Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Year
2019
UN Body
General Assembly
Session
74
Session Type
GA Regular
Symbol
Agenda Item
50
Country Concerned
Israel
Condemnatory
Yes
Analysis
- This resolution perpetuates the anomaly whereby Palestinians are the only people not served by UNHCR, but instead by a special UN agency. The resolution makes one-sided condemnations of Israeli actions, but is silent on Palestinian terrorism against Israelis and exploitation of Palestinian civilians as human shields. It ignores UNRWA's admission that members of Hamas, a terrorist organization, were on its payroll.
Main Sponsors
Indonesia
Vote
Yes - 166, No - 6, Abstain - 7, Absent - 13
Key Praise
None
Key Criticism
- "Gravely concerned about the extremely difficult socioeconomic conditions being faced by the Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the recurrent military operations, continuing prolonged Israeli closures, the construction of settlements and the wall, and the severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade..."
- "Deploring the continuing and negative repercussions of the conflicts in and around the Gaza Strip and the high number of Palestinian causalities, including children, in the recent period."
- "Deploring further all attacks affecting United Nations installations, including Agency schools sheltering displaced civilians, and all other breaches of the inviolability of United Nations premises, including during the conflict in the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014..."
- "Condemning the killing, injury and detention contrary to international law of Agency staff members."
- "Condemning also the killing, wounding and detention contrary to international law of refugee children and women."
- "Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to comply fully with the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949."
- "Also calls upon Israel to abide by Articles 100, 104 and 105 of the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations in order to ensure the safety of the personnel of the Agency..."
Full Vote
-
Yes166
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Cambodia
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Costa Rica
- Ivory Coast
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- North Korea
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Malta
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- South Korea
- Moldova
- Romania
- Russia
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Macedonia
- East Timor
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- Tanzania
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
-
No6
- Canada
- Israel
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- United States
-
Abstain7
- Australia
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Guatemala
- Nauru
- Rwanda
- Vanuatu
-
Absent13
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Dominica
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guinea Bissau
- Liberia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Myanmar
- Palau
- Solomon Islands
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu