General Assembly: 52nd Plenary Meeting, 77th Session

Texts on Space, Information, Non-Self-Governing Territories Also Adopted.

Acting on the recommendation of its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), the General Assembly today adopted 33 draft resolutions and two draft decisions, including texts concerning the mandate and operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

The draft resolution on “Assistance to Palestine refugees” was adopted by a recorded vote of 157 in favour to 1 against (Israel), with 10 abstentions (Cameroon, Canada, Guatemala, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, United States, Uruguay). By its terms, the Assembly affirmed the necessity for the continuation of the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and would extend UNRWA’s mandate until 30 June 2026.

The resolution titled “Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East”, adopted by a recorded vote of 157 in favour to 5 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, United States), with 4 abstentions (Cameroon, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Uruguay), had the Assembly decide to consider a gradual increase in the United Nations regular budget allocation to the Agency to support expenses for operational costs. The Assembly also appeals to States and organizations for the maintenance of their voluntary contributions to the Agency, as well as an increase in contributions where possible, in particular to the Agency’s programme budget.

Also adopted by a recorded vote was the resolution “Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues”, with 153 in favour to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, United States), with 6 abstentions (Brazil, Cameroon, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Togo). By its terms, the Assembly requests the Secretary-General to take appropriate steps, in consultation with the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, to protect Arab property, assets and property rights in Israel. It would also urge the Palestinian and Israeli sides to deal with the question of Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues within the framework of final-status peace negotiations.

The resolution concerning “The occupied Syrian Golan” was adopted by a recorded vote of 141 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 25 abstentions. By its terms, the Assembly calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to comply with relevant resolutions on the Syrian Golan, in particular Security Council resolution 497 (1981). It also calls upon Israel to desist from changing the Syrian Golan’s physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure and legal status, and to desist in particular from the establishment of settlements.

The resolution on “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan”, adopted by a recorded vote of 141 favour to 7 against (Canada, Hungary, Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, United States), with 21 abstentions, reiterates the Assembly’s demand for the immediate and complete cessation of all Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan.

The Assembly also voted on several resolutions concerning decolonization, including the draft on “Information from Non-Self-Governing Territories transmitted under Article 73 e of the Charter of the United Nations”, which was adopted by a recorded vote of 164 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 4 abstentions (France, Malawi, South Sudan, United Kingdom). By the terms of that text, the General Assembly reaffirms that the concerned administering Powers should continue to transmit information to the Organization regarding their respective Territories.

By a recorded vote of 164 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 4 abstentions (France, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Kingdom), the Assembly adopted the draft resolution “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories”, which reaffirms the right of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to the enjoyment of their natural resources and calls upon the administering Powers to provide all the necessary assistance to the peoples of Territories affected by hurricanes, natural phenomena or other extreme weather events. The resolution on “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples by the specialized agencies and the international institutions associated with the United Nations” was adopted by a vote of 120 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 49 abstentions.

By a recorded vote of 167 in favour to 3 against (Israel, United Kingdom, United States), with 1 abstention (France), the Assembly adopted the text on “Dissemination of information on decolonization” while the draft resolution on “Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples” was adopted by a recorded vote of 124 in favour to 3 against (Israel, United Kingdom, United States), with 42 abstentions.

Further, the Assembly adopted texts relating to atomic radiation, space and global health, peaceful uses of outer space, special political missions, questions of information and the Fourth Committee’s programme of work for the next session. It also took note of a report on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.

It deferred consideration of a draft resolution titled “Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” pending a review of its programme budget implications by the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). That text would have the Assembly request the International Court of Justice to urgently render an advisory on the legal consequences arising from Israel’s prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the occupied territories since 1967.

María Noel Beretta Tassano (Uruguay), Fourth Committee Rapporteur, introduced the Committee’s reports.

In other business, Sweden’s representative introduced the annual resolution “Investigation into the conditions and circumstances resulting in the tragic death of Dag Hammarskjöld and of the members of the party accompanying him”. That text — to be acted upon at a later date — would have the Assembly request the Secretary-General to reappoint Mohamed Chande Othman, the retired Chief Justice of the United Republic of Tanzania, as the Eminent Person tasked with reviewing information on the former Secretary-General’s death in a 1961 airplane crash while on a Congo peace mission.

Also speaking on that topic was the representative of the Philippines.

The General Assembly will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 14 December, to take action on draft resolutions recommended to it by its Second Committee (Economic and Financial).

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