and to pay for UN operations inside Iraq, including the Special Commission. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 13 (U.S.) to 1 (Cuba), with 1 abstention (Yemen). Resolution 707 of August 15 addressed the failure to comply with terms of resolution 687 on weapons of mass destruction and its repeated material breaches of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The resolution strengthened the role of the IAEA and the Special Commission in performing their task of eliminating Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and assuring such weapons are not acquired in the future. It was adopted unanimously. Resolution 712 of September 19 implemented resolution 706 on humanitarian assistance to Iraq. It confirmed the mechanism for a limited one-time sale of Iraqi oil to fund purchase of humanitarian items needed for the people of Iraq as well as Iraqi reparations for war damages. The resolution was adopted 13 (U.S.) to 1 (Cuba), with 1 abstention (Yemen). In his statement after the vote, the U.S. Representative said, "this implementing resolution is a key step towards bringing the Gulf crisis to a close and toward having Iraq meet its responsibilities." Resolution 715 of October 11 approved long-term monitoring of Iraqi capability to develop weapons of mass destruction by the IAEA and the Special Commission. The resolution was adopted unanimously. The General Assembly deferred to the Council authority for seeking a peaceful resolution of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in accordance with the UN Charter. On December 17 the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/134 condemning Iraq's serious violations of human rights in Kuwait by a vote of 129 (U.S.) to 1, with 17 abstentions. Middle East Situation in the Occupied Territories In late December 1990, an incident in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza strip led to clashes between residents of the camp and the Israeli Defense Forces in which several Palestinians were shot and killed and hundreds were wounded. On December 31 the Security Council President unsuccessfully sought consensus on a presidential statement. Discussions continued into the new year, when the new Council President read an agreed presidential statement at a formal meeting of the Council on January 4. The statement expressed deep concern about the violence in Gaza, especially actions by Israeli security forces against Palestinians, and deplored those actions, particularly "the shooting of civilians." The statement went on to reaffirm the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the territories. It also reaffirmed positions expressed in resolution 681 (December 1990) and supported the work of the Secretary General in implementing that resolution. The statement concluded by urging "intensified efforts by all who can contribute to reducing conflict and tension in order to achieve peace in the area." On January 8 Israel deported four Gazans for whom deportation orders had been issued on December 15, 1990. Two days later, the NAM caucus of the Council decided to cosponsor a draft resolution demanding Israel rescind the deportation order and desist from deporting any other Palestinian civilians. The U.S. position was that a resolution at that time would complicate the work of the Security Council in confronting the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Events in the Gulf led the NAM group to agree to suspend consideration of their resolution in late January and February. At the beginning of March, the Secretary General's Special Advisor, Jean Claude Aime, visited Israel in order to prepare the report called for by resolution 681. This report, reviewing violence in the occupied territories since December 20, 1990, was submitted to the Council on April 9. On March 24 Israeli authorities ordered the expulsion of four more Palestinians. The Council issued a statement on March 27 deploring this decision of the Government of Israel in violation of the Geneva Conventions. The statement noted the Council's grave concern over the continued deterioration of the situation in the Palestinian and other Arab territories and the serious situation resulting from imposition of curfews by Israel. The statement added: "The members of the Security Council also call upon Israel to desist from deporting Palestinians and to ensure the safe return of those deported." On March 21 the Secretary General appointed a new Special Representative for the Middle East, Edouard Brunner (Switzerland), to replace Gunnar Jarring who was appointed in 1967 in accordance with resolution 242 (1967). On May 18 the four Palestinians placed under expulsion orders on March 24 were deported from Israel. The Council agreed May 24 on the text of a resolution deploring the deportations. Resolution 694, adopted unanimously, called on Israel to refrain from deporting any Palestinian civilians and to ensure the safe and immediate return of all those deported. In his explanation of vote, the U.S. Permanent Representative said deportations are contrary to the consistently stated policy of the United States. He emphasized, "Deportations are not acceptable under the Geneva Conventions. They do not contribute to efforts for peace. The United States again calls on the Government of Israel to cease deportations." He noted, however, that "even as the United States voted in favor of this resolution today, our sights were focused on the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region." He also restated, the United States regards the phrase "all the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem,” which appears in this resolution, as being merely demographically and geographically descriptive and not indicative of sovereignty. UN Interim Force in Lebanon The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed in southern Lebanon, was established by Security Council resolution 425 in March 1978 following the first Israeli invasion of Lebanon. The Security Council addressed the subject of UNIFIL three times in 1991. On January 30 the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 