INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY
WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
UN Information Note
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed
by the United Nations on 29 November each year in accordance with mandates
given by the General Assembly in resolutions 32/40 B of 2 December 1977,
34/65 D of 12 December 1979, 54/40 of 1 December 1999, and other relevant
resolutions.
Special commemorative activities are organized by the Division for
Palestinian Rights of the United Nations Secretariat, in consultation with
the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian
People.
The date of 29 November was chosen because of its significance to the
Palestinian people. On that day in 1947, the General Assembly adopted
resolution 181(II), which came to be known as the Partition Resolution.
That resolution provided for the establishment of a "Jewish State" and an
"Arab State", in Palestine, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum under a
special international régime. Of the two States intended by this
resolution, only one, Israel, has come into being.
The Palestinian people, who now number almost eight million, live in the
Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem,
part of which is now administered by the Palestinian Authority; in Israel;
in neighbouring Arab States; and in refugee camps in the region.
The International Day of Solidarity has traditionally provided an
opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the
fact that the question of Palestine is still unresolved and that the
Palestinian people is yet to attain and exercise its inalienable rights as
defined by the General Assembly namely, the right to self-determination
without external interference, the right to national independence and
sovereignty, and the right to return to their homes and property from which
they had been displaced.
Since September 1993, a number of important and positive developments have
taken place in the peace process, in particular the mutual recognition
between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the signing by
the two parties of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
Arrangements and implementation of subsequent agreements, which led to the
withdrawal of Israeli forces from most of the Gaza Strip and parts of the
West Bank, the establishment of the Palestinian Authority, and elections
for the Palestinian Council and Presidency of the Authority. A long
stalemate, however, brought the implementation of agreements to a halt. The
signing of the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum, in September 1999, re-ignited
the peace process and raised hopes for the commencement of the permanent
status talks. The Camp David summit in July 2000, despite its inconclusive
ending, reaffirmed the parties' commitment to reaching an agreement on all
permanent status issues. In late September 2000, the visit by an Israeli
opposition leader to the holy site of Al-Haram al-Sharif provoked a major
outbreak of violence, caused a significant number of casualties, mostly
among the Palestinians, and threatened to derail the entire peace process.
A new summit was convened on 16 and 17 October 2000 at Sharm el-Sheikh,
Egypt, with the aim of ending the violence and bringing the negotiations
back on track.
Efforts by all concerned are critical to ensuring the respect for and
compliance with international law, United Nations resolutions and
agreements reached to date. The international community strongly supports
the resumption and continuation of the negotiating process, an end to
unilateral actions that may pre-determine the outcome of the negotiations,
and rapid progress towards the attainment by the Palestinian people of its
inalienable rights, particularly the right to self-determination, and
towards a tangible improvement in the Palestinian economy and living
conditions of the Palestinian people.
In the overall effort to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting
settlement in the Middle East, a key role is played by the United Nations.
The Organization should continue to exercise its permanent responsibility
towards all the aspects of the question of Palestine, including the issue
of Jerusalem, until it is resolved in a satisfactory manner, in conformity
with relevant United Nations resolutions and in accordance with
international legitimacy, and until the inalienable rights of the
Palestinian people are fully realized.
The mobilization of international support for the full implementation of
the agreements reached and promotion of international assistance for
development of the Palestinian economy continue to be very important
activities of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of
the Palestinian People.
In response to the call of the United Nations, various activities are
undertaken annually by Governments, non-governmental organizations,
academic institutions and others in observance of Solidarity Day. These
activities include the publication of special messages of solidarity with
the Palestinian people, the organization of meetings, the dissemination of
printed material and the screening of films.
At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Committee on the
Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People each year on
29 November holds a solemn meeting to observe the Day of Solidarity.
Speakers include the Secretary-General, the President of the General
Assembly, the President of the Security Council, and representatives of
relevant United Nations bodies and intergovernmental organizations. A
message from the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine
Liberation Organization and President of the Palestinian Authority is also
read at the meeting. NGOs are also invited to attend and a spokesperson for
the international community of NGOs accredited to the Committee addresses
the meeting.
A special bulletin containing the texts of the statements and messages
received on the Solidarity Day is published annually by the Division for
Palestinian Rights.
Other activities organized in New York in connection with the observance of
the Solidarity Day include a Palestinian cultural exhibit sponsored by the
Committee and presented by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to
the United Nations, and the screening of films.
Commemorative meetings are also held at the United Nations offices at
Geneva and Vienna.
The United Nations Information Centres in various countries are available
to assist Governments, NGOs and others wishing to organize special
activities connected with the Day by providing information and
documentation.
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