Secretary-General Issues Note in Follow-up of
Resolution 52/250 on Upgrade of Palestines Representation at the U.N.
Following the adoption by the General Assembly
of resolution 52/250, entitled Participation of Palestine in the work of the United
Nations, and in accordance with operative paragraph two of that resolution, which
requested the Secretary-General "to inform the General Assembly, within the current
session, about the implementation of the modalities annexed to the present
resolution", the Secretary-General of the United Nations distributed a note on the
matter on 4 August 1998. The text of that note, which was a fair and straightforward
interpretation of the resolution, reads as follows:
Participation of Palestine in the work of the
United Nations
The General Assembly, pursuant to paragraph 1 of its
resolution 52/250 of 7 July 1998, decided to confer upon Palestine, in its capacity as
observer, and as contained in the annex to the present resolution, additional rights and
privileges of participation in the sessions and work of the General Assembly and the
international conferences convened under the auspices of the Assembly or other organs of
the United Nations, as well as in United Nations conferences. In paragraph 2 of the same
resolution, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to inform the Assembly, within
the current session, on the implementation of the modalities annexed to the present
resolution.
Based on the Secretary-Generals understanding of resolution
52/250 and the annex thereto, the additional rights and privileges of participation of
Palestine, in its capacity as observer, would be effected through the following
modalities, without prejudice to the existing rights and privileges in the sessions and
work of the General Assembly and the international conferences convened under its
auspices; in the other organs of the United Nations; as well as in United Nations
conferences:
- "The right to participate in the general debate of the General Assembly":
Since the list of speakers for the general debate of the fifty-third session of the
General Assembly was prepared prior to the adoption of resolution 52/250, Palestine was
inscribed on the last day of the general debate of the fifty-third session. Henceforth,
the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine will be invited to submit three preferences of
date and meeting (morning or afternoon) from within the period of the general debate of a
regular session of the General Assembly. If the General Assembly decides upon a different
methodology of establishing the list of speakers for the general debate of a session,
Palestine will have the right to participate in that methodology.
- "Without prejudice to the priority of Member States, Palestine shall have the right
of inscription on the list of speakers under agenda items other than Palestinian and
Middle East issues at any plenary meeting of the General Assembly, after the last Member
State inscribed on the list of that meeting":
In the plenary meetings of the
General Assembly, the established practice concerning the inscription of Palestine on the
list of speakers under agenda item "Question of Palestine" will continue. Under
agenda items on Palestinian and Middle East issues, Palestine will be inscribed on the
list of speakers in the order in which it signifies its desire to speak. Under agenda
items other than Palestinian and Middle East issues, Palestine will have the right to be
inscribed on the list of speakers at any meeting of the plenary after the last Member
State inscribed on the list of that meeting.
- "The right of reply":
The presiding officer will accord the right of reply
to Palestine in the order in which it signifies its desire to make a reply.
- "The right to raise points of order related to the proceedings on Palestinian and
Middle East issues, provided that the right to raise such a point of order shall not
include the right to challenge the decision of the presiding officer":
On matters
related to the proceedings on agenda items concerning Palestinian and Middle East issues,
Palestine may rise to a point of order, with the exception of a point of order made in
connection with the actual conduct of voting. A point of order will be immediately decided
by the presiding officer in accordance with the rules of procedure of the General
Assembly. Palestine may not appeal against the ruling of the presiding officer. Palestine
will not have the right to make procedural motions including the adjournment of debate,
the closure of debate and the suspension or adjournment of the meeting.
- "The right to co-sponsor draft resolutions and decisions on Palestinian and Middle
East issues. Such draft resolutions and decisions shall only be put to a vote upon request
from a Member State":
Palestine will have the right to co-sponsor a draft
resolution, draft decision or amendment under agenda items concerning Palestinian and
Middle East issues but may not be the sole sponsor of such draft resolution, draft
decision or amendment. Action will be taken on such draft resolution, draft decision or
amendment upon request from a Member State.
- "The right to make interventions, with a precursory explanation or the recall of
relevant General Assembly resolutions being made only once by the President of the General
Assembly at the start of each session of the Assembly":
At the beginning of each
session of the General Assembly, during its consideration of the report of the General
Committee, the President will indicate that Palestines participation in that session
will be in accordance with General Assembly resolution 52/250 of 7 July 1998, after which
there will be no precursory explanation prior to any intervention by Palestine in the
session.
- "Seating for Palestine shall be arranged immediately after non-Member States and
before the other observers; and with the allocation of six seats in the General Assembly
Hall":
Palestine will be seated after non-Member States and before
intergovernmental organizations. In the General Assembly Hall, Palestine will occupy three
seats as well as the three seats immediately behind. To reflect the new arrangements, the
next edition of the Permanent Missions to the United Nations, the "Blue
Book", will list Palestine under a new category III, "Entities having received a
standing invitation to participate in the sessions and work of the General Assembly and
maintaining permanent observer missions at Headquarters", immediately after category
II, "Non-Member States maintaining permanent observer missions at Headquarters".
Category III, "Entities
", will be followed by categories IV,
"Intergovernmental organizations
", V, "Other entities
",
and VI, "Specialized agencies and related organizations
"
- "Palestine shall not have the right to vote or to put forward candidates":
Palestine will not have the right to vote, including in elections. Palestine may neither
submit its own candidacy for any election or appointment nor submit the names of
candidates for any election or appointment.
|