Resolution 57/110
(December 3, 2002)
The General Assembly,
Recalling its relevant resolutions, including
those adopted at the tenth emergency special session,
Recalling also the relevant Security Council
resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338
(1973) of 22 October 1973 and 1397 (2002) of 12 March 2002,
Welcoming the affirmation by the Security Council
of the vision of a region where two States, Israel and Palestine, live
side by side within secure and recognized borders,
Noting that it has been fifty-five years since
the adoption of resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 and thirty-five
years since the occupation of Palestinian territory, including East
Jerusalem, in 1967,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General
submitted pursuant to the request made in its resolution 56/36 of 3
December 2001,1
Reaffirming the permanent responsibility of
the United Nations with regard to the question of Palestine until the
question is resolved in all its aspects,
Convinced that achieving a final and peaceful
settlement of the question of Palestine, the core of the Arab-Israeli
conflict, is imperative for the attainment of a comprehensive and lasting
peace in the Middle East,
Aware that the principle of equal rights and
self-determination of peoples is among the purposes and principles enshrined
in the Charter of the United Nations,
Affirming the principle of the inadmissibility
of the acquisition of territory by war,
Affirming also the illegality of the Israeli
settlements in the territory occupied since 1967 and of Israeli actions
aimed at changing the status of Jerusalem,
Affirming once again the right of all States
in the region to live in peace within secure and internationally recognized
borders,
Recalling the mutual recognition between the
Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization,
the representative of the Palestinian people,2 as well as the existing
agreements concluded between the two sides, and the need for full compliance
with those agreements,
Noting with satisfaction the establishment
of the Palestinian Authority and the holding of the first Palestinian
general elections, as well as the preparations being undertaken for
the second elections,
Noting the appointment by the Secretary-General
of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the
Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, and
its positive contribution,
Welcoming the convening of the Conference to
Support Middle East Peace in Washington, D.C., on 1 October 1993, as
well as all follow-up meetings and the international mechanisms established
to provide assistance to the Palestinian people,
Expressing its grave concern at the tragic
events in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
since 28 September 2000 and the continued deterioration of the situation,
including the rising number of deaths and injuries, mostly among Palestinian
civilians, the deepening humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian
people and the widespread destruction of Palestinian property and infrastructure,
both private and public, including many institutions of the Palestinian
Authority,
Expressing its grave concern also at the repeated
incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas and the reoccupation of
many Palestinian population centres by the Israeli occupying forces,
Emphasizing the importance of the safety and
well-being of all civilians in the whole Middle East region, and condemning
all acts of violence and terror against civilians on both sides,
Gravely concerned at the increased suffering
and casualties on both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, the loss of
confidence on both sides and the dire situation facing the Middle East
peace process,
Affirming the urgent need for the parties to
cooperate with all international efforts, including the efforts of the
Quartet of the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the
European Union and the United Nations, to end the current tragic situation
and to resume negotiations towards a final peace settlement,
1. Reaffirms the necessity of achieving a peaceful
settlement of the question of Palestine, the core of the Arab-Israeli
conflict, in all its aspects and of intensifying all efforts to that
end;
2. Also reaffirms its full support for the
Middle East peace process, which began in Madrid, and the existing agreements
between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, stresses the necessity for
the establishment of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the
Middle East, and welcomes in this regard the efforts of the Quartet;
3. Welcomes the Arab Peace Initiative adopted
by the Council of the League of Arab States at its fourteenth session,
held in Beirut on 27 and 28 March 2002;3
4. Stresses the necessity for a commitment
to the vision of the two-State solution and the principle of land for
peace, as well as the implementation of Security Council resolutions
242 (1967), 338 (1973) and 1397 (2002);
5. Also stresses the need for a speedy end
to the reoccupation of Palestinian population centres and for the complete
cessation of all acts of violence, including military attacks, destruction
and acts of terror;
6. Calls upon the concerned parties, the Quartet
and other interested parties to exert all efforts and initiatives necessary
to halt the deterioration of the situation and to reverse all measures
taken on the ground since 28 September 2000, and to ensure the successful
and speedy resumption of the peace process and the conclusion of a final
peaceful settlement;
7. Stresses the need for:
(a) The withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian
territory occupied since 1967;
(b) The realization of the inalienable rights of the
Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination and the
right to their independent State;
8. Also stresses the need for resolving the
problem of the Palestine refugees in conformity with its resolution
194 (III) of 11 December 1948;
9. Urges Member States to expedite the provision
of economic, humanitarian and technical assistance to the Palestinian
people and the Palestinian Authority during this critical period to
help to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, rebuild the
Palestinian economy and infrastructure and support the restructuring
and reform of Palestinian institutions;
10. Requests the Secretary-General to continue
his efforts with the parties concerned, and in consultation with the
Security Council, towards the attainment of a peaceful settlement of
the question of Palestine and the promotion of peace in the region and
to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session a report
on these efforts and on developments on this matter.
66th plenary meeting
3 December 2002
Notes:
1. A/57/621-S/2002/1268.
2. See A/48/486-S/26560, annex.
3. A/56/1026-S/2002/932, annex II, resolution 14/221.
Sources: The United Nations |