A/36/PV.100 General Assembly

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1981 — Session 36, Meeting 100 — New York — UN Document ↗ — OCR ✓ — ⓘ 45 unattributed speechs
▶ This meeting at a glance
62
Speeches
8
Countries
28
Resolutions
Resolutions: 31/37, 32/132, 31/125, 32/95, 31/127, 32/97, 32/98, 32/110, 57/60, 57/61, A/36/825], A/36/824], A/RES/36/145, A/RES/36/146H, A/RES/36/146G, A/RES/36/146F, A/RES/36/146C, A/RES/36/146B, A/RES/36/146A, A/RES/36/147A, A/RES/36/147B, A/RES/36/147C, A/RES/36/147D, A/RES/36/147E, A/RES/36/147F, A/RES/36/147G, A/RES/36/149B, A/RES/36/150
Topics
UN resolutions and decisions General statements and positions Arab political groupings Security Council deliberations Israeli–Palestinian conflict War and military aggression

110.  Financing nf the UD1~~d Nations peace-keeping forces in the l'tliddle East :* (b) Unitell Nations Interim Force in Lebanon: report of the Secretary-General REPORT OF THE FIFfH COMMITIEE (PART II) (A/361720/ADD.I) 1. Mr. IvlARfORELL (Peru), Rapporteur of the Fifth Committee (interpretation from Spanish): I have the ho- nour to present to the General Assembly part n of the report of the Fifth Committee on ;igenda item UO, con- cerning the financing of UNIFIL rAI36/720IAdd.1]. 2. In paragraph 7 of the report, the Fifth Committee recommends two draft resolutions. Pursuatzt to rule 66 of the rules of procedure, it was decided not to discuss the report of the Fifth Committee.

The President unattributed #7589
Statements will be limited to explanations of vote. The positions of delegations regarding the recommend~tions of the Fifth Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant offic1al records. 4. May I remind members that, under decision 34/401, the General Assembly agreed that when the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should, as far as possible, explain its vote only once, that is either in the Committee or in the General Assembly, unless that delegation's vote in the Assembly is different from its vote in the Committee. May I also remind members that, in accordance with decision 34/401, explanations of vote should not exceed 10 minutes and should be made by representatives from their seats. 5. The Assembly wil~ now take decisions on the two draft resolutions recommended QY the Fifth Committee in paragraph 7 of its report. 6. I put to the vote draft resolution A. Draft resolution A lVllS adopted by 98 votes to 16, with 3 abstentions (resolution 36/138 A).
Vote: A/RES/36/145 Recorded Vote
✓ 118   ✗ 0   23 abs.
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✓ Yes (118)
Vote: A/RES/36/146H Recorded Vote
✓ 145   ✗ 0   1 abs.
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— Abstain (1)
✓ Yes (145)
Vote: A/RES/36/146G Recorded Vote
✓ 119   ✗ 2   20 abs.
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✓ Yes (119)
Vote: A/RES/36/146F Recorded Vote
✓ 144   ✗ 0   1 abs.
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— Abstain (1)
✓ Yes (144)
Vote: A/RES/36/146C Recorded Vote
✓ 117   ✗ 2   26 abs.
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✓ Yes (117)
Vote: A/RES/36/146B Recorded Vote
✓ 121   ✗ 3   21 abs.
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✓ Yes (121)
Vote: A/RES/36/146A Recorded Vote
✓ 141   ✗ 2   2 abs.
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— Abstain (2)
✓ Yes (141)
Vote: A/RES/36/147A Recorded Vote
✓ 142   ✗ 1   3 abs.
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✗ No (1)
✓ Yes (142)
Vote: A/RES/36/147B Recorded Vote
✓ 142   ✗ 1   3 abs.
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✗ No (1)
✓ Yes (142)
Vote: A/RES/36/147C Recorded Vote
✓ 111   ✗ 2   31 abs.
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✓ Yes (111)
Vote: A/RES/36/147D Recorded Vote
✓ 143   ✗ 1   2 abs.
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✗ No (1)
✓ Yes (143)
Vote: A/RES/36/147E Recorded Vote
✓ 141   ✗ 1   3 abs.
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✗ No (1)
✓ Yes (141)
Vote: A/RES/36/147F Recorded Vote
✓ 114   ✗ 2   30 abs.
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✓ Yes (114)
Vote: A/RES/36/147G Recorded Vote
✓ 140   ✗ 1   2 abs.
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✗ No (1)
✓ Yes (140)
Vote: A/RES/36/149B Recorded Vote
✓ 147   ✗ 2   0 abs.
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✓ Yes (147)
Vote: A/RES/36/150 Recorded Vote
✓ 139   ✗ 2   4 abs.
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✓ Yes (139)
The President unattributed #7590
I put to the vote draft resolution B. Draft resolution B lVllS adopted by 102 votes to 15 (resolution 361138 B). *Resumed from the 77th meeting. REPORr OF THE SECOND COMMITTEE (PARr IV) (A/36/694/ADD.3) 8. Mr. OULD SID'AHMED (Mauritania), Rapporteur of the Second Committee (illterpretation from Arabic): I have the honour to pre~.~nt to the General Assembly part IV of the report of the Second Committee on agenda item 69 [A/36/694/Add.3]. 9. In paragraphs 40 and 41 of the report, the Committee recommends for adoption seven draft resolutions and two draft decisions. Pursuant to rule 66 of the rules of procedure, it was decided not to discuss the report of the Second Committee.
The President unattributed #7592
The General Assembly will now take decisions on the draft resolutions recommended by the Second Committee in paragraph 40 of its report. H. Draftresolution I, entitled "Particular problems facing Zaire with regard to transport, transit and access to foreign markets", was adopted without a vote in the Second Committee. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do so also?
