New proposed UN Security Council resolution declaring Israel’s construction of apartheid wall “illegal”

On 9 October 2003, the Chairman of the Arab Group on behalf of the States members of the League of Arab States at the United Nations, requested an immediate meeting of the Security Council to consider Israel’s construction of the wall. On Friday, the UN Security Council decided to hold an open session on the wall. Syria requested Friday’s closed-door session and on Thursday submitted a draft resolution on the construction of the barrier on behalf of Arab member nations. The open session allows any member state to attend and to speak before the Security Council.

Annex to the letter dated 9 October 2003 from the Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

Draft resolution

The Security Council,

Recalling its resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 267 (1969) of 3 July 1969, 298 (1971) of 25 September 1971, 446 (1979) of 22 March 1979, 452 (1979) of 20 July 1979, 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980, 476 (1980) of 30 June 1980, 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994, 1073 (1996) of 28 September 1996 and 1397 (2002) of 12 March 2002,

Reaffirming the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force,

Reaffirming its vision of a region where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders,

Condemning all acts of violence, terror and destruction,

Stressing the urgency of ending the current violent situation on the ground, the need to end the occupation that began in 1967 and the need to achieve peace based on the vision of two States mentioned above,

Reiterating its call upon Israel, the occupying Power, to fully and effectively respect the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,

Reiterating its opposition to settlement activities in the Occupied Territories and to any activities involving the confiscation of land, disruption of the livelihood of protected persons and the de facto annexation of land,

1. Decides that the construction by Israel, the occupying Power, of a wall in the Occupied Territories departing from the armistice line of 1949 is illegal under relevant provisions of international law and must be ceased and reversed;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to report on the compliance with this resolution periodically, with the first report to be submitted within one month;

3. Decides to remain seized of the matter.