{"id":181014,"date":"2016-07-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=181014"},"modified":"2019-03-11T21:07:19","modified_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:07:19","slug":"auto-insert-181014","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-181014\/","title":{"rendered":"Economic and Social Repercussions of the Israeli Occupation on the Living Conditions of Palestinian People in OPT and Syrian Golan – ECOSOC Resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"
Resolution adopted by the Economic and Social Council on 25 July 2016<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n [<\/span>on a proposal considered in plenary meeting <\/i><\/span>(<\/i>E\/2016\/L.22<\/i><\/a>)<\/i><\/span>]<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n 2016\/14.\t<\/span><\/strong>Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation<\/strong> on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>The Economic and Social Council<\/i>, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Recalling<\/i><\/span> General Assembly resolutions 70\/1 of 25 September 2015, <\/span>70\/89<\/a> of 9 December 2015 and <\/span>70\/225<\/a> of 22 December 2015,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Recalling also<\/i> its resolution 2015\/17 of 20 July 2015,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Guided<\/i><\/span> by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, and recalling relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions <\/span>242<\/a> (1967) of 22 November 1967, <\/span>252<\/a> (1968) of 21 May 1968, <\/span>338<\/a> (1973) of 22 October 1973, <\/span>465<\/a> (1980) of 1 March 1980 and <\/span>497<\/a> (1981) of 17 December 1981,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Recalling<\/i><\/span> the resolutions of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, including resolutions <\/span>ES-10\/13<\/a> of 21 October 2003, <\/span>ES-10\/14<\/a> of 8 December 2003, <\/span>ES-10\/15<\/a> of 20 July 2004 and <\/span>ES-10\/17<\/a> of 15 December 2006,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Taking note<\/i><\/span> of the report by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan, as transmitted by the Secretary-General,<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Reaffirming<\/i><\/span> the applicability of the <\/span>Geneva Convention<\/a> relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,<\/span>2<\/sup><\/span> <\/span>to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Recalling<\/i><\/span> the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,<\/span>3<\/sup><\/span> <\/span>the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,<\/span>3<\/sup><\/span> and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,<\/span>4<\/sup><\/span> and affirming that these human rights instruments are applicable and must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Syrian Golan, <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Taking note<\/i>, in this regard, of Palestine’s accession to several human rights treaties and the core humanitarian law conventions as well as other international treaties, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Taking note also<\/i><\/span> of General Assembly resolution <\/span>67\/19<\/a> of 29 November 2012,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Stressing<\/i><\/span> the urgency of achieving without delay an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement on all tracks on the basis of Security Council resolutions <\/span>242<\/a> (1967), <\/span>338<\/a> (1973), <\/span>425<\/a> (1978) of 19 March 1978, <\/span>1397<\/a> (2002) of 12 March 2002, <\/span>1515<\/a> (2003) of 19 November 2003, <\/span>1544<\/a> (2004) of 19 May 2004 and <\/span>1850<\/a> (2008) of 16 December 2008, the principle of land for peace, the <\/span>Arab Peace Initiative<\/a>5<\/sup><\/span> <\/span>and the Quartet <\/span>road map<\/a>,<\/span>6<\/sup><\/span> <\/span>as well as compliance with the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Reaffirming<\/i> the principle of the permanent sovereignty of peoples under foreign occupation over their natural resources, and expressing concern in that regard about the exploitation of natural resources by Israel, the occupying Power, and Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, particularly as a result of settlement activities, which are illegal under international law and which, deplorably, continued during the reporting period,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Convinced<\/i> that the Israeli occupation has gravely impeded the efforts to achieve sustainable development and a sound economic environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, and expressing grave concern about the consequent deterioration of economic and living conditions,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Expressing alarm<\/i>, in this regard, about the extremely high levels of unemployment in the Gaza Strip in particular, which according to World Bank estimates is 43 per cent, with youth unemployment reaching 60 per cent, exacerbated by the prolonged Israeli closures and severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade, and the continuing negative repercussions of the military operations in the Gaza Strip on economic and social infrastructure and living conditions, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Commending<\/i>, despite the many constraints, including the obstacles imposed by the ongoing Israeli occupation, the efforts of the Palestinian Government to improve the economic and social situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in the areas of governance, the rule of law and human rights, livelihoods and productive sectors, education and culture, health, social protection, infrastructure and water, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Stressing<\/i> the importance of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, which was launched on 15 August 2013, and which aims, inter alia, at enhancing development support and assistance to the Palestinian people and strengthening institutional capacity in line with Palestinian national priorities, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Gravely concerned<\/i> about the accelerated construction of settlements and implementation of other related measures by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in and