Khaberni - The United Nations Committee on Economic and Financial Affairs (Second Committee) adopted the resolution titled "Permanent Sovereignty of the Palestinian People in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their Natural Resources," presented by the Group of 77 and China with a majority of 152 votes in favor of the resolution, including all member states of the European Union and Canada, while it was opposed by 8 countries including the United States, Israel, Nauru, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Paraguay, and Argentina, with 12 countries abstaining.
The resolution reaffirms a set of principles related to Palestinian natural resources, including the applicability of the Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians during war to the occupied Palestinian territory, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The resolution refers to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024, regarding the legal consequences of Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and the illegality of Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as recalling the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the separation wall and the expansionist policies.
The resolution expresses grave concern about Israel's exploitation of Palestinian natural resources and the destruction it causes to the land and Palestinian agriculture and the widespread destruction of agricultural infrastructures, especially those related to water and electricity supplies, particularly in the Gaza Strip, as well as the detrimental effects of illegal settlements on all aspects of Palestinian life.
The resolution also reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to their natural resources, demands that Israel cease exploiting these resources, and reaffirms the right of the Palestinian people to compensation for the exploitation of these resources by Israel. It emphasizes several issues including the harmful environmental impact of Israeli activities such as settlement construction and the construction of the wall.
The resolution reiterates the call made by the Security Council in its Resolution 2334, which urged states to distinguish between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.
In turn, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, confirmed that the overwhelming vote in favor of the resolution reaffirms the international community's support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their sovereign right over their natural resources, expressing deep gratitude to the countries that voted in favor of this important resolution.
