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UNITED
NATIONS
A
        General Assembly
Distr.
GENERAL
A/48/PV.86
21 December 1993

ENGLISH
United Nations
G E N E R A L
A S S E M B L Y
FORTY-EIGHTH SESSION

Official Records
86th
PLENARY MEETING

Tuesday, 21 December 1993
at 3 p.m.

NEW YORK


President: Mr. INSANALLY..................... (Guyana)

__________


The meeting was called to order at 3.40 p.m.

AGENDA ITEM 114 (continued)


HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONS:

[...]

The PRESIDENT: The Assembly will now take a decision on the draft decision recommended by the Second Committee in paragraph 37 of its report. The draft decision is entitled "Assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon". The Committee adopted it without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

The draft decision was adopted.

The PRESIDENT: May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 100?

It was so decided.

Mr. Musuka (Zambia), Vice-President, took the Chair.

[...]

The PRESIDENT: We shall now consider part I of the report (A/48/715) of the Second Committee on agenda item 12.

The Assembly will now take a decision on the two draft resolutions recommended by the Second Committee in paragraph 16 of that report and on the draft decision recommended by the Committee in paragraph 17.

The Assembly will turn first to the two draft resolutions recommended by the Second Committee.

Draft resolution I is entitled "Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli settlements on the Palestinian people in the Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, occupied since 1967, and on the Arab population of the Syrian Golan". A recorded vote has been requested.

A recorded vote was taken.

In favour: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Against: Israel, Marshall Islands, United States of America

Abstaining: Belarus, Botswana, Central African Republic, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Kenya, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Samoa, Turkmenistan, Uruguay

Draft resolution I was adopted by 143 votes to 3, with 13 abstentions (resolution 48/212).

The PRESIDENT: Draft resolution II is entitled "Assistance to the Palestinian people". The Second Committee adopted this draft resolution without a vote. May I take it that the Assembly wishes to do the same?

Draft resolution II was adopted (resolution 48/213).

[...]

The PRESIDENT: I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of their votes or positions.

[...]

Mr. BLANEY (United States of America): With reference to draft resolution II, "Assistance to the Palestinian people", contained in document A/48/715, I would like to make the following comments.

If the process of peace in the Middle East is to succeed, a necessary ingredient will be the economic development and reconstruction of the West Bank and Gaza. The United States is firmly committed to this goal, as we demonstrated at the Conference to Support Middle East Peace, held in Washington, D.C., on 1 October. At that Conference, the United States pledged to provide $500 million in assistance to the Palestinian people over the next five years. We continue to urge all to donate as generously as their circumstances permit.

Another necessary ingredient in bringing about a just and lasting peace in the Middle East will be the building of trust between the parties. The General Assembly today, in adopting this resolution on the basis of consensus, has taken a significant step towards building trust between the parties. For it was the mutual desire on the part of both the PLO and Israel to attain consensus on this resolution that brought about such a consensus. The support that all other Member States have given to the building of that consensus should, in the view of the United States, become a model for future discussions of Middle East issues in the General Assembly.

Mr. ELIASHIV (Israel): We have made a genuine effort to reach a consensus on draft resolution II, contained in document A/48/715, which addresses such an important issue as assistance to the Palestinian people. We believe that economic and social progress can be advanced only through cooperation, not confrontation.

However, Israel's participation in the consensus on this resolution should not be construed as implying any position regarding the present status of the territories referred to in the third and fourth preambular paragraphs as "the Occupied Territory". Nor does it carry any implication regarding Israel's position concerning the permanent status of those territories which, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles signed on 13 September 1993, are a matter to be negotiated between Israel and the PLO.

Israel fully supports and encourages economic, financial and technical assistance to the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Peace and prosperity are indivisible. Economic development and improved living conditions in the territories will encourage peace and stability in the region. We welcome the concerted efforts of Member States, international financial institutions and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to extend economic and social assistance to the Palestinian people in order to aid in the development of the West Bank and Gaza.

We welcome the establishment of the United Nations high-level task force focusing on the economic and social development of the Gaza Strip and Jericho, and note with satisfaction the positive results of the international donors Conference held in Washington, which pledged $2 billion.

For many years now, Israel has been fully cooperating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other international organizations in implementing programmes aimed at improving the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza. It is our view that United Nations organizations such as UNDP should increase their efforts in funding to assist the Palestinians in the territories and to facilitate the successful implementation of the Declaration of Principles.

The signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by Israel and the PLO is a momentous breakthrough that opens new vistas for economic and social progress. The agreement outlines in detail envisaged economic cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians, both bilaterally and multilaterally. As stipulated in the Declaration of Principles, a joint Israeli-Palestinian economic cooperation Committee has been established to develop and implement the programmes identified in the agreement, such as those in the areas of finance, trade and industry. Concrete programmes such as these will lay the social and economic foundations that can bring us into a new era of cooperation, prosperity and peace.

[...]

The meeting rose at 6.10 p.m.




ANNEX
Changes in recorded and/or roll-call votes

[...]

Resolution 48/212

Subsequent to the voting, the delegation of Mozambique advised the Secretariat that it had intended to vote in favour.

_______


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 Verbatim Reporting Section,
Room C-178, and incorporated in a copy of the record.
Corrections will be issued after the end of the session in a consolidated corrigendum.
When the result of a recorded and/or roll-call vote is followed by an asterisk,
see the annex to the record.
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