Items-In-Middle East - Other Countries - General

UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 20 Date 29/06/2006 Time 9:52:52 AM

S-0899-0012-07-00001

Expanded Number S-0899-0012-07-00001

items-in-Middle East - other countries - general

Date Created 14/01/1976

Record Type Archival Item

Container S-0899-001 2: Peacekeeping - Middle East 1945-1981

Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit UNITED NATIONS GENERAL GENERAL A/3i/272 19Octc er 1976 ASSEMBLr\ V W 6» IVB L/ I. Y1 IS^^^x^+^>^*fy * ^^x^Jr ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

Thirty-first session Agenda items 29 and 113

THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

MEASURES TO PREVENT INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM WHICH ENDANGERS OR TAKES INNOCENT HUMAN LIVES OR JEOPARDIZES FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, AND STUDY OF THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF THOSE FORMS OF TERRORISM AND ACTS OF VIOLENCE WHICH LIE IN MISERY, FRUSTRATION, GRIEVANCE AND DESPAIR AND WHICH CAUSE SOME PEOPLE TO SACRIFICE HUMAN LIVES, INCLUDING THEIR OWN, IN AN ATTEMPT TO EFFECT RADICAL CHANGES

Letter dated 18 October 1976 from the Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

As Chairman of the Arab Group during the month of October 1976, I have the honour to bring to your attention the escalation of Israeli acts of piracy against Arab civilians on the high seas.

In this connexion, we would like to refer to the visit paid to you by Ambassador Mohammed Sallam, Permanent Representative of Yemen, in his capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of September 1976. During that visit, Ambassador Sallam expressed the grave concern of the Arab delegations over Israeli piracy on the high seas.

We would also like to refer to the letter on this matter addressed to you on 28 September 1976 by the Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization and circulated as General Assembly document A/31/256 on 6 October 1976.

Numerous acts of piracy on the high seas have been committed by the Israeli authorities, which have been reported in the mass media. For example, the Jerusalem Post carried in its issue of 12 October 1976 the following story:

"For the third time in a week, the Israel Navy on Thursday night apprehended a vessel off the Lebanese coast and towed it to Haifa. After a search of l;he vessel, a Cypriot yacht, the Peacemaker * and interrogation of passengers and crew, the boat was released on Friday afternoon.

76-20127 A/31/272 English Page 2

"The Army spokesman announced that one of the passengers was being held by the security authorities. However, the captain of the yacht, Salah Badr - an Arab with Cypriot nationality - claimed in Cyprus later that two of his crew, Ahmed Gad and Mohammed Wafik, were taken off the boat, "The Army spokesman said the Peacemaker, which claimed to be carrying refugees from the Lebanese conflict to Limasol, Cyprus, was stopped early Thursday evening north of Rosh_Hanikra after she ignored a signal to identify herself. The decision to tow the boat and its 28 passengers and crew to Haifa was made after some people were seen throwing 'suspicious objects1 overboard."

These acts have culminated in the recent incident on 7 October 1976 against the passenger ship Niyazi, which was en route from Sidon, Lebanon, to the port of Limasol, Cyprus. Among the passengers were a number of Palestinians and five members of the staff of the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut. The ship was hijacked to the port of Haifa, where it was detained for 30 hours. Some of its passengers were maltreated and subjected to humiliation. In one known case so far, the passport of an Iraqi official was confiscated. These acts perpetrated by Israel against civilians on the high seas are piratical in nature and contravene all norms of international law, especially freedom of navigation on the high seas. This aggressive act is highlighted by the fact that Israel commits its acts at a time when the General Assembly is occupied with the consideration of the two items on international terrorism and the taking of hostages.

Again, we request you, Excellency, to take all the necessary measures aimed at putting to an end these Israeli piratical acts.

We request that this letter be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly under agenda items 2

(Signed) Abdulla Yaccoub BISHARA Ambassador Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Chairman of the Arab Group \\ \c o- -• u /

•T'At

24 September 1976

My dear Ambassador, I should be grateful if you would transmit the enclosed letter from me to Foreign Minister Andersson. Yours sincerely.

