UN General Assembly Resolutions: Resolution 53/136

The General Assembly,

Aware that the development of friendly relations among nations, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, is among the purposes and principles of the United Nations, as defined in the Charter,

Recalling the International Covenants on Human Rights, 1/ the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 2/ the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples 3/ and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, 4/

Recalling also the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, See resolution 50/6.

Expressing deep concern about the difficulties facing the Middle East peace process, and expressing the hope for rapid progress in the peace process and the achievement of a final settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides within the agreed time,

Affirming the right of all States in the region to live in peace within secure and internationally recognized borders,

1. Reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, without excluding the option of a State;

2. Expresses the hope that the Palestinian people will soon be exercising their right to self-determination in the current peace process;

3. Urges all States and the specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system to continue to support and assist the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination.

Sources: The United Nations