Draft resolution I was adopted (resolution 36/139).
The President unattributed #7593
Draft resolution 11 is entitled "United Nations Conference on an International Code of Conduct on the Transfer of Technology". The administrative and financial implications of that draft resolution are contained in the report of the Fifth Committee [A/36/733). The Second Committee adopted draft resolution II without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly also wishes to do so?
Vote: 31/37 Consensus
Draft resolution II was adopted (resolution 36/140).
The President unattributed #7594
We now turn to draft resolution rn, entitled "Reverse transfer of technology". It, too, was adopted without a vote in the Second Committee. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes t6· do the same·!
Draft resolution III was adopted (resolution 36/141).
Vote: 32/132 Consensus
The President unattributed #7596
Draft resolution IV, entitled "Sixth session of the United Nations Conference dn Trade and Development", was also adopted by the Second Committee without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same?

68.  Question of the composition of the relevant organs of the United Nations REPOIIT OF THE SPECIAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE (A/361765) REPORT OF THE SPECIAL POLITICAL COMMITTEE (A/36/814) 21. Mr. RADOUKOV (Bulgada) Rapporteur of the Special Polii.lcal Committee: I have (he honour to present to the General Assembly seven reports of the Special Po- litical Committee relating to agenda items 60, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 136. 22. The first rl~port (A/36/BIBJ relates to agenda item 60. The Special Political Committee considered this item at 10 meetings and heard some 50 statements in the gen- eral debate. During the course of its deliberations the Committee considered nine draft resolutions. Eight of these draft resolutions are recommended to the General Assembly for adoption in paragraph 34 of the report. Two of the draft resolutions were adopted without a vote. At the request of the sponsors the Committee agreed to take no decision with regard to the ninth draft resolution and the amendments thereto and to recommend that the General Assembly should decide to keep open its thirty- sixth session until the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Pal- estine Refugees in the Near East has submitted its pro- posals, by the end of January 1982, on the ways of meet- ing the deficit of the Agency's budget for 1982. This recommendation, which was adopted by the Committee without a vote, may be found in paragraph 35 of the re- port. 23. The second report relates to agenda item 64 and constitutes part 11 of the Committee's report on the item (A/36/632/Add./). The General Assembly already adopted, at its 42nd meeting, one draft resolution (resolu- tioll 36/15) recommended by the Committee in part I of its report on this item (A/36/632). The Committee consid- ered the item at eight further meetings and heard mme 50 speakers in the general debate. Seven draft resolutions, all of which were adopted by recorded votes. appear in paragraph 27 of the report and are recommended to the General Assembly for adoption. 24. With respect to agenda item 65, the Special Political Committee recommends that the General Assembly should include the item in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session for the reasons set out in paragraph 4 t' its report [A/36/813]. 25. I turn now to agenda item 66. The Committee con-' sidered this item at five meetings and Leard some 40 statements during the general debate. The draft resolution recommended to the General Assembly for adoption was adopted without a vote. It appears in paragraph 12 of the report [A/36/790]. 26. With respect to agenda item 67. nine meetings were devoted to consideration of this item and some 70 speak- ers participated in the general debate. The two draft reso- lutions which appear in paragraph I1 of the report IA/36/8191 and are recommended to the General Assem- bly for adoption were adopted by the Committee without a vote after lengthy deliberations in the Committee's open-ended working group. 27. With respect to agenda item 68, the Special Political Committee recommends that the General Assembly 28. Lastly, with respect to agenda item 136, the Com, mittee considered that item at three meetings and, after hearing some 40 statements in the general debate. adopted a draft resolution by a vote. That draft resolu- tion, which appears in paragraph 9 of its report [A/36/8/41 is recommended to the General Assembly for adoption. Pursuant to rule 66 of the rules of procedure, it was decided not to discuss the reports of the Special Political Committee.

Vote: 57/60 Recorded Vote
✓ 117   ✗ 2   26 abs.
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Draft resolution IV was adopted (resolution 36/142).
The President unattributed #7597
We now come to draft resolution V, entitled "Signature and ratification of the Agreement
Vote: 31/125 Consensus
Draft resolution V was adopted (resolution 36/143).
Vote: 57/61 Consensus
The President unattributed #7599
We now turn to draft resolution VI, entitled "Arrangement regarding International Trade in Textiles". Draft resolution VI was adopted in the Second Committee without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly also wishes to do so?
Draft resolution VI was adopted (resolution 36/144).
Vote: 32/95 Consensus
The President unattributed #7600
We now turn to draft resolution VII, entitled "United Nations Conference on Trade and Development". A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken
Draft resolution VII was adopted by 118 votes to none, with 23 abstentions (resolution 36/145). t
Vote: 31/127 Consensus
The President unattributed #7602
I now invite members to turn to the draft decisions recommended by the Second Committee in paragraph 41 of its report. 19. Draft decision I, entitled "Protectionism and structural adjustment", was adopted without a vote in the Second Committee. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do ~~e same?
Draft decision Il was adopted (decision 36/430).
