EU Presidency Statement - Human rights of the Palestinian people

Mr. President,

I have the honor to explain the European Union's position on the draft Resolution entitled "Works of the Special Committee to investigate Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people and other Arabs of the occupied territories".

Mr. President,

The European Union is pleased to support the adoption of the four other Resolutions relating to agenda item 88, but it is experiencing the same difficulties as in previous years with regard to this Resolution. That is why the EU abstained. We believe that the remit and duties of the Special Committee do not take sufficient account of the current situation and that the matters covered by the Special Committee would be better addressed in another forum.

We wish to take this opportunity to restate our firm commitment to achieving a fair, lasting and comprehensive solution in the Middle East, based on Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and on the Madrid and Oslo Agreements. The European Union calls on the parties to the conflict to implement the recommendations contained in the Mitchell Report and Tenet Plan. We hope, Mr. President, that the parties will be able to resume the peace process. It constitutes the one and only reasonable hope of putting an end to a conflict, which, if it continues, can only compound the sufferings of the peoples affected. The European Union remains ready to assist in finding a definitive solution to the Middle-East conflict in close collaboration with the parties concerned.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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• UE informe sobre la alta Comisionada para los Derechos Humanos (21/3/2002)
• Declaración de Barcelona sobre Oriente Próximo - Consejo Europeo  (16/3/2002)