← Votes

A/RES/56/33 GA

Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People

56
Session
106
Yes
5
No
48
Abstentions
Draft symbol A/56/L.19
Adopted symbol A/RES/56/33
Category POLITICAL AND LEGAL QUESTIONS
Voeten Topics ⓘ
P5 Positions
Russia ~ United States ✗ United Kingdom ~ China ✓ France ~
UN Document A/RES/56/33 ↗

Vote Recorded Vote — A/56/PV.72 Dec. 3, 2001

— Abstain (48)
✗ No (5)
Absent (30)
✓ Yes (106)
Speeches following this vote (20) may include explanations of vote
The President
We turn next to draft resolution A/56/L.20, entitled “Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat”. I should like to announce that, since the introduction of the draft resolution, the following countries have become sponsors: Brunei Darussalam, Namibia, the Niger and Zimbabwe. A recorded vote has been requested. A recorded vote was taken. In favour: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armeni…
The President
We turn next to draft resolution A/56/L.21, entitled “Special information programme on the question of Palestine of the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat”. Before proceeding to take action on the draft resolution, I should like to announce that since its introduction, the following countries have become sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.21: Brunei Darussalam, Namibia, the Nig…
The President
The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/56/L.22, entitled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine”, as orally revised. Before proceeding to take action on the draft resolution, I should like to announce that since its publication, the following countries have become sponsors of draft resolution A/56/L.22: Brunei Darussalam, Namibia, the Niger, Togo and Zimbabwe. A …
The President
I shall now call on those representatives who wish to make statements in explanation of vote after the voting. May I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.
Mr. Ovia (Papua New Guinea)
Papua New Guinea’s position on the question of the right to selfdetermination is well known in the Assembly, and I do not need to repeat it. It has been reflected in Papua New Guinea’s affirmative vote on draft resolutions on this subject in the past. However, Papua New Guinea has abstained in the voting this time. We believe that peace cannot be achieved through continued violence, such as tha…
Mr. Duval (Canada)
Canada stresses the need for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Indeed, there is no way to resolve the dispute but through diplomatic channels. Violence must end, and negotiation must resume. Both Palestinians and Israelis continue to suffer, and both must take the necessary steps to end the suffering. Canada abstained in the voting on draft resolution A/56/L.22 because …
Mr. Cockx (Belgium)
I have the honour to explain the vote of the European Union on the draft resolutions entitled “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People” and “Division for Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat”. The European Union is convinced that the framework of the peace process, as it was constructed through negotiations and agreements between the parties, represents the…
Mr. Macedo (Mexico)
My delegation voted in favour of draft resolution A/56/L.22 because we feel that the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine is one of the indispensable elements in the settlement of the conflict in the Middle East. Nonetheless, we would like to repeat the following observations in relation to the content of the draft resolution’s operative paragraph 3. Mexico observes that one of the …
Mr. Harrison (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
The United Kingdom fully associates itself with the statement in the debate and the explanation of vote made by the representatives of Belgium on behalf of the European Union. The United Kingdom also fully supports the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine. My Government believes that to find such a peaceful settlement, both sides in the conflict must make difficult decisions in the c…
Mr. van den Berg (Netherlands)
The Netherlands fully supports the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine. For that to come about, both sides will have to face difficult and far-reaching choices. The Netherlands feels that the text of draft resolution A/56/L.22 does not reflect in an evenhanded way the obligations and responsibilities of both parties. More specifically, the Netherlands deplores that the current text d…
Mr. Blazey (Australia)
Australia abstained in the voting on draft resolution A/56/L.22, even though we strongly believe that there must be a peaceful settlement of the differences which separate the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Australia has great sympathy for the losses suffered by both Palestinians and Israelis, and while we acknowledge that the Palestinian civilian population has suffered significantly, we regre…
Mr. Hughes (New Zealand)
New Zealand voted in favour of draft resolution A/56/L.22 today, but not without considerable reservations. We would greatly have wished to have seen a more balanced text, particularly in the sixteenth preambular paragraph, which might have acknowledged the high number of deaths and injuries among civilians on both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, not least in view of the horrific suicide …
Mr. Kolby (Norway)
Norway continues to reject the use of violence, not least when directed against civilians. The horrific acts over the weekend have reinforced the need for the international community to speak out against indiscriminate acts of violence directed against innocent civilians. The conflict in the Middle East can never be resolved by the use of violence, and a heavy responsibility lies on both parties…
Ms. Løj (Denmark)
Denmark strongly supports the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine. The draft resolution on this issue contained in document A/56/L.22, just adopted, contains many useful elements to be pursued in order to reach this goal. They are fully supported by Denmark. In order to fully reflect the situation in the region, not least after the tragic events in recent days, Denmark supported the…
Mr. Loizaga (Paraguay)
As regards draft resolution A/56/L.22, “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine”, the delegation of Paraguay abstained in the voting, because we would have liked to see in the resolution an appeal in relation to the most recent events that we have witnessed in Israel and in the Palestinian zone. We feel that it is necessary to indicate to both parties the need to provide guarantees of s…