Vote: 32/97 Consensus
The President unattributed #7606
The positions of delegations regarding the various recommendations of the Special Political Committee have been made clear in the Committee and are reflected in the relevant official records. 30. May I remind members that under decision 34/40 I the General Assembly agreed that when the same draft resolution is considered in a Main Committee and in plenary meeting, a delegation should. as far as possible. explain its vote only once, that is, either in the Committee or in plenary meeting, unless that delegation's vote in plenary meeting is different from its vote in the Committee. In addition, may I also remind members that. in accordance with that decision, explanations of vote should not exceed 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats. 31. We will now turn to the report of the Special Political Committee on agenda item 60 [A/36/818]. 32. The Assembly will take decisions on the draft resolutions recommended by the Committee in paragraph 34 of its report. 33. I first put to the Assembly draft resolution A, entitled "Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip". A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
The President unattributed #7608
Draft resolution B is entitled "PopUlation and refugees displaced since 1967". A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
Draft resolution B was adopted by 121 votes to 3, with 21 abstentions (resolution 36/146 B). I
Vote: 32/98 Consensus
Vote: A/36/825] Consensus
The President unattributed #7609
Draft resolution C is entitled "Revenues derived from Palestine refugee properties". A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
Draft resolution C was adopted by 117 votes to 2, with 26 abstentions (resolution 36/146 C)}
Vote: 32/110 Consensus
The President unattributed #7611
Draft resolution D is entitled '~ssistance to persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 hostilities". The Special Political Committee adopted this draft resolution without a vote. May I. consider that the General Assembly wishes to do the same?
Draft resolution D was adopted (resolution 36/146 D).
The President unattributed #7613
Draft resolution E is entitled "Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near' East". The Special Political Committee adopted this draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do so also? Drlfft resolution E was adopted (resolution 36/146 E).
The President unattributed #7615
Draft resolution F is entitled '~ssistance to Palestine refugees". A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
Draft resolution F was adopted by 144 votes to none, with 1 abstention (resolution 36/146 F).'
The President unattributed #7617
We come now to draft resolution G, entitled "University of Jerusalem for Palestine refugees". We have before us the report of the Fifth Committee on the administrative and financial implications of the draft resolution [A/36/825]. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
The President unattributed #7619
Finally, we come to draft resolution H, entitled "Offers by Member States of grants and scholarships for higher education, including vocational training, for the Palestine refugees". A recorded vote has been requested. In favour: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Bar- buda. Argentina. Australia, Austria. Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh. Barbados, Belgium. Benin, Bhutan. Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelorus- sian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Cape Verde. Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo. Costa Rica. Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea. Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Djibouti. Dominican Re- public, Ecuador, Egypt. El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala. Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hon- duras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran. Iraq. Ireland. Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan. Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic. Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico. Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands. New Zea- land, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway. Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda. Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Ara- bia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America. Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Abstaining: Israel.
A recorded vote lVllS taken.
Against: None.
Draft resolution H was adopted by /45 votes to none, with / abstention (resolution 36/146 H)}
The President unattributed #7620
I now invite members to turn their attention to paragraph 35 of the report. 42. The Special Political Committee recommends that the General Assembly should keep open its thirty-sixth session until the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestin~e Refugees in the Near East has submitted its proposals, by the end of January 1982, on the ways of meeting the deficit of the Agency's budget for 1982. The draft decision was adopted without a vote by the Committee. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same?
The draft decision was adopted (decision 36/431).
The President unattributed #7622
We now turn to part II of the report of the Special Political Committee on agenda item
Mr. Humfrey GBR United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on behalf of 10 member States of the European Community concerning draft resolution E #7625
I am speaking on behalf of the 10 member States of the European Community concerning draft resolution E, which deals with the Golan Heights. The Foreign Ministers of the ten member States. in a joint statement issued in London on 15 December 1981, strongly deplored the decision of the Government and Knesset of Israel to extend Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration to occupied Syrian territory in the Golan Heights. They said that such an extension, which was tantamount to annexation, was contrary to international law and therefore invalid in the eyes of the ten members of the Community. The Israeli step prejudiced the possibility of the implementation of Security Council resolution 242 (1967) and was bound to complicate further the search for a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East to which the ten Community members remained committed. 46. In view of the Israeli action, the ten member States will vote in favour of draft resolution E as an expression of their support for the general thrust of that text.
Mr. Adelman USA United States of America #7627
Vole believe that it is inappropriate for the General Assembly to pass judgem~nt on an issue that is cu~ently befo~e the Security CouncIl. Therefore, we are gomg to abstam on draft resolution E.
The President unattributed #7629
The Assembly will now take a decision on the seven draft resolutions recommended by the Special Political Committee. 49. I invite members to turn their attention to draft resolution A. Separate, recorded votes have been requested on operative paragraphs 1 and 2 of that draft resolution. 50. The Assembly will therefore proceed to take a separate, recorded vote on operative paragraph I of draft resolution A. In favour: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Bar- buda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelorus- sian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Re- public, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hun- gary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, li- beria, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia,. Mor~co, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pdkistan, Panama, Pclpua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Rqmania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sin- Against: Israel.
A recorded vote was"taken.
Operative paragraph 1 of draft resolution A was adopted by 142 votes to 1. I
The President unattributed #7631
The Assembly will now take a separate, recorded vote on operative paragraph 2 of draft resolution A.
A recorded vote was taken.
Operative paragraph 2 of draft resolution A was adopted by 140 votes to 2..
The President unattributed #7632
The Assembly will now proceed to vote on draft resolution A as a whole. A recorded vote has been requested. . A recorded vote was taken. In favour: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina. Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kam- Against: Israel. Abstaining: Guatemala, Jamaica, United States of America.
Draft resolution A as a whole was adopted by 142 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions (resolution 36/147 A).·
The President unattributed #7633
The Assembly will now proceed to vote on draft resolution B. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
Draft resolution B was adopted by 142 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions (resolution 36/147 B).I
The President unattributed #7634
The Assembly will now proceed to vote on draft resolution C. The administrative and financial implications of that draft resolution are to be found in the report of the Fifth Committee [A/36/810]. 55. Separate, recorded votes have been requested on operative paragraphs 6 and IS. If I hear no objection, we shall proceed accordingly. I put to the vote first operative paragraph 6 of draft resolution C.
A recorded vote was taken.
Operative paragraph 6 of draft resolution C was adopted by 96 votes to 18, with 29 abstentions.