Kurt Waldheim

His Excellency Mr. Olof Rydbeck Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations cc: SecGen v/ / REG / ' " BEU

/ / BEU/MD 24 September 1976

My dear Minister, In view, of the importance which I attach to the matter, I am xvriting to you personally on the question of a successor to Lt. General Liljestrand as the Commander of the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East. I know that J^mbassador Rydbeck has explained to you the background of the present situation, and I am most grateful for the under- standing and the sympathetic consideration that has been given to my request that Sweden should provide a successor as Commander of UNEF. I very much hope, for several reasons, that you will find it possible to neet this request. In the first place, I am convinced that a Swedish general officer would be the most suitable Commander for UNEF in the present circumstances. I -attach the greatest importance to the role Sweden has played in United Nations peace-keeping since its very inception and to preserving the most constructive relationship which has always existed between the United Nations and Sweden. ^ \ I am also most anxious to make the transition as easy as possible for General Liljestrand himself and to avoid a situation where he would be put to serious embarrassment. The present situation is an unfortunate one which could not have been foreseen when General Liljestrand was originally nominated for a different task - that of Chief of Staff of UNTSO. I feel strongly that the best way to remedy it would be for him to be succeeded at the end of his present tour of duty by another Swedish officer.

His Excellency Mr. Sven Anders son Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden I have explained to Aif-bassador Rydbeck the essential qualifications for the Commander of UNEF, and I very much hope that the Swedish Government will find it both possible and desirable to nominate such an officer in the interests of the United nations, of Sweden, and also of General Liljestrand. With wannest good wishes, Yours sincerely/

Kurt Waldheiin MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

It is now three years since the Polish Contingent joined the United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East. This is the first time in United Nations history that a contingent of Poland served in a United Nations peace-keeping mission. The inclusion of the Polish Contingent was a positive step forward in broadeningthe basis of United Nations peace-keeping forces, and it has also proved to be a most important contribution to the effectiveness of the United Nations forces in the Middle East.

Since that time, the Polish Contingent, which is responsible together with the Canadian Contingent for the logistical support of the Force, has made an outstanding contribution to the effectiveness and well-being both of the United Nations Emergency force in the Sinai and of the Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights. Apart from the essential duties which it performs in the logistical field, in engineering, maintenance and transportation, Poland also provides the UNEF field hospital in Ismailia, which is the foundation of the medical support of the United Nations Force.

The devotion, soldierly bearing, discipline and skill of the Polish Contingent have been remarked on by all who have seen the United Nations peace-keeping forces in the Middle East in action. The Contingent does great credit both to the United Nations and to the armed forces of Poland.

*** 'ROlfffNG SLIP FICHE DE TRANSMISSION T°i Mr. Urquhart

DE: P. Mayrhofer-Gruribuhel "irls^ Room No. — No de bureau Extension — Paste Date 3802 5418 19 March 1976

FOR ACTION POUR SUITE A DONNER FOR APPROVAL POUR APPROBATION FOR SIGNATURE POUR SIGNATURE FOR COMMENTS POUR OBSERVATIONS MAY WE DISCUSS? POURRIONS-NOUS EN PARLER ? YOUR ATTENTION VOTRE ATTENTION AS DISCUSSED COMME CONVENU AS REQUESTED SUITE A VOTRE DEMANDS

NOTE AND RETURN NOTER ET RETOURNER FOR INFORMATION POUR INFORMATION

The film is in the German language and apparently not very good. It is more for the present stage aad therefore it is not envisaged that the Secretary-General should see it, so I am returning the film to you. e>

CR. 13 (8-75) & -'t cc : SecGen Central (2) Fo_ r Info_,- : SecGe,, ~ n woulud lik-,-, e to see film, so it has been given to Mr. Herndl. rod

BEU/MD

Nations presents his compliments to the Permanent, Represen- tative of Austria to the United Nations and has the honour to acknowledge receipt of the Permanent Representative's note of 1 March 1976 and the filia on Austrian Contingents in United Mations peace- keeping forces. The Secretary-General looks forward to viewing this film, which will ba a significant addition to the United Rations Pilra Library, and requests the Permanent Representative of Austria to express his appreciation to the Austrian authorities for their thoughtfulness in staking a copy of this filra available to the United Nations. The Secretary-General avails hiaself of this opportunity to express once again to th® Permanent Representative of Austria the assurances of his highest consideration.

