A/38/PV.73 General Assembly

This afternoon the Assembly will consider, under agenda item 33, the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian Peonle lA/38/35l. the report of the”Preparatory Committee*for’the Intel:: national Conference on the Question of Palestine [A/38/ 4fl, the report of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine’ and the report of the Secretary- General [A/38/458]. 2. 1 call upon Mr.. Massamba Sarre, of Senegal, in his caoacitv as Chairman of both the Committee on the Exer- cise ofthe Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on the Question of Palestine. 3. Mr. SARRG (Senegal), Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Pales- tinian People (interpretation from French): The events of the last few weeks provide once again eloquent testi- mony to the tragedy which the martyred people of Pales- tine continues to face without having chosen to do so. 4. The particularly explosive situation which prevails today in the Middle Eastern region reminds us once again of the urgent need to redouble our efforts in the search for a solution to this distressing conflict. 5. Today, at a particularly crucial juncture in the strug- gle which our brother people of Palestine is waging, I have the honour to s&mit to the Assembly the-report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People [A/38/35). 6. As always, the Committee has engaged throughout the whole of the past year in a series of activities aimed, on the one hand, at promoting the application of the recommendations of the General Assembly on the imple- mentation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and, on the other hand, to draw the attention of the world to the situation in which the Palestinian people finds itself. 7. However, more than during preceding years, the activities of the Committee in 1983 were centred on a specific question, namely, the preparation and organi- zation of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine. 8. It was, indeed, at its thirty-sixth session that the Gen- eral Assembly decided, pursuant to its resolution 361120 C of 10 December 198i, to convene, under the auspices of 1149 A/38/PV.73 Monday, 28 November 1983, aI 3.30 p.m. NEW YORK the United Nations and at the latest in 1984, an Inter- national Conference on the Question of Palestine; this was to be done on the basis of resolution ES-7/2, adopted by the General Assembly at its seventh emergency special session. Also nursuant to resolution 361126 C. the Assem- bly authorizii the Committee on the Exercise of the In- alienable Rights of the Palestinian People :o act as the Preparatory Committee for the Conference and to take all measures necessary for its organization. The report of the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on the Ouestion of Palestine IA/381461 contains an account of all the Committee’s ictivities in the context of the preparations for that Conference, 9. The International Conference on the Question of Palestine. which was held at Geneva from 29 August to 7 September last, was, therefore, the most recent-initia- tive taken at the international level to find a solution to the conflict in the Middle East. It was also the first time that so broad a forum met to consider the Palestinian problem. 10. Indeed, no fewer than 117 States participated fully in this Conference, whereas 20 others took part as observers, in addition to which there were approximately 100 non- governmental organizations, and several eminent per- sonalities invited especially for the occasion., as well as nine specialized agencies of the United Nations. 11. It should be noted, by the way, that, among these non-governmental organizations and eminent personal- ities, several came from Israel, thus demonstrating by their presence that there exists in Israel a group of peace- and justice-loving persons who share our views and hopes for a just and lasting peace in this disturbed region of the Middle East. 12. The presence of some 50 ministers leading the dele- gations of their countries is evidence of the general high level of representation of the participating States. 13. This Conference,.which, as I have said, was the first of its kind, made possible a wide exchange of views out- side the traditional rostrum of the General Assembly with a view to arriving at a consensus on the most appropriate ways and means leading to a solution to the Palestinian problem, taking into account all of the pertinent factors which characterize the situation in the present circum- stances. Such a consensus existed! as a matter of fact, concerning the broad principles which were to govern any search for a solution to the problem. On the one hand, it was a question of broadening the consensus and coming to agreement, and on the other of finding an approach which would lead to a resumption of dialogue between the parties concerned. Finally, the Conference had to define specific temporary measures which would ease the economic and social burden which the Israeli occupation is imposing on the Palestinian people. 14. At the end of 10 days of frank, in-depth discussion, the Conference finally adopted by consensus the Geneva Declaration on Palestine2 and the Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights.2 It is appro- priate here to pay special tribute to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and to Mrs. Lucille Mair, Secretary- . -. 