With majority of 146 votes, UN General Assembly stress Syria's sovereignty over Golan resources
During its 87th general session, which was convened on Thursday in New York, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a decision renewing the permanent Syrian supremacy over the natural resources of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the supremacy of the Palestinian people over their natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.
The resolution which was adopted by the GA with the majority of 146 votes with three votes against it including the US, Israel and the Marshall Islands, the resolution stresses the principle of not taking lands of others by means of force and the UN Security Council resolutions concerned, especially UN resolution 497 for 1981, which views the Israeli annexation decision of the Golan as null and void.
The decision expresses hope that the Middle East peace process which started in Madrid in 1991 and which is based on UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 425 and the land-for-peace formula will reach a final settlement on all tracks. The decision also stresses that the Fourth Geneva Convention pertaining to protection of civilians in times of war are applicable to all territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
The decision expresses the concern of the international community towards Israel's exploitation of the natural resources in the Arab territories occupied since 1967, stressing the inalienable rights of the people of the Golan and the Palestinian people to their natural resources including the lands and the waters.
The decision also indicates the realization of the international community to the damaging economic and social consequences of the Israeli settlements on the natural resources in the occupied Arab territories.