The President unattributed #7636
Next, I put to the vote operative paragraph IS of draft resolution C. :
A recorded vote was taken.
Operative paragraph 15 of draft resolution C was adopted by III votes to 18, with 12 abstentions}
The President unattributed #7638
I now put to the vote draft resolution C as a whole. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
The President unattributed #7640
I now put to the vote draft resolution D. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
Draft resolution D was adopted by 143 votes to 1, with 2 abstentions (resolutio'z 36/147 D). I
The President unattributed #7642
I next put to the vote draft resolution E. A recorded vote has been requested. .. ocmti~ _~~~bIIc~ __~:a~~~:~:~,:~a~~~l~: .~~_a~sten~ns (reSOlution~/l~~·~~_h_'~ ._. Against: Israel. Abstaining: Dominican Republic, Guatemala, United States of America.
A recorded vote was taken.
In favour: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Bar- buda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, .Burundi, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kam- puchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Ice- land, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Dem- Draft resolution F was adopted by 114 votes to 2, with
Draft resolution E was adopted by 141 votes to 1, with 3 abstentions (resolution 36/147 E).I
The President unattributed #7644
I now put to the vote draft resolution F. A recorded vote has been requested.
A recorded vote was taken.
Draft resolution G was adopted by 140 votes to 1J with 2 abstentions (resolution 36/147 G).I
The President unattributed #7646
I shall now call on those representatives who wish to exnlain their votes.
Mr. Kolby NOR Norway #7648
The Norwegian delegation has changed iis vote on draft resolution E from an abstention in the Committee to a positive vote in the vote just taken. We have done so in order to make clear the position of Norway concerning the recent decision by the Israeli Government to extend Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration to occupied Syrian territory in the Golan Heights. As we stated yesterday, at the 99th meeting, during the debate on the Middle East, the Norwegian Government deplores this action. It is the opinion of the Norwegian Government that this act seems to amount to de facto annexation and will create additional problems for the peace efforts in the Middle East. Norway does not accept any acquisition of territory by force. 64. The Norwegian delegation would like to stress, however, that we still have strong reservations concerning some of the language used in the text of the draft resolution, and that we have particular problems with operative paragraph 4. -~- ~~nc:~:~~~~~:en~;~~::)fu,<~;:?::t= ~r=_::~~::~::~~~u~~~;:~~n~hi':~ ili~~~~~tt~~~ 66. My Government is strongly opposed to this direct action by the Government of Israel aimed at the annexation of the Golan Heights since it is contrary to international law, as my Government has publicly stated. Because ofthis serious change of orientation, my delegation decided that the situation required modification of its vote, and for that reason we decided to vote in favour of the draft resolution rather than to abstain. 67. In spite of this change, however, we maintain the reservations we have already expressed with regard to the content of operative paragraph 4, which we consider to be unfounded. 6&. The PRESIDENT: We shall now consider the report of the Special Political Committee on agenda item 65 [A/36/813]. 69. The Assembly will now take a decision on the recommendation of the Special Political Committee in paragraph 5 of its report. The Committee recommends that the General Assembly should include the item entitled "Question of the Malagasy Islands of Glorieuses, Juan de Nova, Europa and Bassas da India" in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session. If I hear no objection, I shall consider that the General Assembly adoprs that recommendation. . It was so decided (decision 36/432).
The President unattributed #7650
May I now invite members to turn their attention to the report of the Special Political Committee on agenda item 66 [A/36/790]. 71. The Committee adopted' the draft resolution contained in paragraph 12 of its report without avote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same?
The draft resolution was adopted (resolution 36/148).
The President unattributed #7651
I call on the representative of the United States.
Mr. Adelman USA United States of America #7653
The United States was pleased to be a sponsor of and to join in the consensus to adopt this resolution on "International co-operation to avert new flows of refugees". This barly and the entire world must indeed be "gravely concerned" at the massive flows of refugees in many parts of the world. And it is proper that we affirm that acts of aggression, foreign intervention and military occupation, along with internal policies of deliberate oppression, are as the resolution states, "among the root causes" of these flows. Indeed, they are thf. principal causes. 74. The facts surely confmn this. The largest single body of refugees in the world today-approximately 2 million people-are those who have fled Afghanistan since the unprovoked· and .. illegal invasion of that once non-aligned country by the armed forces of the Soviet Union. It thus is entirely appropriate that the resolution 75. The Soviet occupation of Mghanistan may be the mo.st glaring example of aggression, causing the largest outpouring of refugee~, but it is not the only one. Vietnamese aggression in Kampuchea, justly condemned by the General Assembiy, is another sad example of actions in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, resulting in a massive displacement of innocent people. The invasion and the annexation by proxy of this small and weak nation by the populous and heavily armed Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, following upon the massive earlier depredations of the inhuman Pol Pot regime, have brought misery. and suffering to the peaceful Khmer people and forced hundreds of thousands of them to flee their country. 76. My delegation notes with satisfaction that the resolution just adopted reaffirms the inviolability of the provisions of the Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant international instruments with regard to the responsibilities of States to manage their affairs Sv that they do not themselves cause massive flows of refugees from among their own people. We trust that in investigating this subject the Group of Governmental Experts on International Co-operation to Avert New Hows of Refugees, which the resolution creates, will also take due note of the actions by some Governments deliberately and cynically to create refugee flows in order to rid themselves of political opponents or people they find in other ways undesirable. One especially heinous example of this has been the policy of the Vietnamese Government in forcing to sea in leaky boats hundreds of thousands of their own people because of their ethnic or class or religious origins. Another and equally cruel example was the action taken by Cuba in 1980, which forced the departure of 120,000 people in the space of a month, again by sea. 77. These acts, brutal explusions . . .