50. Despite its continuous preoccupation throughout past years with resisting the constant Israeli armed aggres- sion against its people and camps, which culminated in the aggression against Lebanon and the siege of the heroic ritv of Beirut last summer. the PLO has not ceased to -.-, participate in all international forums and to contribute positively and effectively to every sincere international effort aimed at finding a just solution to the question of Palestine. The fact that we belong to the United Nations and participate positively and continuously in the work of all the international specialized organizations proves our commitment to international legitimacy and to the United Nations, as well as to its resolutions on the question of Palestine as the basis for a just solution that guarantees the inalienable rights of our peoples and ensures the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the region, where the question of Palestine constitutes the core of the conflict. 51. The International Conference on the Question of Palestine, which adopted the Geneva Declaration on Pal- estine* and the Programme of Action for the Achieve- ment of Palestinian Rights,* was an international event of great significance in which 119 States, the PLO and N%nibia participated f&y, another 20 States participated i. r the capacity of observers, and 101 non-governmental arganizations, 16 prominent personalities and 40 United Nations agencies and organs also took part. Its delibera- tions and discussions were carried out in a balanced and objective manner. 52. We believe that the Geneva Declaration on Pales- tine and the Programme of Action are clear evidence of unparalleled international unanimity on the question of Palestine and the means of solving it, and are basically inspired by the Charter and the resolutions of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles of international law. The Geneva Declara- tion on Palestine reflects the international community’s appreciation of the importance of the time element in solving the question of Palestine, which has been before the Assembly continuously since 1947, and affirms the conviction that no partial or temporary solutions have ever or will ever bring peace to the area, but only more war and destruction. 53. The Declaration states unequivocally that the main cause of the conflict in the Middle East is the denial by Israel and those that support its expansionist policies of the genuine, inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Like the General Assembly in its resolutions, the Decla- ration clearly and explicitly defines these rights as fol- lows: first, the right of the Palestinian people to return, to self-determination and to establish its own independent State in Palestine; secondly, the right of the PLO, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to participate on an equal footing with other parties in all efforts, deliberations and conferences concerning the question of Palestine and the Middle East; thirdly, the need to put an end to Israel’s occupation of the Arab territories, in accordance with the principle of the inad- missibility of the acquisition of territory by force, and, consequently, the need to secure unconditional and com- plete withdrawal by Israel from the occupied Arab and Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem; fourthly, the need to oppose and reject all Israeli policies and prac- tices in the occupied territories, including Jerusalem, particularly the establishment of settlements, the expro- priation of land and property and the imposition of legislation that is contrar: to international law and United 54. The International Conference on the Question of Palestine also resnonded to the proposal bv the PLO to convene an international conference on peace, on the basis of the principles of the Charter of the United Nat$ns and United Nations resolutions concerning the question of Palestine, with a view to finding a just, lasting and comprehensive solution to the conflict in the Middle East, one of the basic elements of which would be the estabt!shment of an independent Palestinian State. The conference should be convened within the context of the United Nations and all the parties concerned, including the PLO, should participate on an equal footing. Par- ticipants should include the United States, the Soviet Union and other States concerned. 55. This proposal, which has met wide international response, constitutes a constructive and important step towards finding a practical means of implementing United Nations resolutions, which is always prevented by the American veto. This is aimed against our people, its rights and its objectives and abets Israel’s policy of aggression, expansion and settlement. 56. We are confident that the Assembly will adopt this proposal at the present session and that the international community will firmly insist on its being implemented, with a view to achieving its noble objective of security and neace for all the neoules of the world, including the Palestinian people, >hiEh is suffering every form of oppression, displacement and terrorism. 