Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
New York, SANA- The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has adopted the draft resolution on “economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and the Syrian citizens in occupied Syrian Golan.
The draft resolution was then adopted by a recorded vote of 43 favour to 4 against (Canada, Israel, Liberia, United States) with 4 abstentions (Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, Solomon Islands, United Kingdom).
The resolution stressed the principle of permanent sovereignty of peoples under foreign occupation over their natural resources and expressed concern that Israel as the occupying power, and Israeli settlers endanger and deplete natural resources in the occupied Syrian Golan.
The resolution stresses that the Israeli occupier seriously obstructs efforts to achieve environmentally sustainable development and create a sound economic environment in the occupied Syrian Golan and the occupied Palestinian territories, and expresses deep concern on the resulting deterioration in economic and living conditions.
The resolution also reaffirms the inalienable right of the citizens of the occupied Syrian Golan and the Palestinian people to all their natural and economic resources, and demands that “Israel”, the occupying power, not exploit these resources, nor cause their loss or depletion, and put an immediate end to their exploitation of natural resources.
The permanent delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic to the UN stressed in an intervention in the meeting that the expansion of Israeli settlements has negative effects on the health of Syrian citizens and their agricultural activities.
The Syrian delegation denounced the occupation force’s use of various methods such as confiscation of land and natural resources in the occupied Syrian Golan, including expropriation of land to plant landmines, confiscation of land for military purposes, and to build settlements and agricultural and industrial facilities.
The delegation renewed the need to solve the problem at its root, through immediate implementation of the relevant UN resolutions on ending the Israeli occupation of the occupied Arab territories.
Manar Salameh /Hala Zain
