From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Palestinian Rights Committee Wants More Active UN Role
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 00:59:14 GMT

/** mideast.action: 36.0 **/
** Topic: UNIC: 'Palestinian Rights Committee **
** Written 10:23 pm  Nov 16, 1992 by pnmideast in cdp:mideast.action **
From: <pnmideast>
Subject: UNIC: 'Palestinian Rights Committee (am)

/* Written  2:48 pm  Nov  9, 1992 by unic@peg.apc.org in igc:unic.news */
/* ---------- "PALESTINIAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE (AM)" ---------- */

This information is provided by the United Nations Information
Centre in Syndey for Australia, New Zealand and the South
Pacific.

For further information, please call 283 1144.

Committee on Rights of                                GA/PAL/590
 Palestinian People                                   5 November
1992 191st Meeting (AM)

   PALESTINIAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE SAYS UNITED NATIONS SHOULD PLAY
   ACTIVE ROLE

              IN MIDDLE EAST PROCESS STARTED IN MADRID LAST YEAR


         Committee Calls on Israel to End Killings, Land
     Confiscation and Settlement; Release Political Prisoners;
     Restore Civil Liberties


     The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of
the Palestinian People this morning called on the Government of
Israel to end extrajudicial killings, cease land confiscation and
settlement, release political prisoners, end deportations and
ill-treatment of prisoners, restore civil liberties and repeal
military orders controlling Palestinian life.

     In adopting its report to the General Assembly, the Committee
also called on the United Nations, Governments and
intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to increase
their assistance to the Palestinian people, in close cooperation
with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

     The report was introduced by the Rapporteur, Victor Camilleri
     (Malta).

     Committee Report

     The report (document A/AC.183/1992/CRP.2/Rev.1) summarizes
     the
Committee's actions in keeping under review the situation
concerning the question of Palestine as well as the implementation
of the Programme of Action for Palestinian Rights.

     It describes the work of the Committee over the past year,
including its reaction to recent developments affecting
Palestinians, the promotion of an International Peace Conference
on the Middle East, attendance at international conferences and
actions taken by United Nations bodies, the Non-Aligned Movement
and other international organizations.

     It also summarizes actions taken by the United Nations
Division for Palestinian Rights -- the sponsorship of conferences,
the development of publications and computer-based information
systems and sponsorship of the

                                    (more)


Palestinian Rights Committee         - 2 -            Press
Release GA/PAL/590 191st Meeting (AM)
5 November 1992

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Annexes to the report (to be added) summarize the results of
United Nations seminars and symposia for non-governmental
organizations.

     The report draws the attention of the world community to the
continuing occupation by Israel of Palestinian and other Arab
territories, including Jerusalem, and welcomes the peace process
initiated in Madrid in October 1991.  The occupation and the
denial of Palestinian rights were major obstacles to peace in the
region, it states.

     The Committee expressed full support for the intifadah and
reaffirmed that the attainment of Palestinian rights, in
accordance with United Nations resolutions, was indispensable for
the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.  It recalled that the
Peace Conference on the Middle East, originally sponsored by the
United States and the Soviet Union, was based on the terms of
Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and on the
principle of "land for peace".  The United Nations, the Security
Council and the Secretary-General should play an active role in
the peace process.  The Organization had a permanent
responsibility with respect to Palestine, it went on to say.

     In its report, the Committee reaffirmed that a comprehensive
peace in the region must be based on the withdrawal of Israel from
the occupied territories; respect for the rights of all States in
the region to live in peace within secure boundaries; and the
recognition and exercise of the rights of the Palestinian people,
particularly the right to self-determination.  All necessary
measures should be taken to protect the Palestinian people in
accordance with the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.

     Statements Made

     M. NASSER AL-KIDWA (Observer for Palestine) said that a year
     had passed
since the launching of the peace process in Madrid.  Regrettably,
no substantial results had been achieved.  The co-sponsors of the
Conference had originally limited the negotiations to one year's
duration.  The Palestinian leadership had communicated to the
co-sponsors, and to the Secretary-General, the need to give a new
impetus to the process in the belief that the Organization should
fulfil its duty by affording protection to the Palestinian people
under occupation.

     Recent developments in that area included the invitation that
the Secretary-General meet with multilateral bodies which
constitute part of the Middle East peace process, and that he also
get involved in bilateral talks.  The Secretary-General had
communicated to the Permanent Observer for Palestine his views on
the implementation of General Assembly resolution 46/75 on the
topic of an international peace conference on the Middle East.
The Permanent Observer had responded that PLO still believed in
the Assembly's view that such a conference would be the best means
of achieving peace in the Middle East.

                                    (more)


Palestinian Rights Committee         - 3 -            Press
Release GA/PAL/590 191st Meeting (AM)
5 November 1992

     The principles contained in resolution 46/75, as a basis of
achieving a comprehensive settlement, must be included in any
final settlement, he said.  An international conference was needed
because many aspects of the Palestine and Middle East issues
overlapped.

     Committee Chairman, KEBA BIRANE CISSE (Senegal) said that the
Committee would continue to support the Palestinian people in
accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.


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