[ 1986 ] Part 1 Sec 1 Chapter 9 Middle East

Middle East 261 Chapter IX Middle East The conflict in the Middle East, including the co-operation with the Committee and the problem of Palestine-viewed as a principal Secretariat’s Division for Palestinian Rights, and element-occupied much United Nations atten- asked the Department of Public Information to tion throughout 1986. The quest for a peaceful set- continue its information programme on the tlement was pursued in the General Assembly, the question. Security Council and other bodies, which consid- The Assembly also dealt with the status of ered various aspects of the situation, such as the Jerusalem, again determining that Israel’s 1980 Palestine question, incidents and disputes between decision to impose its laws and administration on individual Arab States and Israel, the situation in the city was null and void. The Security Council Lebanon and in the territories occupied by Israel, in January 1986 considered two incidents that took and Palestine refugees. The United Nations con- place at the Haram al-Sharif (Al-Aqsa Mosque tinued its two major peace-keeping operations in and Dome of the Rock) in Jerusalem. A draft the region, the United Nations Disengagement resolution by which the Council would have Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights strongly deplored the provocative acts was not and the United Nations Interim Force in Leba- adopted owing to the negative vote of a perma- non (UNIFIL). The latter had pursued its duties nent member of the Council. under constant and growing danger, the Secretary- In July, the Secretary-General convened a General said in his annual report on the work of meeting of United Nations programmes, organiza- the Organization (see p. 3). Paying tribute to the tions, agencies, funds and organs, also attended peace-keeping forces, he added that they served by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the vital purpose to reduce and mitigate violence Arab host countries and intergovernmental and and to create, or preserve, conditions in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to assess peace might be sought; their sacrifices posed an progress towards a co-ordinated programme of obligation on all to work constructively for stability assistance for Palestinians. Both the Economic and and peace in the region. Social Council and the Assembly asked for in- Despite efforts from many sides to advance the creased assistance; the Assembly also welcomed search for a just and lasting settlement, the the Secretary-General’s decision to send a mission Secretary-General reported, there was an alarm- to prepare the programme and, like the Council, ing absence of a generally acceptable and active urged that assistance to the occupied Palestinian negotiating process and a way must be found to territories be disbursed only for the benefit of initiate that as soon as possible with the participa- Palestinians and in a manner that would not serve tion of all concerned. The call for an International to prolong the Israeli occupation. Peace Conference on the Middle East was again The Security Council considered the situation endorsed by the Assembly, which stressed the need in Lebanon on various occasions and, in January, to convene it without delay. voted on a draft to have the Council strongly de- The Palestine question continued to be a con- mand that Israel desist from its measures against cern of the Assembly and its Committee on the the civilian population and reaffirm the urgent Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestin- need for Israel’s withdrawal. Because of the ian People (Committee on Palestinian rights). negative vote of a permanent member, the text was There was a wide measure of agreement, the not adopted. Secretary-General stated, that peace in the Mid- In June, the Council expressed grave concern dle East could best be achieved through a com- at the intensified fighting in Beirut, especially at prehensive settlement to cover all aspects, in- Palestinian refugee camps, and appealed for it to cluding the Palestine question. end. In December, Council members voiced Following consideration of the annual report of serious concern at the escalating violence par- the Committee on Palestinian rights, the Assembly ticularly affecting the population of the camps. requested the Committee to continue reviewing They appealed for restraint in order to end those the situation, as well as the implementation of the acts and alleviate the suffering. Programme of Action for the Achievement of Pal- Following violent incidents in the UNIFIL zone estinian Rights adopted by the 1983 International in mid-August, and another in early September Conference on the Question of Palestine, invited when three UNIFIL soldiers were killed, the Coun- 262 Political and security questions cil issued a statement expressing indignation and The 1981 bombing by Israeli aircraft of a nuclear calling for reinforced security measures. The research centre near Baghdad was again the sub- Council also expressed appreciation for the im- ject of an Assembly