on the Middle East
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| Security Council |
Distr.
GENERAL S/2001/281 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH |
The Security Council,
Emphasizing the need for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on its resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973,
Recalling all its previous relevant resolutions, including its resolution 1322 (2000) of 7 October 2000,
Expressing its grave concern at the continuation of the tragic, and violent events that have taken place since September 2000, resulting in many deaths and injuries, mostly among Palestinians,
Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all civilians in the whole Middle East region,
Expressing its determination to contribute to ending the violence, to protecting Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories, and to promoting dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian sides,
Expressing its support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process,
Reiterating the need for Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949,
Expressing grave concern at the deterioration of the economic and humanitarian situation resulting from the closures of the occupied Palestinian territories and towns and villages within them,
Expressing grave concern also at the settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories,
1 . Calls for the immediate cessation of all acts of violence, provocation and destruction, as well as the return to the positions and arrangements which existed prior to September 2000;
2. Calls for the resumption of negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed basis, taking into consideration developments in previous discussions between the two sides, and urges them to reach a final agreement on all issues, on the basis of their previous agreements, with the objective of implementing its resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973);
3. Calls upon the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to implement promptly and without preconditions the understandings reached at the Summit convened at Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, of 17 October 2000, in which both sides: agreed to issue public statements unequivocally calling for an end to violence; also agreed to take immediate, concrete measures to end the current confrontation, eliminate points of friction, ensure an end of violence and incitement, maintain calm and prevent recurrence of recent events; arid, to accomplish this, agreed to act immediately to return the situation to that which existed prior to the current crisis in areas such as restoring law and order, redeployment of forces, eliminating points of friction, enhancing security cooperation, and:6nding the closure and opening the Gaza airport;
4. Expresses full support for the work of the Fact-Finding Committee established at Sharm El-Sheikh, calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with it and looks forward to its report;
5. Calls on the parties to take the following immediate steps:
(a) implementation of commitments made in previous agreements and resumption of contacts at all levels;
(b) an end to the closures of the occupied Palestinian territories, to permit resumption of the full normal activities of daily life;
(c) the transfer by Israel to the Palestinian Authority of all revenues due,. in accordance with the Paris Protocol on Economic Relations of 29 April 1994;
(d) cooperation in the implementation of this resolution;
6. Appeals to the international donor community to extend, as rapidly and as generously as possible, economic and financial assistance to the Palestinian people, and stresses in this regard the importance of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to consult the parties on early. steps to implement the measures called for in this resolution as well as on setting 'up a protection mechanism, to contribute to the protection of Palestinian civilians, and to report to and/or brief the Council on a regular basis, and for the first time within one month from the date of adoption of this resolution;
8. Decides to remain seized of the matter.
Draft Resolution S/2001/270 sponsored by Bangladesh, Colombia, Jamaica, Mali, Mauritius, Singapore and Tunisia, that was vetoed by the US on March 27, 2001.
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