UN General Assembly Resolutions: Resolution 34/52

A

Assistance to Palestine Refugees

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 33/112 A of 18 December 1978 and all previous resolutions on the question, including resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948,

Taking note of the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agencies for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979,1/

1. Notes with deep regret that repatriation or compensation of the refugees as provided for in paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III) has not been effected, that no substantial progress has been made in the programme endorsed by the Assembly in paragraph 2 of its resolution 513 (VI) of 26 January 1952 for the reintegration of refugees either by repatriation or resettlement and that, therefore, the situation of the refugees continues to be a matter of serious concern;

2. Expresses its thanks to the Commissioner-General and to all the staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, recognizing that the Agency is doing all it can within the limits of available resources, and also expresses its thanks to the specialized agencies and private organizations for their valuable work in assisting the refugees;

3. Expresses its deep appreciation to the former Commissioner-General, Mr. Thomas W. McElhiney, for his many years of effective service to the Agency and his dedication to the welfare of the refugees;

4. Reiterates its request that the headquarters of the Agency should be relocated within the area of its operations as soon as practicable;

5. Notes with regret that the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine has been unable to find a means of achieving progress in the implementation of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III) 2/ and requests the Commission to exert continued efforts towards the implementation of that paragraph and to report to the Assembly as appropriate, but no later than 1 October 1980;

6. Directs attention to the continuing seriousness of the financial position of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, as outlined in the report of the Commissioner-General;

7. Notes with profound concern that, despite the commendable and successful efforts of the Commissioner-General to collect additional contributions, this increased level of income to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is still insufficient to cover essential budget requirements in the present year and that, at currently foreseen levels of giving, deficits will recur each year;

8. Calls upon all Governments as a matter of urgency to make the most generous efforts possible to meet the anticipated needs of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, particularly in the light of the budgetary deficit projected in the report of the Commissioner-General, and therefore urges non-contributing Governments to contribute regularly and contributing Governments to consider increasing their regular contributions.

B

Assistance to persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 hostilities

Recalling its resolution 33/112 B of 18 December 1978 and all previous resolutions on the question,

Taking note of the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1975,3/

Concerned about the continued human suffering resulting from the June 1967 hostilities in the Middle East,

1. Reaffirms its resolution 33/112 B and all previous resolutions on the question;

2. Endorses, bearing in mind the objectives of those resolutions, the efforts of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to continue to provide humanitarian assistance as far as practicable, on an emergency basis and as a temporary measure, to other persons in the area who are at present displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the June 1967 hostilities;

3. Strongly appeals to all Governments and to organizations and individuals to contribute generously for the above purposes to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and to the other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned.

C

Offers by Member States of grants and scholarships
for higher education, including vocational training,
for the Palestine refugees

Recalling its resolution 212 (III) of 19 November 1948 on assistance to Palestinian refugees,

Recalling also its resolution 33/112 C of 18 December 1978,

Cognizant of the fact that the Palestinian refugees have, for the last three decades, lost their lands and means of livelihood,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 32/90 F,4/

Having examined with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on offers of scholarships and grants for higher education for Palestinian refugees and the scope of the implementation of resolution 32/90 F,5/

Having also examined with appreciation the parts of the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979,6/ dealing with this subject,

Noting that fewer than one per thousand of the Palestinian refugee students have the chance to continue higher education, including vocational training,

Noting also that over the past several years the number of scholarships offered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has dwindled to half of what it was because of the Agency's recurring budgetary difficulties,

1. Expresses its appreciation to all Governments, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations which responded favourably to General Assembly resolution 33/112 C;

2. Appeals to all States, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations to augment the special allocations for scholarships and grants to Palestinian refugees in addition to their contributions to the regular budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East;

3. Invites the relevant United Nations agencies to continue to expand the inclusion within their respective spheres of competence of assistance for higher education for the Palestinian refugee students;

4. Appeals to all States, specialized agencies and the United Nations University to contribute generously to the Palestinian universities in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967;

5. Also appeals to all States, specialized agencies and other international bodies to contribute towards the establishment of vocational training centres for Palestinian refugees;

6. Requests the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to act as recipient and trustee for such special allocations and scholarships and to award them to qualified Palestinian refugee candidates;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fifth session on the implementation of the present resolution.