The President unattributed #7655
I apologize to the representative of the United States, but the representative of Cuba has asked to speak on a point of order. I call on the representative of Cuba.
Mr. Blanco Gil CUB Cuba [Spanish] #7658
Mr. President, you know me personally and you are aware that it is not my style to interrupt any speaker because the content of his statement differs from the views of my own delegation, particularly when it IS a question of a point of order. First, I should like to know what is the nature of the statement of the representative of the United States, because I understood that delegations had decided to proceed to the voting on all the draft resolutions, one after the other, from the Special Political Committee and, hence, I thought we were acting in accordance with rule 88 of the rules of procedure, which clearly lays down that: . '~fter the President has announced the beginning of voting, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting. The President may permit members to exp!ain their votes, either before or after the voting, excepi when the vote is taken by secret ballot. The President may limit the time to be allowed for such explanations. The President shall not permit the proposer of a proposal or of an amendment to explain his vote on his own proposal or amendment." "Confused lines of authority and bureaucratic conflict were immediate and continuing consequences of the Administration's refusal to resolve the status issue ,,*
The President unattributed #7660
I call on the representative of the United States on a point of order.
Mr. Adelman USA United States of America #7663
As I understood the representative of Cuba, it was not his style to interrupt a statement. However, he interrupted my statement. His point of order was very simply beside the point because I was giving an explanation of vote. Now, if he wishes to indulge himself in making a substantive statement, I should think that there is a way to do that without interrupting my explanation of vote. 83. I would appreciate it, Mr. President, if I could continue my statement.
Vote: A/36/824] Consensus
The President unattributed #7665
I shall call on the representative of Cuba. However, before I do so, I should like to clarify the point he raised that, since the United States was a sponsor of the draft resolution which the Assembly has just adopted under this item, perhaps under the appropriate rules of procedure of the General Assembly a sponsor is not entitled to explain his vote after the adoption of the draft resolution. 85. In fact, the position is as follows. In the Special Political Committee the United States was in fact one of the sponsors of the draft resolution; but when the Assembly proceeds to take a decision, it does so on the report of the Committee and in that case the draft resolution becomes one recommended by the Committee and is no longer the property of the original sponsors of that draft resolution ~t the committee level. Therefore, I think that it is appmpriate for the representative of the United States to make an explanatory statement. 86. With those remarks, I therefore appeal to the representatives of both the United States and Cuba to confine their remarks to the ~oecific item under which they have asked to speak and to allow the Assembly to proc~d in an orderly fashion, because we still have quite a number of other reports to consider. 87. I hope that with those remarks I have been able to satisfy the representative of Cuba. I now call on him on a point of order.
Mr. Blanco Gil CUB Cuba [Spanish] #7668
Mr. President, my point of order had two elements. The first was to find out whether it was correct that the representative of the United States was making a statement when my delegation thought u~at he was ex- 89. The second element of my point of order was that the speaker should confine himself to cases in which there was a flow of refugees. I do not wish to engage in any polemics here, but if his own United States Committee for Refugees, an official organ of that Government ...
The President unattributed #7669
I must interrupt the representative of Cuba and call on the representative of the United States to continue his statement.
Mr. Adelman USA United States of America #7671
As we were saying before we were interrupted, one especially heinous example has been the policy of the Vietnamese Government in forcing to sea in leaky boats hundreds of thousands of their own people because of their ethnic or class or religious origins. Another and equally cruel example was the action taken by Cuba in 1980 which forced the departure of 120,000 people in the space of a month, again by sea. 92. These acts, brutal expulsions of the ideologically undesirable among their own population as a means of preserving totalitarian control, are flagrant assaults on fundamental human rights and on the obligations.of decency and civilized conduct which all nations are pledged to respect. 93. The resolution just adopted deals with another important aspect of the problem of refugee flows-the effect that massive flows have upon regional and international peace, security, and stability. Refugees, internationally defined as people who leave or who fear to return to their countries of residence because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution, by their very nature must impact upon countries other than their own. Large flows of refugees inescapably are great burdens to the countries of first asylum, to the countries which provide finaLresettlement, and to the countries which must provide the funds for care, maintenance, protection and transportation. 94. It is a sad feature of contemporary life that in the last six years or so we have seen what amounts to a new international division of labour. The Soviet Union and its client States, chief among them Viet Nam and Cuba, by acts of aggression and persecution cause enormous refugee flows. The rest of us in the civilized international community then must house these refugees, feed them, treat their wounds and resettle them in order that their suffering does not become even more monstrous an affront to humanity and to common decerl~Y. 95. Lest I be accused of introducing into today's consensus a discordant polemical note, let me point out that this is not an East-West issue. It is, if anything, an East- South issue. The people being made homeless are not, from the West. They are Afghans, they are Vietnamese,- they are Lao, they are Khmer and others in the arc stretching from the Horn of Africa to the South China Sea. And the countries most immediately and adversely affected also are not in the West. They are Pakistan, Iran, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, trle Philippines, China, Somalia, the Sudan and Kenya. 96. It is the view of my country that those practices of States that result in massive flows of refugees te the ter- 97. First, every State must permit persons wit~in its borders freely to leave its territory and its nationals abroad freely to return . . .
The President unattributed #7673
I call on the representative of the Soviet Union on a point of order.
Mr. Kazakov SUN Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [Russian] #7676
Mr. President, I should like to remind those present of your words when you opened the meeting: that statements should be limited to 10 minutes. I do so especially because what is being said by the representative of the United States has been repeatedly stressed by him and also by other representatives in the committees. He has said nothing new besides the usual anti-Soviet propaganda. He is speaking at such length that one would think he is being paid by the word. I should like to see proper order restored here, and I should like to see statements properly restricted to 10 minutes, as suggested by you.