17 March 1976

-"* '-' '' ^\«.;..v*-**-•;;...; AUSTRIAN MISSION n TO THE UNITED NATIONS ' (\ «O9 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA ^, NEW YORK. N. Y. IOOI7

No. 742-A/76

The Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations presents his compliments to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has the honour to present herewith a film produced on behalf__of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence and shot in the operation areas of UNEF, UNDOF and UNFICYP. The film shows the manifold duties and activities of the Austrian contingents serving with the abovementioned UN peace keeping troups. The Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations avails himself of this opportunity to renew to the Secretary-General of the United Nations the assurances of his highest consideration.

New York,

Enc.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations United Nations Headquarters New York New York, 11 August 1976 I '" I

Sir, ~ • - •-•' "-'" "••" "

On the instructions of the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, we have the honour to transmit the following text of a joint statement issued on 11 August 1976 on the situation in Lebanon: "The situation in Lebanon has caused great concern and aroused human sympathy all over the world. The Governments of the Nordic countries want to express their deep regret at the great human suffering and material destruction caused in Lebanon as a result of the continued fighting. The Nordic countries lend their full support to all efforts to. bring about a lasting ceasefire in order that the reconstruction of the country can begin. At the same time the Governments of the Nordic countries want to express their full support of the work of the International Red Cross to alleviate the human suffering caused by the°fighting. On a humanitarian basis the Nordic Governments wish to address an urgent appeal to the parties in the conflict to do their utmost to facilitate the continued relief work of the Red Cross for the benefit of the People wounded and suffering at Tel Al-Zaatar and elsewhere in Lebanon. The Nordic countries will continue to provide material support to the work of the Red Cross, in Lebanon." We should be grateful if Your Excellency would

..2 arrange for this joint statement to be circulated as a document of the United Nations. Accept, Sir, the assurances of our highest conside-. ration.

\ /..-... ) H.E. Mr. fienning Hjorth-Nielsen • Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations

Mr. Willy Breitenstein Acting Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations

Mr. Tomas Karlsson Acting Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations

Mr. Tom yraalsen Acting Permanent Representative of Norway to^the United Nations \f yjvv ii Mr. Peoier Hammarskjoldl Acting Kgrmanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations

H.E. Mr. Kurt Waldheim Secretary-General of '• the United Nations New York, N.Y.'l0017~" Ac - UK:

UNITED KINGDOM MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS 845 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, N.W

No. 10

MIDDLE EAST STATEMENT BY MR IVOR RICHARD, QC IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL 25 JUNE 1976

Mr President, First I should like to express to the US delegation our profound condolences for the tragic deaths in Beirut on 16 June of Ambassador Meloy and his companions. These deaths have brought home to us once again the tragedy of the events in Lebanon.. They underline the sacrifices which are being made there in the cause of peace,. Before turning to the substantive question before us today, I should like to explain briefly why my delegation abstained, as we have done on similar occasions in the past, in the vote taken on 9 June on the question of the participation of the PLO» Let me make it clear that my delegation's vote should not be inter- preted as 'objecting to the presence of the representative of the PLO in this Council, Indeed, we believe that it is right that he should be here, But, like others who have already spoken, we have strong reservations about the procedure which has been followed since it does not conform with the established rules of the Council concerning invitations to non-members, which are set out clearly in rules 37 and 39 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure0 My government believes that, in continuing to ignore its own rules, the Council is setting what could prove a damaging precedent,

