United Nations A/C.4/65/SR.20 General Assembly Distr.: General Sixty-fifth session 8 December 2010 Official Records Original: English Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) Summary record of the 20th meeting Held at Headquarters, New York, on Tuesday, 2 November 2010, at 3 p.m. Chairperson: Mr. Chipaziwa .............................................. (Zimbabwe) Contents Agenda item 51: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (continued) This record is subject to correction. Corrections should be sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned within one week of the date of publication to the Chief of the Official Records Editing Section, room DC2-750, 2 United Nations Plaza, and incorporated in a copy of the record. Corrections will be issued after the end of the session, in a separate corrigendum for each Committee. 10-61578 (E) *1061578* A/C.4/65/SR.20 The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m. for additional pressure to be brought to bear on Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza, desist from hampering Agenda item 51: United Nations Relief and Works UNRWA projects, provide protection to Palestine Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East refugees and guarantee the safety of UNRWA personnel (continued) (A/65/13, A/65/283, A/65/311 and and facilities in accordance with established agreements A/65/225) and treaties. 1. Mr. Weisleder (Costa Rica) said that the United 6. The problem of the Palestine refugees could not Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine be divorced from the larger question of Palestine, and Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) had been a key its solution lay in a comprehensive peace settlement factor in reducing the effects of conflict and which afforded the refugees their full rights under displacement on the civilian population and in international law. In that connection, he noted that the maintaining stability in the region. His Government marked decline in resources and financial support for supported the role of UNRWA in the provision of UNRWA affected not just the Agency’s ability to essential services to the refugees and drew the deliver its development programmes and projects but international community’s attention to the Agency’s also its emergency assistance and aid programmes. The need for the necessary resources to perform its United Arab Emirates, which had already stepped up humanitarian task. its support for UNRWA, would continue to provide the Agency with political, financial and moral support. He 2. The parties involved must fully respect the urged donors to increase their contributions in order to impartiality, neutrality, humanity and independence of address the budget shortfall and meet the urgent humanitarian assistance, in accordance with the humanitarian needs of the Palestine refugees. Geneva Conventions of 1949, and international humanitarian law. The Palestinian population must 7. Ms. Hernández Toledano (Cuba) said that the receive UNRWA assistance without hindrance, prolonged and brutal Israeli military occupation continuously and in a timely manner. His Government suffered by the Palestinian people and the denial of called for an end to the armed confrontations that were their basic human rights, including the right of impeding the flow of humanitarian assistance into the self-determination and the right of return, were Gaza Strip. unjustifiable. Her delegation was concerned by the worsening situation in the Occupied Palestinian 3. The international community must strengthen its Territory, including East Jerusalem, as a result of the commitment to the refugees by supporting UNRWA illegal treatment of the Palestinian people by the programmes and helping the Agency promote a culture occupying Power. The construction of the separation of peace and tolerance in the Middle East with a view wall and settlement activity were continuing. to achieving not only an independent Palestinian State living side by side with the State of Israel, but also 8. The civilian Palestinian population and in long-lasting and fruitful coexistence between the two particular the refugees had been in a more vulnerable peoples. situation since the brutal war waged by Israel in the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and January 2009. After 4. The financial situation of the Agency was a the criminal attack by Israeli special forces on a matter of concern. In view of the underlying financial humanitarian flotilla in May 2009, Cuba had called on problems, his delegation awaited the report of the the international community to demand that the Israeli Secretary-General on strengthening the Agency’s authorities lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip. management capacity with a view to returning it to a However, Israel continued to limit the movement of healthy financial condition. Palestinians, close crossings, block roads and restrict 5. Mr. Al-Falahi (United Arab Emirates), expressing the movement of goods and, by blocking the entry of grave concern at the extremely dire situation that construction materials, was preventing the Agency Palestine refugees were facing as a result of Israel’s from rebuilding schools in Gaza. Israel must stop its persistent acts of aggression and repressive policies, policy of closures in the Occupied Palestinian drew attention to the catastrophic socio-economic and Territory, including East Jerusalem, which caused human consequences of Israel’s grave violations of the grave socio-economic harm to the Palestinian rights and freedoms of the Palestine refugees. He called population. Her Government condemned Israel’s 2 10-61578 A/C.4/65/SR.20 aggressive policy of blocking reconstruction projects in care for the interests of Palestine refugees, not damage Gaza and impeding shipments of construction them by making remarks of that nature. materials, which ignored the international community’s 13. Mr. Cohen (Israel), affirming Israel’s support for repeated appeals and successive United Nations the humanitarian mission of UNRWA, said that, resolutions, and was in clear violation of international without compromising its own security, his law. Government would continue to do its utmost to 9. UNRWA operated in extremely difficult facilitate the Agency’s operations and reiterated its conditions, made worse by Israel’s unacceptable commitment to the understandings expressed in the restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles. Comay-Michelmore Exchange of Letters. Israel would Furthermore, Israel continued to levy taxes and port continue to maintain its close coordination with duties on the Agency’s shipments to the Gaza Strip and UNRWA in the field. UNRWA leaders, including the failed to protect United Nations premises and Commissioner-General, had frequently acknowledged personnel, contravening international agreements. The that close relationship and their statements on the Agency must receive full support and the necessary subject reflected the day-to-day reality on the ground, guarantees for the performance of its functions. in clear contrast with some of the statements made in the Committee and with the draft resolutions it would 10. The financial situation of UNRWA was alarming vote upon. and undermined its mission and its ability to strengthen its capacity through the organizational development 14. Israel was cooperating with UNRWA and other process. The donor community must follow through international organizations to ensure that humanitarian with its pledges of aid. relief reached Palestinian populations in need. Despite continued terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip, in June 11. Mr. Al Khalifa (Qatar) commended UNRWA on 2010 his Government had decided to liberalize the its services, particularly its programme offering system for the entry of civilian goods and expand the children and young people in the Occupied Palestinian inflow of materials for projects supervised by Territory and host countries access to basic, technical international organizations; the only goods that were and vocational education and thus wider opportunities still restricted were arms and war materiel, and certain for a decent life. It was highly regrettable that such items with dual use applications. As a result, the efforts should be undermined, however, by the number of trucks entering Gaza through the Kerem repressive measures imposed by Israel on Gaza and the Shalom crossing had doubled; however, Israel’s ability West Bank. The shortfall in the UNRWA budget only to extend the opening of the Karni crossing had been compounded the difficulty of relieving the suffering limited by continued threats and terrorist attacks. Over that such measures caused. the past four months, Israel had approved 31 new 12. He called for increased contributions to improve international development projects in the Gaza Strip, the level and quality of UNRWA services and including 12 UNRWA projects; however, the Agency’s emergency assistance programmes and expressed logistical arrangements, and late submission of appreciation to donors; without their support UNRWA requests for materials, had created some delays in the could not function. Qatar, for its part, would spare no delivery of building materials. Nine projects to build or effort to assist the Palestine refugees, who must be expand schools and clinics had been approved, and accorded their full rights not only on humanitarian construction materials were beginning to flow into grounds but in the interests of regional stability as a Gaza for that purpose; and Israel continued to work whole.