The President unattributed #7677
There have h~e:n many intefruptions on points of order. I am very conscioiis of the 10- minute limit and I am keeping a '~.atch on the time. 101. The United States representative may continue his statement. He has less than three minutes to conclude it.
Mr. Adelman USA United States of America #7680
Secondly, States should avoid policies and practices that would cause significant elements of their populations to flee to other countries, which is to say that they should (a) refrain from political, economic or social discrimination against their populations on the basis of ethnic, religious, racial, linguistic, economic or class characteristics, and (b) refrain from arbitrary and forced expulsions of persons from their own territory. Thirdly, States must respect the territorial integrity of other States. Fourthly, disputes among States must be settled by peaceful means. Fifthly, no State should instigate flows of refugees from its territory into the territory of another State against the will or in contravention of the laws of the receiving State. Sixthly, States must not instigate refugee flows in order to cause instability or other harm to receiving States. 103. Those principles, along with other views on the subject of international co-operation to avert flows of refugees, are set forth in the United States reply to the Secretary-General pursua....lt to resolution 35/124 [see A/36/582 and Corr.], sect. ll], along with yet another fundamental principle of international law: that not even violation of the foregoing principies by another State can relieve a receiving State of its obligations to receive, assist and protect refugees and not return them forcibly to their countries of origin. 104. My delegation offers its highest compliments to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and its I"f !'Iesentative here, Mr. van Well, for the initiative it has taKen in bringing this item before the General Assembly and in expending considerable time and energy in framing a resolution acceptable to all members of the Assembly.
The President unattributed #7682
The representative of Cuba wishes to exercise his rig~t of reply. I think that it is appropriate for me to call upon him before we proceed to the next item.
Mr. Blanco Gil CUB Cuba [Spanish] #7685
As I said before, I thought-and I still thinkthe speaker was out of order in referring to "refugees" when his Government and his federal agencies had not described them in that way; and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees-and the debate is taking place in the United Nations-did not describe them in that way either. 108. I read 'out a passage from the 1981 report of the Uni~ed States Committee for Refugees. I shall read it out agam: . "Confused lines of authority and bureaucratic conflict were immediate and continuing consequences of the Administration's refusal to resolve the status issue. Because Cubans and Haitians were not refugees, no single Agency had ultimate responsibility, and many essential operations were neither authorized by law nor provided with funds. "With the status issue left unresolved, the summer and fall witnessed continual policy fights and severe operational problems."* 109. I would request the delegation of the United States first to solve the problem of how to describe the group of persons who, with passports and legally, in accordance with the emigration laws of Cuba, left for the United States after having been incited to do so by the United States, through .its means of propaganda. When they have resolved this officially, inside their Government, and perhaps in conversations with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, they can come here with their propaganda to see whether it will be acceptable in this case. 110. Tne. PRESIDENT: We turn now to the report of the Special Political Committee" on agenda ~tem 67 [AI361819]. Ill. I call on the representative of the United States, who wishes to speak before the Assembly takes a decision on a draft resolution recommended by the Committee in paragraph I I of its report.
Mr. Adelman USA United States of America #7687
My delegation must ask for a vote on draft resolution B in paragraph II of the report. We do so with gemiine regret-but with, in our judgement, genuine necessity as well. 113. The representatives of nadny States spent more than five months in the Committee on Infonnation and in the Special Political Committee in achieving a valuable and significant consensus on the policy and financial aspects of questions relating to information. They found common ground on many issues-on the need for reorganization 114. Thus we were both shocked and amazed when in the statement by the Secretary-General [AISPCI36IL.3] on the financial implications of the draft resolution an additional amount of some $913,000 was requested but the barest passing reference was made to meeting any of the new obligations from within current budgetary resources. 115. The sum of $913,000 is to be in addition to the planned increase of more than $12 million for the Department of Public Information's budget for the years 1982 and 1983, $12 million over the 1980 to 1981 figures. At a time when many Member States must scale down their national budgets-their own essential public servicesbecause of conditions of economic stringency, the Assembly is in the process of approving a 25 per cent increase for the Department of Public Infonnation over the previous biennium. Fiscal restraint is ignored; budgetary discipline is ignored along with it. Resources which might be applied to enhancing essential services are to be devoted to activities marginal to the core interests of the United Nations. 116. My delegation voted against the budget increase for the Department of Public Information, on the ground that any organization \\':-tich devotes more than 70 per cent of its money to personnel and travel costs is badly in need of belt-tightening and a return to the fiscal conditions of the real world. 117. As the financial implications associated with the draft resolution moved through the deliberative process, it became clear that the original estimates could not be justified. This was the message contained in the related report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Qllestions [AI3617IAdd.20]. Members of the Secretariat apparently could not accept this verdict-according to reports whose accuracy my delegation h~s no reason to doubt-and actively lobbied to restore these cuts. ll8. We note with regret that the representatives of many of those countries with whom we worked through the long summer and fall chose at the 73rd meeting of the Fifth Committee on 14 December last, to ignore a vital element of the previous consensus. They chose instead to restore cuts in the recommendation made by the Advisory Committee. I 19. My delegation believes that we have kept faith with the bargains struck in the Committee on Information and in the Special Political Committee. We do not today depart from· the earlier consensus in which we strongly joined. On the contrary, in our judgement, the conser-sus has deserted us. 121. Draft resolution A was adopted in the Committee without a vote. May I take it that the General Assembly wishes to do the same? Draft resolution A lmS adopted (resolution 36/149 A).