resolution. Considering that mediate dispatch of a mission to look at measures Israel had not committed itself not to attack or to enable the Force to carry out its mandate; the threaten nuclear facilities in Irarq or elsewhere, the second part of the mission’s task was to consult Assembly called on Israel urgently to place all its with the parties on how progress could be made nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy towards implementing the Council’s 1978 resolu- Agency safeguards. It reaffirmed that Iraq was en- tion calling for strict respect for Lebanon’s ter- titled to compensation for damages and requested ritorial integrity, sovereignty and political inde- the Conference on Disarmament to continue negotia- pendence, and for Israel’s withdrawal, and tions on an agreement prohibiting military attacks establishing UNIFIL for the purpose of confirming on nuclear facilities. that withdrawal, restoring peace and security, and The interception in early February by Israeli assisting the Lebanese Government in ensuring the fighter planes of a Libyan civilian aircraft with a return of its effective authority. Syrian delegation on board was considered by the Following another attack against UNIFIL person- Security Council. The Council voted on a draft nel in mid-September 1986 and an increase of resolution by which it would have condemned Israel violence in UNIFIL'S area of deployment, the for the act and would have warned that, if such acts Council strongly condemned the attacks, urged all were repeated, it would consider adequate measures. parties to co-operate and asked the Secretary- The text was not adopted owing to the negative vote General to arrange for the Force’s deployment to of a permanent member. the southern border of Lebanon. In October, the The situation in the territories occupied by Israel Council expressed regret that the consultations on as a result of previous armed Middle East conflicts implementing its 1978 resolution had failed to yield was again considered by the Assembly and its Special results and called on the Secretary-General to in- Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affect- tensify his efforts towards that end; the Council ing the Human Rights of the Population of the Oc- again urged the parties concerned to support cupied Territories (Committee on Israeli practices). UNIFIL fully and called for an end to any military Israel’s policy in the territories resulted in an escala- presence in southern Lebanon not accepted by the tion of violence, the Committee concluded, following Lebanese authorities. which Israel adopted its so-called iron-fist policy The Council also called on all countries to marked by new security arrangements, which again assume their financial responsibilities towards led to an aggravation of tension between the Israel UNIFIL, since the shortfall of $242.6 million con- Defence Forces and the population. tinued to pose a very serious problem for the finan- The Assembly dealt with specific aspects of the cial management of the Force. Calling again for Committee’s report. It demanded that Israel de- voluntary contributions, the Assembly ap- sist from certain policies and practices, that it comply propriated about $112 million for UNIFIL opera- with the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the tions from 19 April 1986 to 18 January 1987 and Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (fourth authorized commitments of $145 million for the Geneva Convention), that it desist from changing following 12 months. the territories’ legal status or composition, that it For the first time since UNIFIL'S inception in rescind its action against Palestinian detainees and 1978, the Security Council unanimously extended release them immediately, that it rescind the ex- the Force’s mandate. In 1986, the mandate was ex- pulsion of Palestinian leaders and that it ensure the tended twice, for three and then six months. The freedom of educational institutions. mandate of UNDOF was also renewed twice dur- The Security Council met in December to con- ing the year. The Assembly appropriated $35.7 sider the worsening situation in the territories. It million for UNDOF'S operation from 1 June 1986 deplored the Israeli army’s firing on students, called to 31 May 1987 and authorized commitments of on Israel to abide by the fourth Geneva Conven- up to $17.4 million for the following six months. tion and release any persons detained as a result UNDOF continued to supervise the cease-fire be- of events at Bir Zeit University, and called on all tween Israel and the Syrian Arab Republic in the parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid Golan Heights area and to ensure that there were violence. no military forces in the area of separation. The Relief operations in Lebanon again dominated Assembly, as well as the Commission on Human the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Rights, dealt with the situation in the Golan Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Heights since Israel’s 1981 decision to impose its (UNRWA) in 1986.

Load more