The United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed on Thursday Syrians’ permanent sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan and Palestinians’ rights to their natural resources, in a vote widely seen as a renewal of international support for Syria’s territorial integrity.
The United Nations General Assembly, acting through its Second Committee on economic and financial matters, renewed on Thursday its affirmation of the permanent sovereignty of Syrians in the occupied Syrian Golan and of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem, over their natural resources.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the draft resolution titled “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources” was introduced by the Group of 77 and China. It passed with 152 votes in favor, opposed by Israel and seven other countries, while 12 abstained.
The resolution reaffirmed the inalienable rights of Syrians in the occupied Golan and Palestinians to their land, water, and energy resources, and called on Israel, the occupying power, to cease exploiting or endangering those resources.
Palestine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said in a written statement that “the overwhelming vote in favor once again demonstrates the international community’s firm support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their sovereign right over their natural resources.” He thanked the member states that supported the measure.
The General Assembly has adopted similar resolutions annually since 1973, reflecting broad opposition to the occupation of Arab lands seized by Israel in 1967.
