\n
\t<\/span>The Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued the following statement on 5 June 2007( SG\/SM\/11026).<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n\n
\t<\/span>On this day, the Secretary-General remembers the men, women and children who have been killed or had their lives shattered by the tragedies of conflict in the Middle East, particularly the Palestinians, who continue to live under an occupation that has lasted 40 years. The Âé¶¹APP remains committed to bringing assistance to those who suffer, and to working tirelessly for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region in accordance with international law and the resolutions of the Security Council.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
\t<\/span>As the fortieth anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war reminds us, statehood for Palestinians, security for Israelis and peace in the region cannot be achieved by force. An end to the occupation and a political solution to the conflict is the only way forward — for Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese and the wider region. This will only be achieved through negotiations to bring about an end to the occupation, on the basis of the principle of land for peace, as envisaged in Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973).<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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II. UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Âé¶¹APP High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour issued the following statement on 5 June 2007 (HC\/07\/033):<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>This week marks forty years of occupation of the Palestinian territory, a regime which has led to wide-ranging and serious violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people, first and foremost among them the right to self-determination. The occupation must give way to a lasting political solution allowing both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to live in peace within secure and internationally recognized borders.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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\t<\/span>In the long-standing search for this solution, however, human rights have for too long taken a back seat. It need not and must not be so. In fact, the protection afforded by international law is most vital in situations of conflict and volatility. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Both flaring crises and longer-term resolution of the conflict must be addressed within a framework of international human rights and humanitarian law. This includes the relevant obligations as reaffirmed in July 2004 in the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory<\/i>.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The right to life continues to be violated within a general climate of impunity in the region. Whether through extrajudicial executions or indiscriminate artillery attacks carried out by the Israel Defence Forces, or internal Palestinian violence, or indiscriminate Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians, the right to life has been stripped of its fundamental value. What needs to be urgently and concretely addressed is the paramount obligation to ensure protection of civilians in all circumstances. This also means ensuring appropriate redress in situations where such protection has failed. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Furthermore, greater efforts must be made to counter a growing sense of disempowerment among Palestinians throughout the occupied territory. Principal among these, immediate steps can and should be taken to remove obstacles, including settlements, impeding Palestinians' right to freedom of movement: within the West Bank in particular, including Jerusalem, but also between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This right is seriously compromised and has severely curtailed Palestinians' exercise of a wide range of other human rights, including health, education, work and family life. The plight and rights of those imprisoned, captured or otherwise detained – particularly children – should also be urgently addressed. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The international community has a moral and legal obligation to ensure that international human rights and humanitarian law is fully implemented by all in efforts towards a lasting solution. Achieving the highest possible level of respect for human rights in the region is an end in itself. Significantly, however, it can also contribute to building greater confidence among the parties and facilitate the search for a lasting solution. The human rights of Palestinians and Israelis cannot be subject to negotiation or compromise.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
III. NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT MARKS FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
OF OCCUPATION<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>On 6 June 2007 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Felipe Pérez Roque, sent the following message on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the occupation of the Palestinian territory by Israel (A\/61\/952-S\/2007\/345):<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Today, we are commemorating the fortieth anniversary of an illegal war of aggression and predation which, in open violation of international law and the Charter of the Âé¶¹APP, Israel unleashed in 1967 against the Palestinian people and the neighbouring Arab peoples. Since then, it has maintained its control and occupation of the Arab territories, including an extensive portion of the Palestinian territory.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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The Israeli illegal occupation, in violation of resolution 242 (1967) of the Security Council and other resolutions adopted by that body and by the General Assembly on the issue, has prevented the full exercise by the Palestinian people of their right to establish an independent State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/p><\/div>\n