684, which extended UNIFIL's mandate until July 31. On July 31 the Council voted unanimously in resolution 701 to extend UNIFIL's mandate for 6 months until January 31, 1992. The Council considered UNIFIL a third time late in the year. On November 15 an Irish soldier with UNIFIL was killed in southern Lebanon. The United Nations issued a detailed report on November 29, and on December 4, the Security Council President issued a statement on behalf of the Council that noted with deep regret the death of the soldier and expressed concern about the heightened tension and hostilities in the UNIFIL area of operation. The statement urgently called for restraint on the part of all concerned. In January the Secretary General submitted the report of a Secretariat team that had reviewed the scale and deployment of UNIFIL, in response to calls to review the efficiency of UNIFIL. The report recommended there be no substantive change in UNIFIL's function nor in its deployment, but that certain measures be taken to streamline the Force. In its July renewal of the UNIFIL mandate, the Council did not act to change UNIFIL's level of operations. UN Disengagement Observer Force The Security Council met twice during the year to renew the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) operating on the Golan Heights between Israeli and Syrian forces. On May 30 the Council adopted resolution 695, which extended UNDOF's mandate for 6 months, until November 30. The Council voted on November 29 to adopt resolution 722, which extended the mandate for another 6 months until May 31, 1992. In his reports to the Security Council on UNDOF operations, the Secretary General noted, Despite the present quiet in the Israel-Syria sector, the situation in the Middle East as a whole continues to be potentially dangerous and is likely to remain so, unless and until a comprehensive settlement covering all aspects of the Middle East problem can be reached. In both May and November, the President of the Security Council issued a brief statement indicating that this observation by the Secretary General reflected the views of the Security Council. Situation in the Middle East The General Assembly adopted two resolutions on December 16 under the agenda item, "The situation in the Middle East.” The United States voted against one resolution and abstained on one. Resolution 46/82 A, which the United States opposed, concerned the occupied territories and was adopted by a vote of 93 to 27 (U.S.), with 37 abstentions. It reaffirmed that just and lasting peace in the region could not be achieved without "immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem"; endorsed the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including "the right to return and the right to self-determination, national independence and the establishment of its independent sovereign state in Palestine"; deplored Israel's failure to comply with earlier resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly; declared Israel's annexation of Jerusalem null and void; condemned Israel's policies and practices against the Palestinian people in the territories, including land expropriation and establishment of settlements; condemned imposition of Israeli law in the Golan Heights; and called on all states not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connection with settlements in the occupied territories, and specifically condemned “increasing collaboration between Israel and South Africa." Resolution 46/82 A did not acknowledge the convening of Middle East peace talks. Nevertheless, it stated that a settlement of the situation in the Middle East cannot be achieved without the participation on an equal footing of all the parties to the conflict, including the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), as “the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." An operative paragraph that had been included in previous resolutions denouncing various cooperative agreements between the United States and Israel, for which the United States had previously requested a separate vote, was not included in resolution 46/82 A. The second resolution, adopted as 46/82 B by a vote of 152 to 1, with 4 abstentions (U.S.), concerned the status of Jerusalem. It declared Israel's annexation of the city "illegal and, therefore, null and void," and deplored the transfer of diplomatic missions to Jerusalem by some states in violation of Security Council resolution 478 (1980). The cosponsors did not present a resolution on the Golan Heights. In explanation of the U.S. votes, the U.S. Alternate Representative underscored the need to achieve “a just, lasting and comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East." He stated the U.S. view that "the only realistic means of achieving a comprehensive settlement of the Middle East problem is through direct negotiations between the concerned parties." He further stated that "under the cosponsorship of the United States and the Soviet Union, the parties to this conflict met in Madrid on October 30 and launched direct, bilateral negotiations." He noted that of the two resolutions, "neither even takes note of this important and unprecedented development," and while they address many of the matters under consideration in the peace process, they "fail to affirm the guiding principle of the Peace Conference: that it must be up to the governments and peoples of the region to shape the future of the Middle East." Acknowledging that several particularly objectionable paragraphs were removed, the U.S. Alternate Representative explained the United States could not support 46/82 A because, "the language and tone remain unbalanced in its condemnation of one party to these negotiations." Lastly, 46/82 B failed to affirm "that the status of Jerusalem must be determined through negotiations among the parties concerned and as part of an overall peace settlement." Question of Palestine The three resolutions adopted under "Question of Palestine" as well as resolutions on the "International Peace Conference on the Middle East" and "The uprising (Intifadah) of the Palestin |