Mr. Schumacher (Germany)
Belgium, as Presidency of the European Union, has voiced our position as regards the peace process in the Middle East, and we fully associate ourselves with the statement made by our Belgian colleague. However, Germany found it necessary, together with other European Union partners, to abstain in the voting on draft resolution A/56/L.22, “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine”. We urge…
The President
We have heard the last speaker in explanation of vote after the voting. I now call on the observer of Palestine.
Mr. Al-Kidwa (State of Palestine)
The observer delegation of Palestine is pleased with the outcome of voting on the draft resolution discussed today. We are deeply grateful to the General Assembly for this clear stance towards the Holy City of Jerusalem and rejection of the actions taken by Israel. No delegation voted against that resolution, except for Israel and, unfortunately, Nauru, for reasons that we cannot understand or kn…
Mr. Lancry (Israel)
I wish to thank the representatives of many delegations for their expressions of condolence and their condemnation and denunciation of Palestinian terrorism and for their appeals for the resumption of negotiations. We have noted with satisfaction that our appeal in the course of our explanation of vote before the vote seems to have been heeded by a number of delegations and that a certain message…
Mr. Aboul Gheit (Egypt)
As Chairman of the Arab Group for this month and as one of the sponsors of the draft resolutions adopted today, Egypt would like — without detailing political positions that are well known to all — to explain its position on draft resolution A/56/L.22. Many delegations proposed amendments to that text to reflect the incidents of the past two days and the terrorist acts that took place on Saturday…
Full text of resolution OCR extract — may contain errors
United Nations A/RES/56/33 General Assembly Distr.: General 18 December 2001 Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 41 01 47845 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/56/L.19 and Add.1)] 56/33. Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 181 (II) of 29 November 1947, 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, 3236 (XXIX) of 22 November 1974, 3375 (XXX) and 3376 (XXX) of 10 November 1975, 31/20 of 24 November 1976, 32/40 A of 2 December 1977, 33/28 A and B of 7 December 1978, 34/65 A of 29 November 1979 and 34/65 C of 12 December 1979, ES-7/2 of 29 July 1980, 35/169 A and C of 15 December 1980, 36/120 A and C of 10 December 1981, ES-7/4 of 28 April 1982, 37/86 A of 10 December 1982, 38/58 A of 13 December 1983, 39/49 A of 11 December 1984, 40/96 A of 12 December 1985, 41/43 A of 2 December 1986, 42/66 A of 2 December 1987, 43/175 A of 15 December 1988, 44/41 A of 6 December 1989, 45/67 A of 6 December 1990, 46/74 A of 11 December 1991, 47/64 A of 11 December 1992, 48/158 A of 20 December 1993, 49/62 A of 14 December 1994, 50/84 A of 15 December 1995, 51/23 of 4 December 1996, 52/49 of 9 December 1997, 53/39 of 2 December 1998, 54/39 of 1 December 1999 and 55/52 of 1 December 2000, Having considered the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People,1 Recalling the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self- Government Arrangements, including its Annexes and Agreed Minutes, by the Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, in Washington, D.C., on 13 September 1993,2 as well as the subsequent implementation agreements, in particular the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, signed in Washington, D.C., on 28 September 1995,3 _______________ 1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 35 (A/56/35). 2 A/48/486-S/26560, annex. 3 A/51/889-S/1997/357, annex. A/RES/56/33 2 Reaffirming that the United Nations has a permanent responsibility with respect to the question of Palestine until the question is resolved in all its aspects in a satisfactory manner in accordance with international legitimacy, 1. Expresses its appreciation to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its efforts in performing the tasks assigned to it by the General Assembly; 2. Considers that the Committee can continue to make a valuable and positive contribution to international efforts to promote the Middle East peace process and the full implementation of the agreements reached and to mobilize international support for and assistance to the Palestinian people during the transitional period; 3. Endorses the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee contained in chapter VII of its report;1 4. Requests the Committee to continue to keep under review the situation relating to the question of Palestine and to report and make suggestions to the General Assembly or the Security Council, as appropriate; 5. Authorizes the Committee to continue to exert all efforts to promote the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, to make such adjustments in its approved programme of work as it may consider appropriate and necessary in the light of developments, to give special emphasis to the need to mobilize support and assistance for the Palestinian people and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session and thereafter; 6. Requests the Committee to continue to extend its cooperation and support to Palestinian and other civil society organizations in order to mobilize international solidarity and support for the achievement by the Palestinian people of its inalienable rights and for a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, and to involve additional civil society organizations in its work; 7. Requests the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, established under General Assembly resolution 194 (III), and other United Nations bodies associated with the question of Palestine to continue to cooperate fully with the Committee and to make available to it, at its request, the relevant information and documentation which they have at their disposal; 8. Requests the Secretary-General to circulate the report of the Committee to all the competent bodies of the United Nations, and urges them to take the necessary action, as appropriate; 9. Also requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Committee with all the necessary facilities for the performance of its tasks. 72nd plenary meeting 3 December 2001
▶ Cite this page

UN Project. “A/RES/56/33.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-56-33/. Accessed .