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\t<\/span>Throughout its 46 years, the Non-Aligned Movement has maintained a firm position of solidarity with the Palestinian people and its just cause, based on the recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, the rejection of the illegal occupation of the Arab territories by Israel and the condemnation of the massive, flagrant and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed by the occupying power.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>At the XIV Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Havana in September 2006, the Heads of State or Government adopted an important special Declaration on Palestine, which looks at the serious situation persisting in the occupied territory of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, and the effects of the protracted and ruthless military occupation of its land by Israel since 1967. While condemning the Israeli practices in the occupied territories, the Summit echoed the demand that the Palestinian people be allowed to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, to the return of refugees and to the establishment of a sovereign and independent State.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Declaration adopted expressed the profound concern of the Movement for the tragic deterioration of the political, economic, social and humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. It also strongly condemned the ongoing slaughter of and injuries to Palestinian civilians through the excessive and inordinate use of force; selective attacks and extrajudicial executions, now on the rise and more flagrant; the ample destruction of properties, infrastructure and farmland; and the detention and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>It also reiterated the condemnation of Israel by the non-aligned countries because of the isolation of the Gaza Strip after implementation of its unilateral separation plans, as well as the construction of a wall by the occupying Power, disregarding the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 9 July 2004 and General Assembly resolution ES-10\/15 of 20 July 2004.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Movement’s statements during the Summit in Havana, as well as those made as a result of previous and subsequent events on the ground, retain their full validity in light of the current situation, in which there was even a threat by the occupying Power to assassinate the Prime Minister of Palestine.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Last 20 March, the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement issued a statement, circulated as a document of the General Assembly and the Security Council under the symbol A\/61\/818-S\/2007\/161, in which it welcomed the creation of the Palestinian Government of national unity following the agreement reached in Mecca. It also noted that the creation of this new Government is a positive sign of the unity of the Palestinian people in these difficult times.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>Despite the creation of a Government of national unity, the Palestinian people continue to endure the blocking of international assistance, which has gone on for over a year now. This state of affairs must cease, for it works against an eventual solution to the conflict through dialogue and negotiation – which the Israeli Government has refused to do on an ongoing basis.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Non-Aligned Movement believes that there is a real opportunity for the resumption of the peace process in the Middle East and the attainment of a peaceful settlement to the conflict to fully serve the legitimate interests and aspirations of the Palestinian people. We call upon the international community to fulfil its responsibility towards that end. We also urge the Government of Israel to accept the Arab Peace Initiative, reaffirmed at the nineteenth regular Arab Summit, held in Riyadh in March 2007, and we call for the resumption of the process of serious and direct negotiations on all fronts.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Movement, while reiterating its full solidarity with the Palestinian people, will continue to contribute, to the extent of its ability, to the attainment of just, thorough and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all the resolutions adopted by the Âé¶¹APP, the terms of reference of the Madrid Conference, the principle of territory for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the road map.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The non-aligned countries call upon the Security Council to fulfil its responsibility, enforce its own resolutions and take the necessary measures so that Israel respects international law and puts an end to the occupation and to its illegitimate and illegal practices in the occupied Palestinian territory.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>I would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm Cuba’s aspiration to contribute to the attainment of global, just and lasting peace for all nations in the Middle East, without any exclusion, so that it guarantees the Palestinian people its right to exercise self-determination and sovereignty in its independent State, based on the borders prior to 4 June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well as the right of the Palestinian refugees to return home. In the pursuit of peace, the Arab peoples will always count on the full solidarity of the Cuban people.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
IV. NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT CONVEYS ITS POSITION ON THE<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
PALESTINIAN ISSUE TO THIRTY-THIRD SUMMIT OF GROUP<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
OF EIGHT INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>On 6 June 2007 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Felipe Pérez Roque, sent a letter to the Federal Minister for External Affairs of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the occasion of the thirty-third Summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) Industrialized Countries, conveying to the Presidency and the other leaders of the G-8 the viewpoints and positions of the Non-Aligned Movement. An excerpt from the letter is reproduced below (A\/61\/946-S\/2007\/337): <\/i><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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…<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The solution to the Palestinian issue continues to be a high priority for the Non-Aligned Movement, which firmly supports the Palestinian people and its leadership and calls for the revitalization of the peace process towards the attainment of a general, just and lasting solution allowing the Palestinian people to exercise its inalienable right to self-determination in an independent and sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The NAM strongly condemns the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the relentless aggression by Israel, the occupying power, against the Palestinian people, which has resulted, among other things, in the ongoing slaughter of and injuries to civilian Palestinians as a result of the excessive and inordinate use of force, selective attacks and extrajudicial executions, the widespread destruction of properties, infrastructure and farmland and the detention and imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The NAM demands that Israel, the occupying power, cease the illegal construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territory. In this sense, it condemns the flagrant challenge and disrespect by Israel for the Consultative Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 9 July 2004, on the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory<\/i> and its ongoing violation of General Assembly resolution ES-10\/15 of 20 July 2004. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The NAM welcomed the formation of the Palestinian Government of National Unity in March 2007, as a result of the Mecca Agreement. The formation of the new government is a signal of the unity of the Palestinian people in these difficult moments. