A/RES/61/116 GA

United Nations A/RES/61/116 General Assembly Distr.: General 15 January 2007 Sixty-first session Agenda item 32 06-50139 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 14 December 2006 [on the report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) (A/61/408)] 61/116. Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories The General Assembly, Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Guided also by international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,1 as well as international standards of human rights, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights2 and the International Covenants on Human Rights,3 Recalling its relevant resolutions, including resolutions 2443 (XXIII) of 19 December 1968 and 60/104 of 8 December 2005, and the relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council, Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, Taking into account the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 4 and recalling in this regard General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004, Convinced that occupation itself represents a gross and grave violation of human rights, Gravely concerned about the continuing detrimental impact of the events that have taken place since 28 September 2000, including the excessive use of force by the Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries, the widespread destruction of property and vital infrastructure and the internal displacement of civilians, _______________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. 2 Resolution 217 A (III). 3 See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. 4 See A/ES-10/273 and Corr.1. A/RES/61/116 2 Having considered the report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories5 and the relevant reports of the Secretary-General,6 Recalling the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements of 13 September 1993 7 and the subsequent implementation agreements between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, Welcoming the free and democratic Palestinian Legislative Council elections that took place on 25 January 2006 and welcoming also the efforts to form a national unity government working towards a peaceful resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, based on relevant United Nations resolutions and the agreements concluded between the two sides, Expressing the hope that the Israeli occupation will be brought to an early and complete end and that therefore the violation of the human rights of the Palestinian people will cease, and recalling in this regard its resolution 58/292 of 6 May 2004, 1. Commends the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories for its efforts in performing the tasks assigned to it by the General Assembly and for its impartiality; 2. Reiterates its demand that Israel, the occupying Power, cooperate, in line with its obligations as a State Member of the United Nations, with the Special Committee in implementing its mandate; 3. Deplores those policies and practices of Israel that violate the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories, as reflected in the report of the Special Committee covering the reporting period;5 4. Expresses grave concern about the critical situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 28 September 2000, as a result of unlawful Israeli practices and measures, and especially condemns all Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the wall, as well as the excessive and indiscriminate use of force against the civilian population, including extrajudicial executions; 5. Welcomes the free and democratic Palestinian Legislative Council elections that took place on 25 January 2006 and welcomes also the efforts to form a national unity government working towards a peaceful resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, based on relevant United Nations resolutions and the agreements concluded between the two sides; 6. Requests the Special Committee, pending complete termination of the Israeli occupation, to continue to investigate Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, especially Israeli violations of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,1 and to consult, as appropriate, with the International Committee of the Red Cross according to its regulations in order to ensure that the welfare and human rights of the peoples of the occupied territories are safeguarded and to report _______________ 5 See A/61/500. 6 A/61/327-331. 7 A/48/486-S/26560, annex. A/RES/61/116 3 to the Secretary-General as soon as possible and whenever the need arises thereafter; 7. Also requests the Special Committee to submit regularly to the Secretary- General periodic reports on the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem; 8. Further requests the Special Committee to continue to investigate the treatment of the thousands of prisoners and detainees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967; 9. Requests the Secretary-General: (a) To provide the Special Committee with all necessary facilities, including those required for its visits to the occupied territories, so that it may investigate Israeli policies and practices referred to in the present resolution; (b) To continue to make available such staff as may be necessary to assist the Special Committee in the performance of its tasks; (c) To circulate regularly to Member States the periodic reports mentioned in paragraph 7 above; (d) To ensure the widest circulation of the reports of the Special Committee and of information regarding its activities and findings, by all means available, through the Department of Public Information of the Secretariat and, where necessary, to reprint those reports of the Special Committee that are no longer available; (e) To report to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session on the tasks entrusted to him in the present resolution; 10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-second session the item entitled “Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories”. 79th plenary meeting 14 December 2006

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