Statement
by Mr. Marwan Jilani, Deputy Permanent Observer of Palestine to the U.N., before the
General Assembly Plenary, Agenda Item 20 (e): Assistance to the Palestinian People, 54th
Session, 19 November 1999 (Translation from Arabic):
At the outset, on behalf of my delegation, I would like
to express my gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for his report in
document A/54/134.
My thanks also go to Mr. Chinmaya
Gharekhan, who worked as the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories over the last three years, until 30 September 1999. His efficiency and competence and his long and
vast professional experience enabled him to fulfill the task entrusted to him and to his
Office in the best manner, against all odds and under the most difficult, complex
circumstances that have prevailed in that region over the three years of his tenure,
particularly as a result of the various obstacles and difficulties stemming from the
policy of closure and siege. On behalf of the
Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people, we express our gratitude and
appreciation to him as a loyal friend of the Palestinian people and wish him every success
and happiness.
We
also welcome the decision of the Secretary-General to approve Mr. Terje Larsen as the new
United Nations Coordinator for the peace process in the Middle East and as a Personal
Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the
Palestinian Authority. Mr. Larsen was in fact
the first to fill this post, from 1994 to 1996. He
is indeed a good and well-known friend who has contributed significantly to creating
momentum for the peace process in the Middle East, particularly on the Palestinian track. We congratulate him most sincerely and wish him
every success in his new mission and assure him of our readiness to cooperate with him for
the success of his task.
At
their meeting in Washington on 30 November of last year the donor countries pledged to
provide assistance to the Palestinian people in the amount of 3 billion dollars over a
five-year period. This pledge was reiterated
during the recent meeting in Tokyo, held under the chairmanship of the Foreign Ministers
of Japan and Norway in mid-October. Regrettably,
these pledges have not been honored and translated into action. Moreover, there has been a drastic 50 percent
decline this year in the annual contributions offered to the Palestinian people.
Once
again, we emphasize the importance of honoring the pledges undertaken by the donor
countries, as well as the importance we attach to the contribution of the donor countries
to the peace process and their assistance to the Palestinians to build and reconstruct
their national institutions. Achieving
economic and social development will help Palestinian eliminate their suffering and the
consequences of the abominable occupation so they can contribute effectively, like all
other free peoples, to the prosperity and development of the region. In this context, I should state that the
Palestinian people greatly appreciate the efforts of the international community in this
regard and would like to reiterate our gratitude to the donor countries for their
continuous support.
The
report reflects that for the first time since the beginning of the peace process there has
been a slight improvement in the living conditions of the Palestinian people. This includes an increase in the gross domestic
and national products as well as in the level of private investment. Moreover, the report points out that the economic
improvement in 1998 was due to a reduction in the number of widespread and comprehensive
closures in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This
fact underscores once again the need for Israel to refrain from implementing its policy of
closures and siege, which has had devastating effects on the Palestinian economy. We call upon Israel to put an end to its policy of
using closures as a way of imposing collective punishment under all circumstances and
conditions. We also call upon Israel to halt
immediately its illegal practices, particularly the expansion and construction of
settlements, as well as the confiscation of land and the demolition of houses.
The
confiscation of land, the building of settlements and Israels negative attitude
towards the Palestinian people will not increase the confidence of the peoples of the
region in the peace process and in its potential for success, nor will it increase the
confidence of private investors. Credibility
can be developed through the faithful honoring the spirit and letter of all agreements,
without any delay, and by recognizing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,
including their rights to return to their homes, to self-determination and to building an
independent State. Recognition of these
rights, as required by international legitimacy, is a prerequisite for a comprehensive,
lasting, and just peace in the Middle East.
We
emphasize the important role that the United Nations plays in the achievement of this
just, lasting and comprehensive peace, given its responsibility towards the Palestinian
people. Moreover, we would like to reaffirm
the importance of the United Nations role in providing assistance to the Palestinian
people, as well as the importance of the role of the Special Coordinator for the Middle
East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine
Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority and of the Special Coordinators
Office in Gaza. This office should be
strengthened and supported. |