D

Working Group on the financing of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

Recalling its resolutions 2656 (XXV) of 7 December 1970, 2728 (XXV) of 15 December 1970, 2791 (XXVI) of 6 December 1971, 2964 (XXVII) of 13 December 1972, 3090 (XXVIII) of 7 December 1973, 3330 (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, 3419 D (XXX) of 8 December 1975, 31/15 C of 23 November 1976, 32/90 D of 13 December 1977 and 33/112 D of 18 December 1978,

Having considered the report of the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,7/

Taking into account the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979,8/

Gravely concerned at the critical financial situation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which has already reduced the essential minimum serving being provided to the Palestinian refugees and which threatens even greater reductions in the future,

Emphasizing the urgent need for extraordinary efforts in order to maintain, at least at their present minimum level, the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,

1. Commends the Working Group on the Financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for its efforts to assist in ensuring the Agency's financial security;

2. Takes note with approval of the report of the Working Group;

3. Requests the Working Group to continue its efforts, in co-operation with the Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General, for the financing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for a further period of one year;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the necessary services and assistance to the Working Group for the conduct of its work.

E

Population and refugees displaced since 1967

Recalling Security Council resolution 237 (1967) of 14 June 1967,

Recalling also its resolutions 2252 (ES-V) of 4 July 1967, 2452 A (XXIII) of 19 December 1968, 2535 B (XXIV) of 10 December 1969, 2672 D (XXV) of 8 December 1970, 2792 E (XXVI) of 6 December 1971, 2963 C and D (XXVII) of 13 December 1972, 3089 C (XXVIII) of 7 December 1973, 3331 D (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, 3419 C (XXX) of 8 December 1975, 31/15 D of 23 November 1976, 32/90 E of 13 December 1977 and 33/112 F of 18 December 1978,

Having considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979,9/ and the report of the Secretary-General of 16 October 1979,10/

1. Reaffirms the inalienable right of all the displaced inhabitants to return to their homes or former places of residence in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 and declares once more that any attempt to restrict, or to attach conditions to, the free exercise of the right of return by any displaced person is inconsistent with that inalienable right and inadmissible;

2. Considers any and all agreements embodying any restriction on or condition for the return of the displaced inhabitants as null and void;

3. Deplores the continued refusal of the Israeli authorities to take steps for the return of the displaced inhabitants;

4. Calls once more upon Israel:

(a) To take immediate steps for the return of all the displaced inhabitants;

(b) To desist from all measures that obstruct the return of the displaced inhabitants, including measures affecting the physical and demographic structure of the occupied territories;

5. Requests the Secretary-General, after consulting with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to report to the General Assembly by the opening of the thirty-fifth session on Israel's compliance with paragraph 4 above.

F

Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip

Recalling Security Council resolution 237 (1967) of 14 June 1967,

Recalling also its resolutions 2792 C (XXVI) of 6 December 1971, 2963 C (XXVII) of 13 December 1972, 3089 C (XXVIII) of 7 December 1973, 3331 D (XXIX) of 17 December 1974, 3419 C (XXX) of 8 December 1975, 31/15 E of 23 November 1976, 32/90 C of 13 December 1977 and 33/112 E of 18 December 1978,

Having considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1978 to 30 June 1979,11/ and the report of the Secretary-General of 16 October 1979,12/

Recalling the provisions of paragraph 11 of its resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948 and considering that measures to resettle Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip away from their homes and property from which they were displaced constitute a violation of their inalienable right to return;

1. Calls once more upon Israel to desist from removal and resettlement of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip and from destruction of their shelters;

2. Requests the Secretary-General, after consulting with the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to report to the General Assembly by the opening of the thirty-fifth session on Israel's compliance with paragraph 1 above.

* * *

2/ For the report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine covering the period from 1 October 1978 to 30 September 1979, see Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fourth Session, Annexes, agenda item 50, document A/34/549, annex.

3/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/34/13 and Corr.1).

4/ Ibid., Thirty-third Session, Annexes, agenda item 54, document A/33/287.

5/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Annexes, agenda item 50, document A/34/480.

6/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/34/13 and Corr.1).

7/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Annexes, agenda item 50, document A/34/567.

8/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/34/13 and Corr.1).

9/ Ibid.

10/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Annexes, agenda item 50, document A/34/518.

11/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 13, (A/34/13 and Corr.1).

12/ Ibid., Thirty-fourth Session, Annexes, agenda item 50, document A/34/517.

Sources: The United Nations