Qatar Reiterates Importance for Palestinians to Enjoy Their Rights and Sovereignty
New York / Information Office / October 24
The State of Qatar reiterated the importance for the Palestinian people to enjoy all their rights and sovereignty on the occupied Palestinian lands, including East Jerusalem, as well as the importance of the Arabs in Syrian Golan to enjoy their rights to their natural resources.
Addressing the second committee of the UN General Assembly on Item 40: "Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources", member of Qatar's delegation participating in the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly Nouf Abdullah Al Shammari commended the efforts exerted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) to prepare a report within the framework of this item.
Similar to previous reports, the report also monitors this year the suffering of the Palestinian people and the Arab population in occupied Syrian Golan due to Israel's discriminatory policies and practices, excessive use of force, restrictions on freedom of movement, settlement expansion and the exploitation of natural resources, she noted.
Al Shammari expressed her deep concern regarding these practices, which constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, it addition to the obstacles it entails to achieving a comprehensive settlement and just peace in the region.
She renewed the call for continued efforts to protect education and educational institutions, since the report reveals violations related to education that continue to hinder children's right to secure education in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Al Shammari stressed that achieving peace requires all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, stressing that Qatar will continue to support any effort aimed at achieving peace and stability in the Middle East based on international legal references.
The 2030 Sustainable Development Plan had emphasized that sustainable development could not be achieved without peace and security, she added, stressing the importance of alleviating obstacles that prevent the self-determination rights of populations under occupation.
Al Shammari also expressed concern over the report that the occupation authority of Israel continues the exploitation and depletion of natural resources, as well as imposing restrictions on movement and breadwinning opportunities and building settlements which are all considered violations to international law.
Such violations result in serious restrictions on social and economical development in Palestine and Syrian Golan, and increase the obstacles faced by the residents to obtain health services, water and transport to educational establishments, she added.
There is no doubt that the populations in the Middle Eastern region are in need of peace and putting an end to this bitter conflict that exhausted the region's countries and its peoples' capacities. She added that the prosperity of the region's people requires everyone to intensify efforts to promote opportunities for peace, abandon the policy of fait accompli, and impose policies contrary to international law, she underlined.
Applying resolutions of international legitimacy and responding to peace initiatives are foundations to reach this goal, in addition to harnessing the economical and human resources to achieve development and prosperity for the people of the Middle Eastern region, Al Shammari concluded.