Middle East 221 leaders as well as its measures against Palestinian sembly, in a virtually unprecedented action on 16 detainees and educational institutions. The As- December 1991, by resolution 46/86, repealed the sembly also strongly deplored the extensive con- 1975 resolution by which it had determined that fiscation of land, diversion of water resources and zionism was a form of racism and racial discrimi- depletion of natural and economic resources by Is- nation. (3) rael, as well as the displacement and deportation Reports of the Secretary-General. In a report of the population. Israel's practices in violation of of November 1991 on various aspects of the situa- human rights in the territories were also consid- tion in the Middle East(4) the Secretary-General ered by the Commission on Human Rights (see stated that in the light of the circumstances prevail- PART THREE, Chapter X). ing in the region, he had decided to reactivate the The United Nations Relief and Works Agency mission of the Special Representative to the Mid- for Palestine Refugees in the Near East continued dle East, a post in which Gunnar Jarring had its assistance to over 2.5 million Palestine refugees served with great distinction in the years immedi- who were living in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian ately following Council resolution 242(1967) on Arab Republic, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Middle East peace. While the mission had been dormant for a lengthy interval, it had never offi- cially ended. Following the resignation of Mr. Jar- ring on 11 January 1991, the Secretary-General an- Middle East situation nounced his intention to designate a successor and, after consultations with the Council, he appointed The General Assembly welcomed the peace con- Edouard Brunner to the post, a step welcomed by ference on the Middle East held at Madrid (30 the Council members. October-1 November), co-sponsored by the USSR In his remarks to the Council, the Secretary- and the United States, as a significant step towards General acknowledged the importance of the the establishment of a comprehensive, just and initiative launched by the United States; he reiter- lasting peace in the region (resolution 46/75). At ated that he had always supported bilateral initia- the same time, the Assembly considered that the tives in the search for a just and lasting peace in convening of an international peace conference on the Middle East and that, to this end, any step un- the Middle East, under United Nations auspices dertaken by Mr. Brunner or himself would be and with the participation of all parties to the aimed at assisting such efforts. Arab-Israeli conflict on an equal footing, would The Secretary-General added in his report that contribute to the promotion of peace in the region. he had followed with keen interest the intensive In other action (resolution 46/82 A), the Assem- and often arduous bilateral diplomatic efforts dur- bly reaffirmed that a just and comprehensive Mid- ing the previous few months that culminated in dle East settlement could not be achieved without an agreement by the parties to enter into negotia- the participation on an equal footing of all the par- tions, under the co-sponsorship of the United ties to the conflict, including the Palestine Liber- States and the USSR, aimed at achieving—in the ation Organization (PLO), the representative of the words of the letter of invitation to the peace Palestinian people. conference—"a just, lasting and comprehensive The Secretary-General reported that although peace settlement through direct negotiations on the Madrid conference was being conducted out- two tracks, between Israel and the Arab States, side the United Nations framework, that process and between Israel and the Palestinians". In that had the support of the parties concerned and had connection, it was important to note, the as its basis Security Council resolutions Secretary-General said, that although the process 242(1967)(1) and 338(1973).(2) He expressed the was being conducted outside the United Nations hope that the momentum generated by the con- framework, it had the support of the parties con- ference would be sustained and that lasting peace cerned and had as its basis Council resolutions that had so long been denied to all the peoples of 242(1967) and 338(1973), which had long been the Middle East would become a reality. He noted, recognized as the cornerstone of a comprehensive following the Madrid conference, that prospects settlement. He concluded his report with a trib- for progress in the peace process had been en- ute to the Madrid conference, which he termed hanced. The Secretary-General's Special historic, and to the initial round of bilateral dis- Representative to the Middle East, Edouard Brun- cussions that followed. ner (Switzerland), attended the conference as an In a report of October(5) the Secretary-General observer, having been appointed Special Represen- submitted replies received from two Member tative by the Secretary-General on 22 March to States—Trinidad and Tobago and Ukraine—to his replace Gunnar Jarring (Sweden), who resigned request for information on steps taken or envis- after serving in that capacity since 1967. aged to implement three Assembly resolutions of In other related developments, the General As- 1990 relating to the Middle East situation. By two