57. There is no doubt that the Assembly will also endorse the Programme of Action adopted by the Inter- national Conference on the Question of Palestine, which is aimed at easing some of the suffering of our people and providing it with the necessities of life and the cour- age to resist and go on in the face of the brutal force of the Israelis, supported morally and materially by the United States, and at restoring the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, which like the rest of the peoples of the world simply aspires to an independent, sovereign and free life in its own homeland. 58. In this regard, I should like once more to declare from this rostrum, on behalf of the Palestinian people and of the PLO, our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the States, organizations and individuals that parti- cipated in the International Conference on the Question of Palestine, held at Geneva, and that contributed to its success notwithstanding the pressures and hostile cam- paigns to which some were subjected. We should also like to express our thanks and appreciation to the members of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and to its Chairman. M;:Massamba Sarrt. We wish to commend the invalul able efforts of the Secretary-General and of Mrs. Lucille Mair, Secretary-General of the Conference, who contrib- uted much to its success. We would aIs0 be remiss were we not once again to express our thanks to those fraternal and friendly States, the United Arab Emirates, the United Republic of Tanzania, Nicaragua and Malaysia, which acted as hosts to the regional preparatory meetmgs. As for the Government of Switzerland, it deserves all our thanks and appreciation for having acted as host to the European Regional Preparatory Meeting and to the 60. If we reflect a little on the situation prevailing in all the hotbeds of tension throughout the world, we can clearly see the reason for this tension. The United States, Israel and South Africa, which embody the arrogance of unbridled power in our modern world and which ignore the United Nations, its Charter and its resolutions, are attempting to impose their hegemony and domination upon the peoples of Asia, Africa, Central America and South America. The American invasion of the tiny island of Grenada is an extension of Israel’s invasion of Leba- non last year and of racist South Africa’s invasion of Namibia and its repeated acts of armed aggression against neighbouring countries. Just as Israel and South Africa refuse to recognize the right to self-determination of the peoples whose territories they occupy and dominate on the basis of a repulsive settler, colonialist and racist ideology, in the Middle East and Central America, the United States acts on the basis of a policy of hegemony and the imposition of its influence through direct military intervention without demonstrating any readiness whatso- ever to take into account the aspirations and wishes of peoples and without giving any weight to the opinion of the international community, riding roughshod over the profound social, economic and political contradictions various countries in those regions are experiencing as a result of American imperialist and colonialist policies and of the puppet regimes it has supported and maintained against the peoples of the third world in recent years. 61. The imperialist policy of intervention and threat of force against the neo~les of Grenada. El Salvador. Nicara- gua anid Cuba being pursued by the United States in Central America and in the Caribbean is part and parcel of overall American policy throughout the world, begin- nine with the arms build-up and the intensification of international tension, through the deployment of nuclear missiles and ending with the Israeli massacres of the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples. 62, As for the question of Palestine, the United States has, without exception, stood agamst the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence and has provided unlimited support to Israel and its policies of expansion and aggression, giving it all the modem means of destruction to displace or murder our peoples in Palestine, in Beirut and in the camps of Sabra and Shatila. As for the situation in the Middle East, the United States has made no real effort to establish peace there. Rather, it has sought to dominate the region and to seek fragile and partial solutions that have never led to peace but only to more destruction and wars. it does not recognize and with which it refuses to talk because of its position on this initiative, which contra- venes the inalienable rights of our peoples and their aspirations, while it remains completely silent on the Israeli position, which rejected the initiative chapter and verse. 66. When the Soviet Union made its initiative for peace in the Middle East, our National Council welcomed it while the United States ignored it completely and arro- gantly declared that the USSR had no role in the peace process, a stand incompatible with the international situation and with objective facts and one that does not demonstrate a sincere wish to seek peace. We are reminded of the American position on the eve of the Vance-Gromyko agreement on the basis for a political settlement in tne Middle East that was included in the joint communique of October 1977, a position that was The meeting rose at 5.15 p.m. NOTITES