around occupied East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Syrian Golan, in violation of international humanitarian law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and stressing that such illegal measures are main sources of other Israeli violations and discriminatory policies, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Encouraging<\/i> all States and international organizations to continue to actively pursue policies to ensure respect for their obligations under international law with regard to all illegal Israeli practices and measures in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly Israeli settlements, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Taking note<\/i><\/span> of the report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,<\/span>7 <\/sup><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Expressing deep concern<\/i> about the rising incidence of violence, harassment, provocation, vandalism and incitement in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in particular by illegal armed Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including children, and their properties, including homes, historic and religious sites and agricultural lands, and calling for accountability for the illegal actions perpetrated in this regard, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Gravely concerned<\/i> by the serious repercussions on the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people caused by Israel’s construction of the wall and its associated regime inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and the resulting violation of their economic and social rights, including the rights to work, to health, to education, to property, to an adequate standard of living and to freedom of access and movement,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Recalling<\/i><\/span>, in that regard, the <\/span>advisory opinion<\/a> rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,<\/span>8<\/sup><\/span> <\/span>and General Assembly resolution <\/span>ES-10\/15<\/a>, and stressing the need 51ÁÔÆæ the obligations mentioned therein,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Deploring<\/i> all loss of innocent civilian life and injury to scores of civilians, and calling upon all parties to fully respect international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, including for the protection of civilian life, as well as for the promotion of human security, the de-escalation of the situation, the exercise of restraint, including from provocative actions and rhetoric, and the establishment of a stable environment conducive to the pursuit of peace, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Expressing grave concern<\/i> at the extensive destruction by Israel, the occupying Power, of properties, including the increased demolition of homes, economic institutions, historical landmarks, agricultural lands and orchards, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in particular in connection with its construction of settlements and the wall and confiscation of land, contrary to international law, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Expressing grave concern also<\/i> over the continuing forced displacement and dispossession of Palestinian civilians, including the Bedouin community, due to the continuing and intensifying policy of home demolitions, evictions and revocation of residency rights in and around occupied East Jerusalem, as well as measures to further isolate the city from its natural Palestinian environs, which have seriously exacerbated the already critical socioeconomic situation being faced by the Palestinian population,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Expressing grave concern further<\/i> about ongoing Israeli military operations and policies of closures and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, the imposition of crossing closures, checkpoints and a permit regime throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the consequent negative impact on the socioeconomic situation of the Palestinian people, in particular the Palestine refugee population, which remains that of a humanitarian crisis,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span><\/span>Expressing grave concern<\/i><\/span>, in particular, over the continuing crisis in the Gaza Strip as a result of the prolonged Israeli closures and severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade, stressing that the situation is unsustainable, and calling in that regard for the full implementation of Security Council resolution <\/span>1860<\/a> (2009) of 8 January 2009 with a view to ensuring the full opening of the border crossings for the sustained and regular movement of persons and goods, including humanitarian aid, commercial flows and construction materials, and emphasizing the need for security for all civilian populations,<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Deploring<\/i> the conflict in and around the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014 and the civilian casualties caused, including the killing and injury of thousands of Palestinian civilians, including children, women and the elderly, as well as the widespread destruction of or damage to thousands of homes and vital civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, water, sanitation and electricity networks, economic, industrial and agricultural properties, public institutions, religious sites and United Nations schools and facilities, as well as the internal displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and any violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, in this regard,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Gravely concerned<\/i> about the consequent prolonged and extensive negative impact of the military operations of July and August 2014, as well as the military operations between December 2008 and January 2009 and of November 2012, on economic conditions, the provision of social services and the social, humanitarian and physical living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population, including the Palestine refugee population,<\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>Recalling<\/i>, in that regard, the relevant United Nations reports, including those of the Economic and Social Council, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the Human Rights Council,<\/p><\/div>\n