General Assembly adopts wide-ranging resolutions on economic, financial issues

The General Assembly today adopted over three dozen resolutions on a wide range of economic and financial matters, including the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.

That resolution, which, along with the others, was recommended for adoption by the Economic and Financial Committee, called on Israel not to exploit, to cause loss or depletion of or to endanger the natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan. The measure passed by a vote of 148 in favour to 4 against (Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, United States) with 4 abstentions (Cameroon, Fiji, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea).

By a vote of 100 in favour with the United States against and 46 abstentions, the Assembly urged the international community to adopt urgent and effective steps to eliminate the use of unilateral economic measures not authorized by relevant organs of the United Nations or inconsistent with the principles of international law as set forth in the Charter and in contravention of the basic principles of the multilateral trading system

Other issues dealt with in the resolutions included the environment and sustainable development, external debt, science and technology, business and development, preventing and combating corrupt practices, and a strengthened and stable international financial architecture. In addition, the Assembly adopted six texts related to sustainable development and international economic cooperation, as well as a text on globalization and interdependence.