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December 21 , 2001
The United Nations General Assembly met yesterday, December 20th, for an emergency special session after the United States last Saturday vetoed a Security Council resolution regarding the conflict in the Middle East. The General Assembly approved two resolutions: the first resolution, in addition to calling for a monitoring mechanism to be created regardless of whether or not the parties agree, also brands Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas "as illegal and an obstacle to peace'', and is identical to the Security Council resolution vetoed last week by the U.S. This resolution was approved 124-6 with 25 abstentions. The Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Tuvalu joined Israel and the United States in voting 'no'. Among those abstaining were Britain, Japan, Australia, Norway, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia. The second General Assembly resolution, approved by a 133-4 vote with 16 abstentions, endorsed a declaration adopted at a gathering of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention on Dec. 5 calling on "the occupying power'' -- Israel -- to refrain from "willful killing, torture (and) unjustified restrictions of free movement.'' The Marshall Islands and Micronesia joined the United States and Israel in opposing the second resolution. Among those abstaining were Australia and Canada. Embedded below is a statement made by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in which he explains U.S. opposition to the resolutions. We encourage you to communicate your appreciation to Ambassador John D. Negroponte for voting against the General Assembly resolutions as well as the veto of the Security Council resolution last week:
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USUN PRESS RELEASE #199 (01) December 20, 2001 Statement by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Proposed General Assembly Emergency Special Session Resolutions, General Assembly, December 20, 2001 All members of this body agree on the need to help end the violence and the suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian people now. That is what my government has dedicated itself to do, and that is what we are trying to do in the region. As President Bush said before this Assembly, we are working toward a day when two states, Israel and Palestine, live peacefully together within secure and recognized borders. We are looking for tangible, realistic means to reverse the current dangerous trend and to pave the way toward real negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Unfortunately, these resolutions, like the resolution before the Security Council last week, fail to address the terrible dynamic at work in the region. Instead, its purpose is to isolate politically one of the parties to the conflict through an attempt to throw the weight of the General Assembly behind the other party. We will vote against these resolutions. We oppose the first resolution because, among other things, it calls for a monitoring mechanism regardless of whether the parties agree on such a mechanism. Is this a realistic means of reaching our common goal? The resolution does not demand a cessation of terrorism. Chairman Arafat, in his constructive address to the Palestinian people earlier this week, issued such a call, and we welcomed it. Terrorists seek to brutally sabotage any potential for peace between Palestinians and Israelis, and to undermine the Palestinian Authority in the process. As Secretary General Annan has often said, terrorism cannot be justified by any cause. Direct negotiations are the only route to our shared goal, and acts of terrorism are aimed at derailing direct negotiations. Thousands of miles away from this debate, my government is working hard - along with representatives of several fellow General Assembly members – to help bring the parties back from the precipice. Yesterday, Secretary Powell, standing alongside the Belgian Prime Minister and the EU's High Representative, recommitted the U.S. to achieving implementation of the Mitchell Committee recommendations through the establishment of a durable cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians. Our engagement is direct and practical. We look forward to sending General Zinni back to the region to pursue those goals. As the Palestinians assume their responsibilities to confront terrorist groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Israel needs to do its part to create an environment in which Palestinians can sustain and expand their efforts. And, as Secretary Powell has also stressed, the daily plight of the Palestinian people must be eased. As the Palestinian Authority continues to move in a serious manner on security, Israel must take steps on the ground to ease restrictions on the Palestinian population and consider very carefully the consequences of the actions it takes. The proper role of the UN is to facilitate and strengthen agreements that Israel and the Palestinians reach with each other. These one-sided resolutions do nothing to further that goal. If we instead channel the good will in this body today to encourage both parties directly on the ground toward a course of coexistence and peace, we will make such a contribution to ending this dispute and enhance the credibility of this institution. # # # |
