Archives for 27 December 2017

Statement of H.E. Riad Malki, Foreign Minister of the State of Palestine, at the tenth Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly, Vote on Draft Resolution on the Status of Jerusalem, 21 December 2017

Mr. President of the General Assembly,

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We requested the convening of the Tenth Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly to further the international consensus expressed by peoples and governments around the world, and by an overwhelming majority of the Security Council in its vote on a draft resolution reaffirming the legal, political and historic status and character of Jerusalem and rejecting all attempts to alter this status and character as null and void.

Let me seize this opportunity to thank the Arab Group and the Member States of the OIC and NAM for their request to convene this emergency session following the veto, which prevented the Security Council from performing its duties in regards to the maintenance of international peace and security despite the support of 14 Council members for the draft resolution tabled by the Arab Republic of Egypt. Under these circumstances, the General Assembly has the competence to undertake this responsibility in accordance with resolution 377 (V), “Uniting for Peace”. [Read more…]

26 December 2017 – Letter on Guatemala’s decision to transfer embassy to Jerusalem

Excellency,

I write to you with urgency appealing for efforts to uphold the longstanding international consensus regarding Jerusalem, as enshrined in numerous Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Considering recent decisions in violation of international law and those relevant resolutions – and in effective complicity with the grave breaches being perpetrated by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – the international community must remain resolute in reaffirming the validity of the relevant resolutions and in demanding their full respect.

In this regard, and in light of the extremely regrettable decision announced by the President of Guatemala regarding the decision to move his country’s embassy to Israel to the City of Jerusalem, we call on all States to address this matter without delay, to reject this provocative, unlawful decision, and to act swiftly to uphold the integrity and authority of United Nations resolutions. [Read more…]