "have remained essentially the
same", and expressing its hope that those Member States will reconsider
their attitude,
Having heard the constructive statements made by numerous representatives, including that
of the Palestine Liberation Organization,
Emphasizing the need to bring about a just and comprehensive settlement to the
Arab-Israeli conflict which has persisted for nearly four decades,
Recognizing that the persistence of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East
constitutes a threat to security and stability in the region and to world
peace, and therefore directly involves the responsibility of the United
Nations,
Stressing its conviction that the convening of the Conference will constitute a major
contribution by the United Nations towards the realization of a just solution
to the question of Palestine conducive to the achievement of a comprehensive,
just and lasting solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict,
Appreciating the concern about the exacerbating situation in the Middle East as voiced in a
great many statements during the general debate at the current session and at
previous sessions,
1. Takes note with
appreciation of the reports of the Secretary-General;
2. Determines that the
question of Palestine is the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle
East;
3. Reaffirms once again its
endorsement of the call for convening the International Peace Conference on
the Middle East in conformity with the provisions of the resolution 38/58 C;
4. Stresses the urgent need
for additional concrete and constructive efforts by all Governments in order
to convene the Conference without further delay;
5. Endorses the call for
setting up a preparatory committee, within the framework of the Security
Council, with the participation of the permanent members of the Council, to
take the necessary action to convene the Conference;
6. Requests the
Secretary-General, in consultation with the Security Council, to continue his
efforts with a view to convening the Conference and to report thereon to the
General Assembly not later than 15 May 1987;
7. Decides to consider at its
forty-second session the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation
of the present resolution.
Sources: The United Nations |