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Movement believes that at present there is a real opportunity to resume the peace process in the Middle East, in order to achieve a peaceful solution, and calls upon the international community to discharge its responsibility so as not to lose this opportunity.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>We deplore the fact the Palestinian people continues to suffer as a result of the blockade of international assistance imposed over a year ago and still in place. While attention is focused on the attempts to revitalize the peace process and the measures adopted by the new Palestinian Government, it is not possible to ignore the serious situation on the ground. In such a situation as prevails, most certainly any progress that can be made will come to a halt.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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\t<\/span>We call upon the Government of Israel to accept the Arab Peace Initiative and resume a process of serious and direct negotiations on all fronts.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
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\t<\/span>The NAM will continue to support and contribute to the extent possible to the attainment of just, complete and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on all relevant Âé¶¹APP resolutions, the terms of reference of the Madrid Conference, the principle of territory for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Road Map. We are looking forward to working together with the G-8 leaders, some of whom are members of the Quartet, on the implementation of the Road Map, in order to achieve this long-yearned objective of the international community. <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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…<\/p><\/div>\n
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V. COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE COMMEMORATES 40 YEARS<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>On 7 June 2007 the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People held a special meeting to mark 40 years of occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem (GA\/PAL\/1055). The Bureau of the Committee issued the following statement (GA\/PAL\/1056) on the same day:<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>This week marks the fortieth anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. Following the end of the June 1967 hostilities, the Security Council in its resolution 242 (1967) emphasized, among other things, the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war, and affirmed the need for a withdrawal of Israel from territories occupied in the conflict, and the right of every state in the area to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries. That resolution and many others adopted since June 1967 have not been implemented to date. The military occupation of the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, unprecedented in modern history, continues to this very day.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People reiterates that the occupation of the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The occupation has prevented the Palestinian people from exercising their inalienable rights, namely the right to self-determination, national independence and sovereignty, and to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced. A comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region will remain elusive until the national rights of the Palestinian people have been realized.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The four decades of occupation have brought misery and dispossession to the Palestinian people. The Palestinians are subjected to daily abuse and harassment, collective punishment, the use of excessive and indiscriminate force, extrajudicial killings and destruction of property, civilian infrastructure and agricultural land. The occupation is marked by total disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law and relevant Âé¶¹APP resolutions. For 40 years, Israel, the occupying Power, has continued to alter the Palestinian land by establishing and expanding settlements and, more recently, by constructing a wall in the West Bank, including around East Jerusalem. This situation has led to an ever escalating spiral of violence in the area, which the international community unequivocally deplores and condemns.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Bureau of the Committee reminds Israel, the occupying Power, of the need to fulfil its obligations under international law and fully adhere to the Geneva Conventions, as well as to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the construction of the wall. Israel must cease and reverse all illegal actions in the Palestinian Territory it has occupied since 1967.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>On this day, we are noting with great regret that the engagement of the international community has not brought about an end to the occupation. The situation on the ground continues to endanger international peace and security. It is incumbent upon the Security Council to ensure a speedy and full implementation of its own resolutions. The Council should decide on effective steps to protect the civilian population, end hostilities and guide the parties, with the active involvement of the Quartet and regional actors, to a negotiated settlement that will end the occupation and result in an independent, democratic, and viable Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbours. Until such a time and until the Palestinian people can exercise their inalienable rights, the Committee will continue to pursue the important mandate entrusted to it by the General Assembly.<\/p><\/div>\n\n
VI. SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR CESSATION OF <\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n\n
INTRA-PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued the following statement on 12 June 2007 (SG\/SM\/11038-PAL\/2079):<\/i><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at the resurgence of violence in Gaza, which has reportedly left at least 20 people dead. The intensity of this latest round of fighting and the heightened public rhetoric marks a serious deterioration of the situation, placing the civilian population in Gaza in grave peril, jeopardizing the delivery of humanitarian assistance and threatening the future of the Palestinian Government and Authority.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
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\t<\/span>The Secretary-General calls for the immediate cessation of all intra-Palestinian violence, including attacks against the Palestinian Authority and its institutions. At this extremely difficult moment for the Palestinian people and their cause, the Secretary-General calls for all parties to give their full support to the efforts of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to restore law and order.<\/p><\/div>\n