Sections
About
Back
Document

UNGA Resolution 2792 (XXVI)

UNITED  NATIONS

General Assembly

Resolution 2792 (XXVI)

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East

A/RES/792 (XXVI) A-E

6 December 1971

The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 2672 A (XXV) of 8 December 1970 and all previous resolutions mentioned therein, including resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948,
Taking note of the annual report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971,
Taking note also of the joint appeal made by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General on 17 November 1971,
1. Notes with deep regret that the repatriation or compensation of the refugees as provided for in paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III) has not been effected, that no substantial progress has been made in the programme endorsed by the Assembly in paragraph 2 of resolution 513 (VI) for the reintegration of refugees either by repatriation or resettlement and that, therefore, the situation of the refugees continues to be a matter of serious concern;
2. Expresses its sincere appreciation to Mr. Laurence Michelmore, on the occasion of his resignation as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, for his efficient administration of the Agency during the past seven years and for his dedicated service to the welfare of the refugees;

3. Expresses its thanks to the Commissioner-General and to the staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for their continued faithful efforts to provide essential services for the Palestine refugees, and to the specialized agencies and private organizations for their valuable work in assisting the refugees;
4. Notes with regret that the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine was unable to find a means of achieving progress in the implementation of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III), and requests the Commission to exert continued efforts towards the implementation thereof and to report thereon as appropriate, but not later than 1 October 1972;
5 . Directs attention to the continuing critical financial position of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, as outlined in the Commissioner-General's report;
6. Notes with concern that, despite the commendable and successful efforts of the Commissioner-General to collect additional contributions to help relieve the serious budget deficit of the past year, contributions to the United nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East continue to fall short of the funds needed to cover essential budget requirements;
7. Calls upon all Governments as a matter of urgency to make the most generous efforts possible to meet the anticipated needs of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, particularly in the light of the budgetary deficit projected in the Commissioner-General's report, and therefore urges non-contributing Governments to contribute and contributing Governments to consider increasing their contributions;
8. Decides to extend until 30 June 1975, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III), the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

B


The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 2252 (ES-V) of 4 July 1967, 2341 B (XXII) of 19 December 1967, 2452 C (XXIII) of 19 December 1968, 2535 C (XXIV) of 10 December 1969 and 2672 B (XXV) of 8 December 1970,
Taking note of the annual report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period from 1 July 1970 to 30 June 1971,
Taking note also of the joint appeal made by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General,
Concerned about the continued human suffering resulting from the June 1967 hostilities in the Middle East,
1. Reaffirms its resolutions 2252 (ES-V), 2341 B (XXII), 2452 C (XXIII), 2535 C (XXIV) and 2672 B (XXV);
2. Endorses, bearing in mind the objectives of those resolutions, the efforts of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to continue to provide humanitarian assistance, as far as practicable, on an emergency basis and as a temporary measure, to other persons in the area who are at present displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the June 1967 hostilities;
3. Strongly appeals to all Governments and to organizations and individuals to contribute generously for the above purposes to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and to the other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations concerned.

C


The General Assembly,
Having considered the special report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East on the effect on Palestine Refugees of recent operations carried out by the Israeli military authorities in the Gaza Strip, and the supplement thereto,
Noting that both the Secretary-General and the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East have expressed great concern about the effect on Palestine refugees of these operations, in which shelters in refugee camps were demolished and about 15,000 persons displaced, some of them to places outside the Gaza Strip,
Recalling Commission on Human Rights resolution 10 (XXVI) of 23 March 1970, in which the Commission deplored all policies and actions aiming at the deportation of the Palestinian refugees from the occupied Gaza Strip and called upon Israel to desist forthwith from deporting the Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip,
1. Declares that the destruction of refugee shelters and the forcible removal of their occupants to other places, including places outside the Gaza Strip, contravene articles 49 and 53 of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949  as well as paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 2675 (XXV) of 9 December 1970 entitled "Basic principles for the protection of civilian populations in armed conflicts";
2. Deplores these actions by Israel;
3. Calls upon Israel to desist from further destruction of refugee shelters and from further removal of refugees from their present places of residence;
4. Calls upon Israel to take immediate and effective steps for the return of the refugees concerned to the camps from which they were removed and to provide adequate shelters for their accommodation;
5. Requests the Secretary-General, after consulting with the Commissioner- General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, to report as soon as possible and whenever appropriate thereafter, but in any case not later than the opening date of the twenty-seventh session of the General Assembly, on Israel's compliance with the provisions of paragraph 3 and on the implementation of the provisions of paragraph 4 of the present resolution.

D


The General Assembly,
Recognizing that the problem of the Palestinian Arab refugees has arisen from the denial of their inalienable rights under the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Recalling its resolution 2535 B (XXIV) of 10 December 1969, in which it reaffirmed the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine, its resolution 2672 C (XXV) of 8 December 1970, in which it recognized that the people of Palestine are entitled to equal rights and self-determination in accordance with the Charter, and its resolution 2649 (XXV) of 30 November 1970, in which it recognized that the people of Palestine are entitled to the right of self-determination,
Bearing in mind the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples enshrined in Articles 1 and 55 of the Charter and more recently reaffirmed in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relation and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and in the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security,
1. Recognizes that the people of Palestine are entitled to equal rights and self-determination, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;
2. Expresses its grave concern that the people of Palestine have not been permitted to enjoy their inalienable rights and to exercise their right to self-determination;
3. Declares that full respect for the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine is an indispensable element in the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

E


The General Assembly,
Recalling Security Council resolution 237 (1967) of 14 June 1967,
Recalling also its resolutions 2252 (ES-V) of 4 July 1967, 2452 A (XXIII) of 19 December 1968, 2535 B (XXIV) of 10 December 1969 and 2672 D (XXV) of 8 December 1970, calling upon the Government of Israel to take effective and immediate steps for the return without delay of those inhabitants who had fled the areas since the outbreak of hostilities,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 27 August 1971 concerning the implementation of resolution 2672 D (XXV),
Gravely concerned about the plight of the displaced inhabitants,
Convinced that the plight of the displaced inhabitants could be relieved by their speedy return to their homes and to the camps which they formerly occupied,
Emphasizing the imperative of giving effect to its resolutions for relieving the plight of the displaced inhabitants,
1. Considers that the plight of the displaced inhabitants continues since they have not yet returned to their homes and camps;
2. Expresses its grave concern that the displaced inhabitants have not been able to return in accordance with the above-mentioned resolutions;
3. Calls once more upon the Government of Israel to take immediately and without any further delay effective steps for the return of the displaced inhabitants;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to follow the implementation of the present resolution and to report thereon to the General Assembly.