COMMITTEE ON EXERCISE OF INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE OPENS 2000 SESSION

Press Release
GA/PAL/816

COMMITTEE ON EXERCISE OF INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE OPENS 2000 SESSION

Secretary-General Addresses Committee; 1999 Bureau Re-elected; Programme of Work Approved

"At the outset of the millennium, we are witnessing a restoration and renewal of hope in the peace process in the Middle East", Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People this afternoon.

Speaking at the opening of the Committee's 2000 session, the Secretary-General noted that not only were the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations back on track, but they were about to enter a crucial phase. However, the situation on the ground was not without problems, and the expansion of settlements and roads had caused much anxiety among the Palestinians.

Calling on the parties to refrain from actions that might prejudice the outcome of the negotiations and to build on the fragile accomplishments of the peace process, he said it was crucial to ensure that the United Nations support for the process was well-prepared.

Ibra Deguene Ka (Senegal), Committee Chairman, also expressed hope for the Middle East peace process. He said that as the 13 February date of the signing of the framework agreement on the final status approached, the mandate of the Committee remained constant -- more timely and relevant than ever.

The observer for Palestine said that the year 2000 must be the year of an independent Palestine. A natural deadline for achieving the final settlement would be the United Nations Millennium Summit, in which -- he was sure -- Palestine would participate as a United Nations Member State. That should symbolize the end of the conflict in the Middle East. The Committee would provide all the support needed to attain that noble goal.

Also this afternoon, the Committee unanimously re-elected Mr. Ka (Senegal) as its Chairman. Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla (Cuba) and Ravan Farhadi (Afghanistan) were elected Vice-Chairmen, and Walter Balzan (Malta) was elected Rapporteur of the Committee. Statements on the elections were made by the representatives of Ukraine and Tunisia.

Also this afternoon, the Committee approved its programme of work for the year 2000, which was introduced by its Chairman. It also approved the provisional programme of work of the United Nations Asian Meeting on the Question of Palestine, which is to be held in Hanoi, Viet Nam, on 1 to 3 March this year.

The Committee will hold its next meeting at a date to be announced.

Committee Work Programme

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People met this afternoon to open its 2000 session. The Committee was expected to adopt its programme of work and elect its officers.

Election of Officers

VOLODYMYR YEL'CHENKO (Ukraine) said that the Committee's 1999 programme of work had been implemented successfully. His delegation believed that the current composition of the Bureau should be maintained to ensure the same high level of work in 2000. The continuity of the efforts of the Committee should be ensured. For that reason, he nominated Ibra Deguene Ka (Senegal) as Chairman; Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla (Cuba) and Ravan Farhadi (Afghanistan) as Vice-Chairmen; and Walter Balzan (Malta) as Rapporteur.

ALI HACHANI (Tunisia) supported the proposal by the representative of Ukraine to re- elect the 1999 Bureau.

The Committee then unanimously re-elected Mr. Ka (Senegal) as Chairman of the Committee. Mr. Rodriguez Parrilla (Cuba) and Mr. Farhadi (Afghanistan) were elected Vice-Chairmen and Mr. Balzan (Malta) was elected Rapporteur.

Statements

KOFI ANNAN, United Nations Secretary-General, said the General Assembly had marked this year -- the 2000th anniversary of Jesus Christ, a momentous event for the world and of particular significance in the Middle East -- with the adoption of the "Bethlehem 2000" resolution. The Committee had helped promote restoration and renewal of Bethlehem and other Palestinian cities and communities.

He said several encouraging developments had followed the recent signing of the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, including the further redeployment of troops from the West Bank; the agreement on prisoners; the opening of a safe passage between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; and the resumption of the negotiations on permanent status issues. He said that the November trilateral Summit in Oslo had helped the parties set up additional negotiating mechanisms, a timetable for the framework and final settlement agreements that would be concluded this year.

The situation on the ground, however, was not without problems, he said. There was much anxiety among Palestinians that the construction and expansion of settlements and roads might impact the permanent status negotiations. The Secretary-General called on the parties to refrain from actions that might prejudice the outcome of the negotiations and to build instead on the fragile accomplishments of the peace process. "I would also urge the parties not to lose sight of the need for a solution to the refugee question, without which peace and stability cannot take hold", he added.

There could be no real peace and stability without improved social and economic conditions, he said. While there had been some progress in health, education, employment opportunities, industrial development and Palestinian institution-building, much remained to be done. To that end, the United Nations would continue to contribute to those efforts through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as other entities.

He stressed the role UNRWA had played in providing much needed assistance to Palestinian refugees over the last half-century. "Despite chronic financial constraints", he said, "it remains a vital source of humanitarian assistance for more than 3 million refugees". He sincerely hoped that UNRWA would get the resources it needed to continue its mission. For their basic needs, he said, "constitute a humanitarian imperative beyond other considerations".

At this stage, it was crucial to ensure that the United Nations support for the peace process was well-prepared and that the Organization's development assistance played an effective part in that support. That was why the Secretary- General was glad to have appointed Terje Rod-Larsen of Norway as Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and as his Special Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Rod-Larsen had been closely involved in the peace process since the early stages of the Oslo negotiations, and in the critical transition period ahead, Mr. Rod-Larsen would "spare no effort in making the assistance of the United Nations more effective and more focused".

