Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, G.A. res. 51/131, 51 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 124, U.N. Doc. A/51/49 (Vol. I) (1996).



                 
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations, 
 
      Guided also by the principles of international humanitarian law, in
particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, as well as international standards
of human rights, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the International Covenants on Human Rights,
 
      Recalling its relevant resolutions, including resolution 2443 (XXIII) of
19 December 1968, and relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights,
 
      Recalling also relevant resolutions of the Security Council,
 
      Aware of the lasting impact of the uprising (intifadah) of the
Palestinian people,
 
      Convinced that occupation itself represents a primary violation of human
rights,
 
      Having considered the reports of the Special Committee to Investigate
Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and
Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories and the relevant reports of the
Secretary-General,
 
      Noting the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-
Government Arrangements by the Government of Israel and the Palestine
Liberation Organization in Washington on 13 September 1993, as well as the
subsequent implementation agreements, including the Interim Agreement on the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip signed in Washington on 28 September 1995,
 
      Expressing the hope that, with the progress of the peace process, the
Israeli occupation will be brought to an end and therefore violation of the
human rights of the Palestinian people will cease,
 
      1.    Commends the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices
Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the
Occupied Territories for its efforts in performing the tasks assigned to it by
the General Assembly and for its impartiality;
 
      2.    Demands that Israel cooperate with the Special Committee in
implementing its mandate;
 
      3.    Deplores those policies and practices of Israel which violate the
human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied
territories, as reflected in the reports of the Special Committee covering the
reporting period;
 
      4.    Expresses concern over the recent deterioration of the situation
in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, as a result of
Israeli practices and measures and the impasse facing the Middle East peace
process; 
 
      5.    Requests the Special Committee, pending complete termination of
the Israeli occupation, to continue to investigate Israeli policies and
practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and
other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, especially Israeli lack
of compliance with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and to
consult, as appropriate, with the International Committee of the Red Cross
according to its regulations in order to ensure that the welfare and human
rights of the peoples of the occupied territories are safeguarded and to
report to the Secretary-General as soon as possible and whenever the need
arises thereafter;
 
      6.    Also requests the Special Committee to submit regularly to the
Secretary-General periodic reports on the current situation in the occupied
Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem;
 
      7.    Further requests the Special Committee to continue to investigate
the treatment of prisoners in the occupied Palestinian territory, including
Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967;
 
      8.    Requests the Secretary-General:
 
      (a)   To provide all necessary facilities to the Special Committee,
including those required for its visits to the occupied territories, so that
it may investigate the Israeli policies and practices referred to in the
present resolution;
 
      (b)   To continue to make available such additional staff as may be
necessary to assist the Special Committee in the performance of its tasks;
 
      (c)   To circulate regularly to Member States the periodic reports
mentioned in paragraph 6 above;
 
      (d)   To ensure the widest circulation of the reports of the Special
Committee and of information regarding its activities and findings, by all
means available, through the Department of Public Information of the
Secretariat and, where necessary, to reprint those reports of the Special
Committee that are no longer available;
 
      (e)   To report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session on
the tasks entrusted to him in the present resolution;
 
      9.    Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second
session the item entitled "Report of the Special Committee to Investigate
Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and
Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories".
      
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