The President unattributed #7690
We now turn to draft resolution B, the administrative and financial implications of which are to be found in the report of the Fifth Committee [A/36/824]. A recorded vote has been requested. A. recorded vote lmS taken. In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, AustraliCl., Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Banglader~, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan. Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Bunna, Burundi, Syelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Democratic Kampuchea, Democratic Yemen, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, German Democratic Republic, Germany, Federal Republic of, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jar..vuca, Japan, Jordan, kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambiq,ue, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papama, Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romanja, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Snriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Thnisia, rurkey, Uganda, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Against: Israel, United States of America. Abstaining: None.
Draft resolution B was adopted by 147 votes to 2 (res- olution 36/149 B).2
The President unattributed #7692
We now turn to the report of the Special Political Committee on agenda item 68 [A/36/765]. 123. The PRESIDENT: I shall now call on those repre- I sentative§ who wish to explain their vote.
Mr. Prendergast GBR United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland #7694
My delegation voted in favour of the omnibus resolution, draft resolution B, on questions of information which we have just adopted. We did so because this was consistent with our position in the Special Political Committee, where the draft resolution was adopted by consensu~. However, I wish to emphasize two points. 126. Secondly, although we acknowledge that there should be a new world information and communications order, we mean by this that the communications capacity of developing countries should be increased. We do not accept that the balance in the international flow of information should be improved by any diminution of the freedom of the media and could not accept proposals which had that effect. We interpret draft resolution B accordingly.
Mr. Albornoz ECU Ecuador [Spanish] #7695
In explaining my delegation's vote in favour of draft resolution B, which the Assembly has just adopted, I should like to point out that that resolution resulted from an admirable and obvious consensus in the working group in the summer of this year, followed by an equally realistic consensus in the Committee on Information, and then by a consensus in the Special Political Committee. 128. An extraordinary event in the history of the United Nations has occurred. It is clear that it is possible, in the delicate area of information, to reach an agreement between Ea!!t and West, between North and South, between the w/~althy countries and the poor countries. For this reason, it is regrettable that financial considerations have prevailed over the very delicate principles that are involved in' this matter. Those principles are of great significance to the developing countries, which see jn the new world information order a way ofdefending freedom of information, a way of breaking the silence in which they have been kept and a way of disseminating more information about the United Nations. 129. Without undermining in any way freedom of information in countries such as mine, where that freedom is respected~ it is logical that new action should be required from the United Nations system in regard to such fundamental matters as linguistic balance, geographical balance and balance in the information centres, which are characteristics of the recommendations, concerning a new information and communication order. For that reason, my thanks go to all the members of the working group of the Committee on Information and to the Special Political Committee which supported this resolution, which then went on to gain the support of an absolute majority of the membership of the United Nations. 131. In paragraph 5 of its report, the Special Political Committee recommends that the General Assembly should include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session the item entitled "Question of the composition of the relevant organs of the United Nations". In the absence of any objection, I shall take it that the Assembly adopts that recommendation.
Mr. Blum ISR Israel #7697
The draft resolution recommended in paragraph 9 of the report is the very essence (·f what a United Nations resolution should not be. The United Nations was conceived inter alia, as "a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations"-as Article I, paragraph 4, of the Charter states. The hydroelectric project which Israel proposes to build by means of aconduit from the Mediterranean to the Dead Se.a is a perfect instance of where the United Nations could encourage the harmonization of the positions of Israel and its Arab neighbour concerned, the Kingdom .of Jordan. 135. Instead of that, this draft resolution is wholly onesided. Rather than urge Jordan to co-operate with Israel, it would have Israel halt a developmental project which could clearly be to the mutual benefit of Israel and Jordan. In effect, this draft resolution sets the United Nations against its very raison d'etre. 136. The draft resolution-probably purposely, given its sponsorship-has little connection with the realities of the situation as it is now, it is alarmist and it prejudges the issue. 137. Let me address myself to each of these aspects of the draft resolution. First, the situation as it really is. On 29 March 1981 the Government of Israel adopted the recommendations of a steering committee for the construction of a hydroelectric project between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. At present, the steering committee is conducting further feasibility and related studies. 138. I must stress that the intention is not to construct a canal, as stated in the title of the present item and in the draft resolution before us, with all the images that the word "canal" conjures up. We are not talking of another Suez Canal or Panama Canal with ships of all sizes plying in both directions. We are talking about a water conduit, largely an underground pipeline, and hydroelectricity. 139. The draft resolution before us demands of Israel that it "cease forthwith" the implementation of this project. This is an absurd demand, since Israel has not even begun implementing the project. 140. It is not hard to understand why the draft resolution is so alarmist. In the first place, Jor~an, which initiated this item, is considering the construction of an almost identical hydroelectric project of its own, based on a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. Jordan announced its intention in its national paper submItted to the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy,3 held at Nairobi from 10 to 21 August 1981. Jordan cannot have it both ways: either its complaints about the potential damage to the Dead Sea are valid and therefore it must not .build a similar project of its own or, alternatively, and what is probably more to the point, Jordan simply does not want any competition. 141. Secondly, the League of Arab States, particularly the oil producers among them, are alarmed because the Israeli project will produce an alternative and renewable source of energy which is wholly independent of oil. It may conceivably serve as a model to other countries, particularly developing countries seeking to break out of the vise, poli~;cal and economic, in which they have been locked by the Arab 142. The draft resolution before us prejudges the issue, because in its preambular part it states, as if taken for granted, that the Israeli project will cause direct and irreparable damage to the interests of others. I should like to point out that the project will cause no damage of an ecological, environmental or any other kind. Let me explain this very briefly. 