I should like at the outset of my remarks'to remind the Council why my delegation voted against General Assembly resolution 3376 (XXX) which set up the Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinians, and requested the present meeting of the Council* The reasons were in fact set out in a statement made by my distinguished colleague from Italy, Ambassador Vinci, on 10 November 1975, on behalf of the nine member countries of the EEC. In that statement he expressed our concern that resolution 3376 took no account of Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, the principles of which in our view must provide both the basis for a peaceful settlement and the framework for negotiations. Secondly, he explained the reservations which we held about the establishment of a Committee with a mandate based on resolution 3236 (XXIX) upon which all members of the Nine /abstained. abstained. We abstained on this resolution because, in our view, it did not take into account all the essential elements for arriving at a just and lasting settlement in the Middle East, and in particular the need to recognise the right of all states in the region, including Israel, to live within secure and recognised boundaries„ We feared that a Committee established in these circumstances and with such a mandate, however well intentioned its members might be, would be unable to arrive at a balanced report which would make a helpful contribution to the cause of peace in the Middle East. Mr President, the Council has already had a number of occasions this year to consider the Palestine question in its debates on 12-26 January, 22-25 March and 4-26 May. The views of my own government were fully set out in the statements which I made in the Council on 15 and 26 January and on 25 March. I do not therefore wish to take the time and try the patience of the Council which must in all conscience already be tried sufficiently, by going over again at length all that I said on those occasions. Perhaps, however, I could summarise the views of my government in the following way. We start from the premise, which is I think accepted by the vast majority not only of the members of this Council but of the members of the United Nations as a whole, that the problem of the Middle East should be resolved by peaceful means, through negotiations and not through war. In the view of my government, a just and lasting settlement should be based on three main requirements: first, Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in June 1967; second, respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence^of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries; and third, the recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to the expression of their national identity« The first two of these requirements form the basic principles of resolution 242 which is to be brought into effect as provided in resolution 338, These two resolutions form the widely accepted foundation for a settlement and my government therefore opposes any unilateral -attempt to alter them or detract from them. The third requirement is not expressed in resolu-^ tion 242, and for this reason my government have stated our view that resolution 242 must be supplemented, but not supplanted, to take account of the political rights of the Palestinian people and to enable them to express their national identity. But we have also pointed out that this must be done in a way which can be reconciled with the right of all states in the area, including Israel, to exist within secure and recognised boundaries» There is, I believe, a very wide measure of agreement in the Council on the fundamentals of these three principles, even if there are minor differences that may divide some or others of us on the use of this or that word. But what I think must be emphasised is that these three principles have to be taken together. As Ambassador Malik put it recently, they need to be /seen seen as an integrated whole. A similar point is made in para 51 of the report we are now considering where the view is stated that "Palestinian rights could not be achieved outside a compre- hensive, just settlement" and in para 52 which begins, "The view was accordingly expressed that a just and durable settlement in the Middle East must be based on the following fundamental principles". The report then goes on to list three principles in very similar terms to those which I have stated above. We very much regret that the authors- of the report should have lost sight of the importance of considering these three principles as a whole when they came to draft the report's recommendations. Turning now to the recommendations themselves, there are a number of points on which my delegation would agree. First on Section II concerning the return of Palestinian refugees, my government voted in June 1967 for Security Council resolution 237 which inter alia called on the government of Israel to facilitate the return of the inhabitants who had fled during the conflict of June 1967. We have also voted consistently in the General Assembly for resolutions regretting the lack of progress in carrying through the programmes provided for in para 11 of resolution 194, We welcome the fact that the Committee should have based their- recommendations firmly on resolutions commanding a wide degree of support. A settlement of the problem of Palestinian refugees which can only be fully brought about within the context of negoti-aLi-urrs for an overall settlement of the Middle East problem, remains one of the most urgent facing us today. In the interim, my government has also given very substantial support to the work carried on by UNRWA, and we are in-f axrt both currently and--cumulatively the second largest contri- butor ho UNRWA*s budget. In this connection we have noted the role which the Committee proposes that UNRWA might play in the return of Palestinian refugees. It might therefore be appropriate to remind the Council and the Committee of the very serious financial crisis now facing UNRWA, and the warning that the Commissioner-General has recently issued that, if further funds are not forthcoming, the agency may actually have to cease operations at the end of next month. My government has now agreed to make a special contribution to UNRWA this year in addition to our regular contribution for 1976 which had already been increased to £3 million. But wherever the responsibility for the refugee situation may or may not lie, we believe that UNRWA will only be able to maintain its services to the refugees, let alone take on the additional tasks foreseen by the Committee, if there is now a concerted effort by all members of the UN to provide additional funds urgently. We hope that all those who have shown their concern for the Palestinians by takinc, part in this debate will demonstrate their concern in this very concrete way by increasing their contributions to UNRWA. Moving on now to the section of the conclusions dealing with the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, my delegation was pleased to note the emphasis in the report on the /frontiers 4 frontiers existing in June 1967, particularly in view of the favourable comments that have been made on the report by the PLO. At the same time, we regret very much the failure of this section of the report, as I have pointed out above, to take account of all the three fundamental requirements of a settlement and to consider them as an integral whole« We regret that nowhere in this section should there be any mention of the need for the recognition of the right of all states, including Israel, to live in peace within secure and recognised borders. We regret also that while there is at least a reference in para 71(vii) of the recommendations to the establishment of peace, it is suggested that this should only be discussed after Israel has already withdrawn to the pre-1967 borders and a Palestinian state has already been established. Finally, we regret the suggestion in this paragraph that even after these two conditions have been carried out, further steps would still be necessary for the full implementation of Palestinian rights,, The Israelis could be excused if they were to see in this a threat to their right to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries«, Mr President, the main aim of the Council at this time must be to get the negotiations going again in whatever framework seems most likely to work and with the participation as appropriate of all the parties concerned. The Council itself cannot carry on the negotiations. It will not help, therefore, for the Council to try to dictate to the negotiators in advance, for example by setting purely arbitrary timetables. What we can and should do is to encourage the .parties, and that means all the parties, to resume the negotiating process* We should also do our best to try to check the dangerous polarisation in the positions of the two sides and work towards creating- common ground between them., This will require a considerable degree .of statesmanship on all sides and above all a willingness to compromises We understand and sympathise with the feelings, born out of frustration and despair, of those who have for so long been homeless refugees* But we believe that they must come to accept the reality of Israel's existence as recognised by the great majority of members of this organisation. Without this acceptance, there clearly cannot be any prospect of a peaceful settlement in the area,, From a close reading of the various statements of the PLO over the past two years, it could be implied that they might come to accept this reality* If this is so, could it not now be made more explicit? If the PLO could now. say clearly that the existence of the state of Israel can indeed be reconciled with the rights of the Palestinian people, this would be of the greatest help. On the other side, we believe that, just as the Israelis have fought for the recognition of their own rights as a people, so they should be ready to recognise the rights of the Palestinian people and to accept that Palestinian nationalist sentiment will have to be taken into account in a settlement. By the end of this debate the Security Council will have devoted well over 30 sessions this year to considering the /Palestinian Palestinian question. We cannot but note with regret that our activity here, useful though it may be, has not been paralleled by any progress in the area itself and in the negotiations. It is vitally important that our meetings here should not be allowed to become a substitute for progress in the negotiations, because at the end of the day it is only through negotiations between the parties, and not through our deliberations here, that peace will be achieved. We hope therefore that the present meeting and the discussions which may come later this year in the Assembly will be directed primarily to the end of getting the negotiations going again and that this time they will succeed. JJ/PMT/ST

