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 60/102
of 8 December 2005,
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 January to 31
December 2005,1
Taking note of
the letter dated 28 September 2006 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, as well as about the rising expenditures
of the Agency resulting from the deterioration
of the socio-economic and humanitarian
conditions in the region and their significant
negative impact 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, particularly in the refugee
camps in the Gaza Strip, resulting, inter
alia, from the loss of life and injury,
the extensive destruction of their shelters,
properties and vital infrastructure and
the displacement of the Palestine refugees,
Aware of the
extraordinary efforts being undertaken
by the Agency for the repair or rebuilding
of thousands of damaged or destroyed refugee
shelters and for the provision of shelter
for those refugee families internally displaced
as a result of recent Israeli military
actions,
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 fourteen Agency staff members
by the Israeli occupying forces in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory since September
2000 and of one Agency staff member by
the Israeli air force in Lebanon in August
2006,
Deploring also the
killing and wounding of refugee children,
including in the Agency's schools, by the
Israeli occupying forces,
Expressing deep concern about
the policies of closure and severe restrictions
that continue to be imposed on the movement
of persons and goods throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
as well as the continued construction of
the wall, contrary to international law,
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
including in and around 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 basic and emergency 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 East8
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. Also commends the
organizational reform measures taken by
the Agency to modernize and strengthen
its management aimed at enhancing its ability
to address the needs of the Palestine refugees;
6. Endorses,
meanwhile, the efforts of the Commissioner-General
to continue to provide humanitarian assistance,
as far as practicable, on an emergency
basis, and as a temporary measure, to persons
in the area who are internally displaced
and in serious need of continued assistance
as a result of recent incursions in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory and hostilities
in Lebanon;
7. Acknowledges the
important support provided by the host
Governments to the Agency in the discharge
of its duties;
8. 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
9. Expresses concern about
the temporary relocation of the international
staff of the Agency from its headquarters
in Gaza City and the disruption of operations
at the headquarters;
10. 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;5
11. 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 Nations3 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;
12. Urges the
Government of Israel to speedily compensate
the Agency for damage to its property and
facilities resulting from actions by the
Israeli side and to expeditiously reimburse
the Agency for port and related charges,
including storage, demurrage and transit
charges, incurred by the Agency and other
financial losses sustained by the Agency
as a result of delays and restrictions
on movement and access imposed by Israel;
13. 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;
14. Requests the
Commissioner-General to proceed with the
issuance of identification cards for Palestine
refugees and their descendants in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory;
15. Affirms that
the functioning of the Agency remains essential
in all the fields of operation;
16. 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;
17. 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-second
session;
18. 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;
19. 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 that has resulted
in rising expenditures, in particular with
regard to emergency services, and to support
the Agency's valuable and necessary work
in assisting the Palestine refugees in
all fields of operation.