6/12/2002
By Series Of Resolutions, General Assembly Urges Aid To Palestinians, Support For Peace

Following its annual debate on the question of Palestine and the situation in the Middle East, the United Nations General Assembly this week adopted by overwhelming majorities a series of resolutions focusing on the plight of the Palestinian people as well as the world body's work programme for the region.

By the terms of a resolution on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, States were urged to expedite aid to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority during this critical period. The resolution also called on the concerned sides, the diplomatic Quartet - comprising the UN, European Union, Russian Federation and United States - and other interested parties to exert all efforts and initiatives necessary to halt the deterioration of the situation and to reverse all measures taken on the ground since 28 September 2000.

A resolution on Jerusalem deplored the transfer by some States of their diplomatic missions to that city in violation of Security Council resolution 478, and called on those countries to abide by the provisions of the relevant UN resolutions. The Assembly also stressed that a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of the City of Jerusalem should take into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, and should include internationally guaranteed provisions to ensure the freedom of religion and of conscience of its inhabitants, as well as permanent, free and unhindered access to holy places by the people of all religions and nationalities.

By another text, the Assembly demanded that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967, in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. The text also determined that the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constituted a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region. In addition, the Assembly called on Israel to resume talks on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks, and to respect the commitments and undertakings reached during previous talks.

A separate resolution called for the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to continue promoting the realization of those rights, to support the Middle East peace process and to mobilize international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people.

Another text on the special information programme on the question of Palestine of the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) asked for continued dissemination of information on all UN activities relating to the question of Palestine, and the organization and promotion of fact-finding news missions for journalists to the area, including the territory under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority and the occupied territory.

In adopting a resolution on the UN Secretariat's Division for Palestinian Rights, the Assembly asked Secretary-General Kofi Annan to continue to provide the Division with the necessary resources and to ensure that it continues to carry out its work.