In closing, he said that for a quarter of a century, the Committee had worked steadfastly to bring the day closer when Palestinians would be able to exercise their inalienable rights. "As we enter the new millennium, it is my hope that the parties will overcome the remaining hurdles on the road to peace and that the international community will do all it can to help them on that journey", he said. He pledged that the United Nations would spare no effort in that regard.

IBRA DEGUENE KA (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee, congratulated the Bureau on their election and said that the Secretary-General's presence at today's meeting underlined the importance attached to the Committee's work.

He said that since its creation in 1975, the Committee had been very dynamic. Its membership had constantly grown over the years: it now consisted of 25 Member States and 24 Observers. Its contacts with regional and international organizations were growing stronger. However, the mandate of the Committee remained constant -- more timely and relevant than ever.

Lately, signs of hope for the Middle East peace process had emerged, with the 13 February date of the signing of the framework on the status agreements approaching. The road to peace was difficult, and it was necessary to reinforce the momentum created by the signing of the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum last September. It was also necessary to make sure that the commitments undertaken by the parties were implemented. Settlement of the outstanding issues was crucial. Among the remaining problems were the questions of refugees; future boundaries of the Palestinian State; and the building of settlements.

The involvement of the United Nations must not impede the negotiations, but help them, he said. The Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People was a subsidiary body of the General Assembly. It would continue to study the issues and recommend well-structured programmes to promote the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

MARWAN JILANI, observer for Palestine, said that his delegation and the Palestinian people highly appreciated the work of the Committee and its Bureau in the implementation of the rights of Palestinians as a basis for the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The year 2000 must be the year of an independent Palestine, he continued. Last year, at the end of the transitional period set out in the Oslo agreement, a firm international consensus had emerged that an extension of one year should be sufficient for the parties to conclude a final settlement. That was clearly indicated in United States President William Clinton's letter to Yasser Arafat, in the European Union Berlin statement, the Group of 8 Cologne statement and finally in the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum.

An additional and natural deadline for achieving that final settlement would be the United Nations Millennium Summit, he said. He was confident that Palestine would participate in that event as a Member State of the United Nations. That should symbolize the end of conflict in the Middle East. He was confident that the Committee would provide all the support needed to attain that noble goal.

Mr. KA (Senegal), Committee Chairman, noted that he had taken part in and made brief remarks at the World Peace Globe Lighting Ceremony, organized at the Church Center of the United Nations by the United Methodist Office of the United Nations, the Project Coordinator for Bethlehem 2000 of the Anglican Communion and the World Peace Globe creator, artist Rebecca Nova. At that ceremony, he had made some observations on the initiatives undertaken by the Committee concerning Bethlehem 2000.

From 12 to 15 December, he had been invited by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) to participate in the International Conference on Jerusalem. That Conference had been attended by a large number of personalities, including representatives of various religious denominations, as well as international experts on the issue of Palestine and the question of Jerusalem.

He said that since the peace process was now entering a critical phase and was moving towards final status negotiations, the question of Jerusalem should be given special consideration. It was timely that ALESCO had organized this conference.

He said that the future of the Holy City of Jerusalem remained at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict and of the struggle of the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate rights to Jerusalem. The solution of the problem of Jerusalem was one of the keys to overall peace in the Middle East.

Introducing the Committee's programme of work for 2000, he said that the programme reflected the ongoing concerns and objectives of the Committee. It contained a summary of the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly adopted at the fifty-fourth session. In its future work, the Committee would continue to strive for maximum effectiveness to respond adequately to the evolving situation on the ground. It intended to continue to support the Middle East peace process, and its activities would emphasize issues of relevance to the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

As indicated in the programme, further adjustments were needed in order to enhance the responsiveness of the Committee, he continued. It was necessary to support the Bethlehem 2000 Project of the Palestinian Authority and to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the Department of Public Information and the Division for Palestinian Rights.

He said that the proposed activities of the Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights included expanded contacts with the Palestinian Authority and other institutions, including non-governmental organizations, in the areas under its jurisdiction and the rest of the occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. The Committee would consider inviting Palestinian officials and other personalities to meetings of the Committee. It would also continue to keep under review the situation relating to the question of Palestine and draw the attention of the international community to urgent developments on the ground.

In 2000, the Committee would continue to emphasize thematic events, encouraging participation by additional countries and organizations, he said. The first meeting to be held this year would be the United Nations Asian Meeting on the Question of Palestine in March. Other planned events included the International Conference on Palestine Refugees in April; the meeting in support of the peace process in May; and a seminar on assistance to the Palestinian people in Cairo in June.

The programme of work also contained information on the cooperation with civil society and public information issues, he said. It emphasized the importance the Committee attached to the role and contribution of national and supranational parliaments and inter-parliamentary bodies in shaping public opinion and formulating policy guidelines. Work towards the completion of the development of the United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine would continue.

Steps should be taken towards completing work on the project of modernizing records of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, he continued. Other activities would include preparation of publications, studies and other information material and the training programme for the staff of the Palestinian Authority. The Committee recommended that the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People be observed on 29 November 2000, and that the usual programme of activities be envisaged, including a Palestinian cultural exhibit.

The Committee then approved its programme of work for the year 2000.

United Nations Asian Meeting on Question of Palestine

The CHAIRMAN then informed the Committee that the United Nations Asian Meeting on the Question of Palestine would take place in Hanoi from 1 to 3 March. He expressed gratitude to the Government of Viet Nam for agreeing to host the meeting and assisting in its preparation. The provisional programme for the meeting had been distributed by the Secretariat.

The Committee then approved the meeting's provisional programme of work.

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