UN General Assembly Resolutions: Resolution 59/117
(December 10, 2004)
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948 and all its subsequent resolutions on the question, including resolution 58/91 of 9 December 2003,
Recalling also its resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949, by which, inter alia, it established the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,
Recalling further relevant Security Council resolutions,
Aware of the fact that, for more than five decades, the Palestine refugees have suffered from the loss of their homes, lands and means of livelihood,
Affirming the imperative of resolving the problem of the Palestine refugees for the achievement of justice and for the achievement of lasting peace in the region,
Acknowledging the essential role that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East has played for more than fifty-four years since its establishment in ameliorating the plight of the Palestine refugees in the fields of education, health and relief and social services,
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 2003 to 30 June 2004,1
Aware of the continuing needs of the Palestine refugees throughout all the fields of operation, namely Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
Expressing grave concern at the especially difficult situation of the Palestine refugees under occupation, including with regard to their safety, well-being and living conditions, and the continuous deterioration of those conditions during the recent period,
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1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 13 (A/59/13).
Noting the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self- Government Arrangements on 13 September 1993 by the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization 2 and the subsequent implementation agreements,
Aware of the important role to be played in the peace process by the Multilateral Working Group on Refugees of the Middle East peace process,
1. Notes with regret that repatriation or compensation of the refugees, as provided for in paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III), has not yet been effected and that, therefore, the situation of the Palestine refugees continues to be a matter of grave concern;
2. Also 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), and requests the Conciliation Commission to exert continued efforts towards the implementation of that paragraph and to report to the Assembly as appropriate, but no later than 1 September 2005;
3. Affirms the necessity for the continuation of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the importance of its operation and its services for the well-being of the Palestine refugees and for the stability of the region, pending the resolution of the question of the Palestine refugees;
4. Calls upon all donors to continue to make the most generous efforts possible to meet the anticipated needs of the Agency, including those mentioned in recent emergency appeals;
5. Decides to extend the mandate of the Agency until 30 June 2008, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III).
71st plenary meeting
10 December 2004
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2 A/48/486-S/26560, annex.
Sources: The United Nations