18 June 1976

Excellency, I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 14 June 1976 by which you kindly transmitted to me a message addressed to me from the Secretary- General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Mahmoud Riad, I should be grateful if you would transmit to him the enclosed message. Accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Kurt Waldheim

His Excellency Mr. Amin Hilroy II Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations JJ/PMT

18 June 197S

Excellency, I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your message regarding the situation in Lebanon which was transmitted to me by the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the united Hat ions, Ambassador Afain Hilssy II, I have noted with interest details of the actions taken by the Council of the League of arab States at its extraordinary session in Cairo froa 8-1Q June 1975 concerning the situation in Lebanon* X sincerely hope that the formation of a symbolic Arab security fore© will contribute to the maintenance of security and stability in Lebanon* you are aware, I have been men concerned about developments in Lebanon which have resulted in ©nonaaus hu&an and material losses* I sincerely hope that the efforts of the League of Arab States will succeed ia fostering reconciliation amongst the people of Lebanona as well as helping to ensure their unity, sovereignty and national territorial integrity, Accept. Excellency* the assurances of my highest consideration.

Kurt waldheim His Excellency MT» Mahmoud Riad Secretary-General The League of Arab states <\

2 June 1975

My dear Ambassador, By a letter dated 5 May..1976 you,kindly informed me, with reference to a query I put to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia during my visit there last February, that your Government was willing to make available four Royal Australian Air Force Iroquois helicopters and personnel to UUEF for a two- year period. Having now completed my consultations with the Security Council on this matter, I am pleased to advise you that I accept the offer of the Australian Government. Representatives of the Secretariat will be in touch with your Mission in order to discuss and finalize the detailed arrangements for the provision of the helicopters and the crew and support personnel, including the dispatch of a pro-deployment survey mission to the area. In accordance with established practice, the Secretariat will issue a press release on the Australian helicopter unit at the time of its arrival in the U33EF operations area* There would be no objection to the Australian Government's making an announcement on this matter earlier if it wishes to do so.

His Excellency Mr, Ralph l». Harry, C.B.E* Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Australia to the united Rations

• ••? - «•;:?.'¥:• - 2 -

I wish to take this opportunity to express once again ray appreciation to the Australian Government for the support it has so often given to United Kations peace- keeping operations.

