Resolution 60/102
(December 8, 2005)
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions
194 (III) of 11 December 1948, 212 (III) of 19 November
1948, 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 and all subsequent
related resolutions, including its resolution 59/119
of 10 December 2004,
Recalling also the relevant
Security Council resolutions,
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 2004 to 30 June
2005,1
Taking note of the letter
dated 26 September 2005 from the Chairperson of the
Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
addressed to the Commissioner-General,2
Deeply concerned about the
critical financial situation of the Agency and its effect
on the provision of necessary Agency services to the
Palestine refugees, including its emergency-related
and development programmes,
Recalling Articles 100, 104
and 105 of the Charter of the United Nations and the
Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United
Nations,3
Recalling also the Convention
on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel,4
Affirming the applicability
of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection
of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,5 to the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including
East Jerusalem,
Aware of the continuing needs
of the Palestine refugees throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory and in the other fields of operation, namely
Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic,
Gravely concerned about the extremely difficult living conditions being
faced by the Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, including in the
Rafah and Jabaliya refugee camps, resulting, inter alia,
from loss of life and injury, extensive destruction
and damage to their shelters and properties, and displacement,
Aware of the extraordinary
efforts being undertaken by the Agency for the repair
or rebuilding of thousands of damaged or destroyed refugee
shelters,
Aware also of the valuable
work done by the refugee affairs officers of the Agency
in providing protection to the Palestinian people, in
particular Palestine refugees,
Gravely concerned about the
endangerment of the safety of the Agency's staff and
about the damage caused to the facilities of the Agency
as a result of Israeli military operations during the
reporting period,
Deploring the killing of twelve
Agency staff members by the Israeli occupying forces
since September 2000,
Deploring also the killing
and wounding of children in the Agency's schools by
the Israeli occupying forces,
Expressing deep concern about the policies of closure and severe restrictions,
including the curfews, that continue to be imposed on
the movement of persons and goods throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which
have had a grave impact on the socio-economic situation
of the Palestine refugees and have greatly contributed
to the dire humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian
people,
Deeply concerned about the
continuing imposition of restrictions on the freedom
of movement of the Agency's staff, vehicles and goods,
and the harassment and intimidation of the Agency's
staff, which undermine and obstruct the work of the
Agency, including its ability to provide its essential
services, notably its education, health and relief and
social services,
Recalling the signing, on
13 September 1993, of the Declaration of Principles
on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by the Government
of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization6 and the subsequent implementation agreements,
Aware of the agreement
between the Agency and the Government of Israel,
Taking note of the agreement
reached on 24 June 1994, embodied in an exchange of
letters between the Agency and the Palestine Liberation
Organization,7
Recalling the Geneva Conference
convened by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation on 7 and 8 June
2004 to increase support for the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency,
1. Expresses its appreciation
to the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief
and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East, as well as to all of the staff of the Agency,
for their tireless efforts and valuable work, particularly
in the light of the difficult conditions during the
past year;
2. Also expresses its appreciation
to the Advisory Commission of the Agency, and requests
it to continue its efforts and to keep the General Assembly
informed of its activities;
3. Takes note with appreciation
of the report of the Working Group on the Financing
of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees in the Near East,8 and the efforts
of the Working Group to assist in ensuring the financial
security of the Agency, and requests the Secretary-General
to provide the necessary services and assistance to
the Working Group for the conduct of its work;
4. Commends the continuing
efforts of the Commissioner-General to increase the
budgetary transparency and efficiency of the Agency,
as reflected in the Agency's programme budget for the
biennium 2006-2007;9
5. Acknowledges the important
support provided by the host Governments to the Agency
in the discharge of its duties;
6. Encourages the Agency's
further consideration of the needs and rights of children
in its operations in accordance with the Convention
on the Rights of the Child;10
7. Expresses concern about
the temporary relocation of the headquarters international
staff of the Agency from Gaza City and the disruption
of operations at the headquarters;
8. Calls upon Israel, the
occupying Power, to comply fully with the provisions
of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection
of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949;
9. Also calls upon Israel
to abide by Articles 100, 104 and 105 of the Charter
of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges
and Immunities of the United Nations in order to ensure
the safety of the personnel of the Agency, the protection
of its institutions and the safeguarding of the security
of its facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including East Jerusalem;
10. Urges the Government of
Israel to speedily compensate the Agency for damage
to its property and facilities resulting from actions
by the Israeli side;
11. Calls upon Israel particularly
to cease obstructing the movement of the staff, vehicles
and supplies of the Agency and to cease the levying
of extra fees and charges, which affect the Agency's
operations detrimentally;
12. Requests the Commissioner-General
to proceed with the issuance of identification cards
for Palestine refugees and their descendants in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory;
13. Affirms that the functioning
of the Agency remains essential in all the fields of
operation;
14. Notes the success of the
Agency's microfinance and microenterprise programmes,
and calls upon the Agency, in close cooperation with
the relevant agencies, to continue to contribute to
the development of the economic and social stability
of the Palestine refugees in all the fields of operation;
15. Reiterates its request
to the Commissioner-General to proceed with the modernization
of the archives of the Agency through the Palestine
Refugee Records Project, and to indicate progress in
her report to the General Assembly at its sixty-first
session;
16. Reiterates its previous
appeals to all States, specialized agencies and non-governmental
organizations to continue and to augment the special
allocations for grants and scholarships for higher education
to Palestine refugees in addition to their contributions
to the regular budget of the Agency and to contribute
to the establishment of vocational training centres
for Palestine refugees, and requests the Agency to act
as the recipient and trustee for the special allocations
for grants and scholarships;
17. Urges all States, specialized
agencies and non-governmental organizations to continue
and to increase their contributions to the Agency so
as to ease the ongoing financial constraints, exacerbated
by the current humanitarian situation on the ground,
and to support the Agency's valuable work in assisting
the Palestine refugees.
62nd plenary meeting
8 December 2005
Notes
1Official Records of the
General Assembly, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 13
(A/60/13); and ibid., Supplement No. 13A (A/60/13/Add.1).
2Official Records of the
General Assembly, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 13
(A/60/13), p. vii.
3Resolution 22 A (I).
4United Nations, Treaty
Series, vol. 2051, No. 35457.
5Ibid., vol. 75, No. 973.
6A/48/486-S/26560, annex.
7Official Records of the
General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No.
13 (A/49/13), annex I.
8A/60/439.
9Official Records of the
General Assembly, Sixtieth Session, Supplement No. 13,
addendum (A/60/13/Add.1).
10United Nations, Treaty
Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.
Sources: The United Nations |