143. The water level of the Dead Sea has been dropping ste2dily over the last 20 years. It is now seven metres below its 1955 level. As part of the same process, its surface area has been shrinking, and whereas in the late 1950s its expanse was some 1,000 square kilometres i today it has diminished to about 800 square kilometres. In the first stage •of the Israeli project, which will be spread over some 20 years after its completion, the Dead Sea will slowly be restored to its former level. Thereafter, in the second stage of the project, the surface of the Dead Sea will be stabilized at that level. 144. T.Joth Israel and Jordan have chemical complexes at the southern end of the Dead Sea which are protected by dikes. The existing and projected dikes and dams will provide full protection to the chemical complexes in question, since Israel's hydroelectric project is designed not to raise the level of the Dead Sea above the crest level of those dikes. 145. It should also be noted that Israel has a number of hotels, health spas and tourist projects along the shore of the Dead Sea at a level identical with that of the Jordanian chemical plant\). Thus, if only for clear reasons of selfinterest, Israel has no intention whatsoever of raising the sUlface of the Dead Sea beyond the level at which those facilities are located. 146. The results of research carried out thus far indicate th~t only inconsequential effects on the composition and chemical balance of the Dead Sea would result from an admixture of water from the Mediterranean Sea, as envisaged by the hydroelectric project. 147. Questions have been raised about the possible damage in the Gaza district at the Mediterranean end of the conduit. These apprehensions, in so far as they are sincere are not pure propaganda, are unfounded. All that is involved is the laying, deep underground, of a pipeline approximately five metres in diameter. This pipeline will adversely affect neither the population of the Gaza district nor the quality of its water supply~ On the contrary, the livelihood of the area's population can only be enhanced by this project. 148. In any event, the political status of the Qaza district will evolve from the negotiations envisaged in the Camp David framework for peace in the Middle East. The construction of the pipeline in question clearly has no bearing on those negotiations. Israel holds to be unjustified the assertion contained in the draft resolution that the project contemplated by Israel would be in violation of international law. . 149. For all those reasons, Israel rejects the factual and legal premises on which the draft resolution is based and consequently rejects the draft resolution itself. 151. We are of the view that the proper course for the United Nations should have been to adopt the draft resolution calling on Jordan to co-operate with Israel on this matter ...
The President unattributed #7698
The representative of Israel has now spoken for IQ minutes. I request him to conclude his statement. 153. Mr._ BLUM (Israel): ... although that is perhaps too much to expect from the General Assembly, given its present composition. I should none the less like to take this opportunity of renewing and reiterating our call to Jordan to co-operate in this imaginative enterprise for the mutual benefit of all the inhabitants of the area.
The President unattributed #7699
The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft resolution recommended in paragraph 9 of the Committee's report [A/36/814]. The administrative and financial implications of that draft resolution appear in the report of the Fifth Committee [A/36/826]. A recorded vote has been requested. .
A recorded vote was taken.
The draft resolution was adopted by 139 votes to 2 J with 4 abstentions (resolution 36/150).4
The President unattributed #7701
I now call on the representative of Jordan in exercise of the right to reply.
Mr. Al-Khasawneh JOR Jordan #7702
I should like to reply to some ofthe points just made by the represent2tive of Israel. 157. In the first place, in the opinion of my delegation his request that Jordan and Israel enter into negotiations with regard to this canal is made only with the intention of confusing the issue. 158. Whether Jordan chooses to enter into negotiations on this or any other question is a matter best left entirely to Jordan. If a State chooses to build a canal which does transboundary hann to its neighbours and then faces them with the decision of either legitimizing that project and accepting it or suffering the consequences, then there is very little basis for negotiations. That is blackmail and presenting a neighbouring State with a new fait accompli. Clearly that is not the meaning of negotiations. Jordan does not enter into negotiations with Israel because it does not recognize Israel, and that is a political decision transcending the question of the canal. It cannot, moreover, enter into negotiations with regard to this canal because of the fact that the western end of the canal pass(£:s through the occupied territory of Gaza. That was what I wished to say with regard to negotiations. 159. As for the contention that the resolution we have just adopted prejudges the issue, I submit that this is not the case. The resolution is based on the assumption that this canal is illegal, and it is illegal for three obvious and irrefutable reasons. In the first place, passage of the canal through the occupied tt:rritories is a violation of the rules of international law relating to military occupation. 160. Since the law of military occupation is based on the assumption that it is a law of temporary application, any changes in the physical nature of the occupied territory would contradict that assumption and perpetuate that occupation. Secondly, the canal is illegal because this is a unilateral action, which is indisputable. Thirdly, it is illegal because it will cause direct and serious hardship to Jordan. Suffice it to say that the Jordan valley is one of the most important areas for Jordanian economic development and our interests there are vital. A project of this magnitude would have direct and serious results, results beyond compensation, and hence the expression in the resolution that the damage will be irreparable. It would therefore probably be meaningless to have any negotiations with regard to this canal. 161 . I should like to say in passing that it would not onVy be Jordan that would suffer as a result of this canal. It is a well-known fact that the potash company in Jordan is not a Jordanian company but an Arab company and one with large investments from many States Members of the United Nations, Arab, Western and other. All those people would 163. At the moment, we are authorized to say before the Assembly that it is not the intention of our Government to go ahead with that canal without due regard to the legal and political aspects of the subject, for unlike Israel we do respect those factors.
Mr. Lamdan ISR Israel #7705
I shall be very brief. I do not wish to go into the substance of this matter because my Ambassador, in his explanation ofvote, has already done so. However, Israel remains firmly of the view there is everything to negotiate in this matter, and we renew our call to Jordan to come forward and negotiate. The meeting rose at J2.55 p.m. NarES I The delegation of Afghanistan subsequently infonned the Secre]ariat that it had intended to vote in favour of the draft resolution. ! The delegation of Ethiopia subsequently infonned the Secretariat that it had intended to vote in favour of the draft resolution. 3 A1CONF.lOO/NRl61 of 25 June 1981. 4 The delegation ofColombia subsequently informed the Secretariat that it had intended to vote in favOlJlIi' of the draft resolution.
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