Yours sincerely,

Kurt waldheim

•£,••• -.XI-.-...'"!!/"- -r.-'**y*1;': I; £ • , .4- -•/•_..' J* •'"...... ,._, •*", ^'>' H ?*:_. :**^yig,.: jigr' ,•>-.• .-•.,fii>..a.--^^-.3':;s*£* STATEMENT

of the Government of the People's Republic

of Bulgaria

The Government of the'People's Republic of Bulgaria having considered with particular attention the Declaration of the Soviet Government, dated April 28 1976, highly appraises its new initiative for a political settlement of the conflict in the Middle East which is dangerous for world peace. In expressing its full agreement with the analysis and assessment of the situation in this region, contained in the Declaration, the Bulgarian Government supports unreservedly the proposals, formulated therein, for the solution of the Middle East crisis. The Government of the People's Republic of Bulgaria is deeply convinced that a just and lasting settlement of the l> Middle East conflict can be achieved only by solving the three problems, linked organically with each other, viz: - withdrawal of the Israeli troops from all Arab territories occupied as a result of the aggression of Israel • in 1967; - fulfilling the legitimate national demands of the Arab people of Palestine to create a State of their own; - international guarantees for the security and inviolability of frontiers of all States in the Middle East, for their right to independent existence and development. The Government of the People's Republic of Bulgaria has always maintained the stand that a successful solution to these fundamental problems could be reached at the Geneva Peace Conference on the Middle East with the participation of I I I i '•* all parties, directly interested, including the Palestine | Liberation Organization. | Faithful to its peace-loving foreign policy of | principle the People's Republic of Bulgaria will continue to ; render full support to the struggle of the Arab peoples for ! i the elimination of the consequences of He Israeli aggression \ and to give its contribution to the•achievement of a just I and lasting political settlement of the conflict in the § Middle East. I I

Bulgarian News Agency u

19th, 1976 PERMANENT MISSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA New York TO THE UNITED NATIONS

11 EAST B4TH STREET

NEW YORK. N. Y. 1OO28

RECENT V-A79O

Your Excellency,

I have the honour to transmit to you herewith the text of the Statement of the Bulgarian Government on the Middle East, dated May llth, 1976. I shall be much obliged if you would circulate the text of this Statement as an official document of the General Assembly and the Security Council. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Guero GR02EV

Deputy Foreign Minister, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the United Nations II.E. Mr. Kurt Waldheim Secretary-General, United Nations New York ;-*•»

AUSTRIAN MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS »09 UNITED NATIONS PLAZA

NEW YORK. N. Y. IOOI7

No.: 1811-A/76

The Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations presents his compliments to the Secretary General of the United Nations.and with reference to his note PO 230 PAL (5-1) of 4 March 1976 has the honour to inform him of the following: The views of the Austrian Government on the Middle East problem including the Palestine question have been set out on a number of occasions, both in the Security Council as well as in the General Assembly and most recently on the occasion of the adoption of Resolution 3376 (XXX) of 10 November 1975, by which the Assembly decided to establish the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. In these declarations the Austrian Government expressed the opinion that any attempt to find a solution to the Middle East and Palestinian questions must be firmly placed within the framework of Security Council Resolu- tions 242 and 338. These resolutions should continue to be the basis for the pursuit of a peaceful settlement of the Middle East conflict. They establish as a main element for just and lasting peace in the area respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and poli«- tical independence of every state in the area - Israel as well as her Arab neighbours - and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries.

The Secretary General of the United Nations United Nations Headquarters New York "<*•*

- 2 -

It is also the firm belief of the Austrian Government that peace in the Middle East cannot be assured without recognition of the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people. In the past disregard of this essential aspect was responsible for many failures in attempts to approach a settlement of the Middle East conflict. The Austrian Government, therefore, supports ongoing efforts to involve the representatives of the Palestinian people into the international process of negotiation.Only by way of such a procedure the burden of responsibility would be equitably shared by all parties. Finally, the Austrian Government wishes to renew its firm attachment to the principle of peaceful settlement of international conflicts in accordance with art. 2 (3) of the Charter of the United Nations. It is this principle in particular which should govern efforts to solve the crisis in the Middle East, including the problem of the exercise of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. The Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations avails himself of this opportunity to renew to the Secretary General of the United Nations the assurances of his highest consideration.

. New York, April 29, 1976 'ROUTfNG SLIP FICHE DE TRANSMISSION

T : °: The Secretary-General »

DE°M: H- Gleissner /

Extension — Posts Dafdi I W l^a-ch 1976

\~f •U -.-:•. FOR ACTION POUR SUITE A DONNER FOR APPROVAL POUR APPROBATION FOR SIGNATURE POUR SIGNATURE :.'.-•• FOR COMMENTS POUR OBSERVATIONS' '.-•••; MAY WE DISCUSS? POURRIONS-NOUS EN PARLER ? .: YOUR ATTENTION VOTRE ATTENTION . J AS DISCUSSED COMME CONVENU ':! AS REQUESTED SUITE A VOTRE DEMANDS ; NOTE AND RETURN NOTER ET RETOURNER ••'i. FOR INFORMATION X POUR INFORMATION i - *-\ 19 March 1976

Excellency,

Serious situation arjLslng from recent deyelopments in the occupied Arab territories

Upon instructions of our government, we have the honour to request you to call a meeting of the Security Council urgently in order to consider the serious situation arising from recent developments in the occupied Arab territories. On 28 January 1976, an Israeli Magistrate in Jerusalem ruled that jews could not be prevented from praying in the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, revered by Muslims all over the world as one of their holiest shrines. In his letter dated 23r6 * February, 1976, the Acting Permanent Observer of the? Palestine Liberation Organization., drew attention to the widespread protests and demonstrations against this decision by Arabs living in East Jerusalem and other major West Bank towns and to the large-scale arrests and other repressive measures ordered by the Israeli authorities to quell the disturbances. Subsequently, in his letter dated 12 March 1976, addressed to your Excellency and to the Secretary™ General the permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia conveyed a statement by the members of the Islamic Conference concerning these developments (document A/31/63 S/12012, 15 March 1976), in which, inter alia, they requested the President of the (*circulated in document S/12000dated 1st March 1976) - 2 -

Security Council and the Secretary-General to keep under urgent attention the situation in Jerusalem and in the rest of the occupied territory and warned that it might be further aggravated.

2a The situation has indeed continued to deteriorate in Jerusalem and other parts of the occupied West Bank and is becoming explosive. The Magistrate's ruling concerning the Al-Aqsa Mosque can no longer be viewed in isolation but must be seens. along with recent expropriations of Arab-owned lands in Jerusalem and the establishment of Jewish settlements in Arab areas as part of a policy of absorbing occupied Jerusalem into Israel and changing its cultural and demographic character in calculated defiance of the Security Council and General Assembly resolutions on the subjecte The extensiveness,, violence and tenacity of the demonstrations reflect the determination of the people of the occupied territories to resist Israelfs attempt to annex East Jerusalem. According to press reports,, the occupation authorities have fired on demonstrators and are carrying out mass arrests and intimidation of the civilizan population with the help of the Israeli armed forces * Such actions will aggravate the situation and jeopardize the prospects for a just and peaceful settlement in the Middle East.

3. Accordingly we call on the Security Council to take prompt and effective measures which would halt - 3 -

the deterioration of the situation, and put an end to Israeli defiance of its existing decisions on Jerusalem,, We also request that representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization fee invited to participate in the debate as on, previous occasions,,

Please accept, Excellency, the assuranees of our highest consideration*

RA3HXD KIKHIA) • { IQBAL AKHUML Permanent Representative of pe rmajiejft^--lte^!rfeseritat i ve Libyan Arab Republic to the Lkistan to the United Nati3 United,Hations

Mr. Thomas S. Boya, President of the Security Councils permanent Representative of Benlxx, to the United Nations, 4 East 73rd ^Street, HEW YOHK0 C --L C~"*"~*

UNITED KINGDOM MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS 3( fi— 845 THIRD AVENUE J NEW YORK, N.Y. 10022 4

14 January 1976

His Excellency Mr Kurt V/aldheim Secretary General United Nations New York NY 10017

Your Excellency,

I am replying to your letter of 29 October 1975 in which, you asked- whether my Government would "be able to provide, free of charge, some of the new equipment required by UNEP as a result of the additional tasks entrusted to it under the agreement between Eqypt and Israel of 4 September 1975. I have now been instructed by my Government to say that we have looked very carefully into this request which you also conveyed orally to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Mr Callaghan, during his call on you on 25 September 1975. I very much regret to have to" inform you that my Government have now reluctantly decided-that they are unable to help in this I instance. M I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.

•Is'

Ivor Richard