7th Emergency Special Session: Question of Palestine (1980–1982)

The 7th emergency special session on the “Question of Palestine” was convened over an elapsed period of two years between 1980 and 1982, first in 22–29 July 1980 and then from 20–28 April, 25–26 June and 16–19 August in 1982, as well as 24 September 1982 (A/37/205; A/37/366). The GA ultimately passed nine resolutions, which dealt with questions of Palestinian self-determination, of Israeli activities with respect to “Palestinian and other Arab territories”, and the consequences of Israel’s June 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

The origin of the 7th emergency special session was a draft resolution sponsored by Tunisia within the SC in April 1980, which stated that “Israel should withdraw from all the Arab territories occupied since June 1967, including Jerusalem” and affirmed “that the Palestinian people, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, should be enabled to exercise its inalienable national right of self-determination, Palestine; including the right to establish an independent State in Palestine” (S/13911). There were 10 votes in favour and 4 abstentions on the resolution, but the US voted against it (ibid.). Taking the second procedural route associated with the UFP resolution, Senegal then proposed an emergency special session, a motion approved by the majority of the GA (A/ES-7/1).

The GA convened the first part of the emergency special session from 22 to 29 July 1980. GA resolutions passed included a call for Israel to “withdraw completely and unconditionally from all the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem”, reaffirmation of Palestinian rights to self-determination, and a request for the SC to consider Chapter VII actions in the event of non-compliance with UN resolutions by Israel (A/ES-7/2, paras. 4–7, 13).¹ The GA then adjourned the 7th emergency special session “temporarily” and authorized the President of the General Assembly to resume its meetings upon a request from Member States (ibid., para. 14). Upon readjournment from 20–28 April 1982, the GA then took up similar issues. On 28 April 1982, the GA adopted ES-7/4 calling on all governments to recognize the “inalienable rights of the Palestinian people” and to cease providing Israel with “military, economic, and political assistance, thus discouraging Israel from continuing its aggression” (A/RES/ES-7/4, para. 9). In the same resolution, the GA noted with regret that due to the veto of a permanent member, the SC had failed to take action on the recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and urged the SC to “recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people” (ibid., para. 14).

By the next time the emergency special session reconvened, from 25–26 June 1982, Israel had invaded Lebanon (beginning 6 June 1982), following a series of clashes between Israeli forces and those linked to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) operating from Lebanon. Resolution ES-7/5 (A/RES/ES-7/5) expressed the GA’s alarm at the “worsening situation … resulting from Israel’s acts of aggression against the sovereignty of Lebanon”, referenced the Geneva Convention and the “sufferings of the Palestinian and Lebanese civilian populations”, and reaffirmed that the only comprehensive settlement possible was one that involved the “participation on equal footing” of all parties, including the PLO. It further offered its support to two SC resolutions (S/RES/508 (1982); S/RES/509 (1982)) that had called for a ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory (A/RES/ES-7/5, para. 3), and requested the Secretary-General to delegate a high-level commission to investigate and assess civilian damage and loss of life (ibid.). The first resolution passed when the emergency special session resumed in August 1982 (following another temporary adjournment). It reiterated IHL principles and obligations, demanded that Israel comply with prior SC provisions related to withdrawal of forces and cessation of hostilities (and condemned its non-compliance), and again requested the Secretary-General to delegate a high-level mission to investigate the situation (A/RES/ES-7/5; A/RES/ES-7/6).

The final three resolutions passed in the emergency special session related to the convening of an International Conference on the Question of Palestine and designated the commemoration of 4 June as the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (A/RES/ES-7/7; A/RES/ES-7/8; A/RES/ES-7/9).

This 7th emergency special session was the first time that an emergency special session was adjourned and reconvened, establishing precedent for the 9th, 10th and 11th emergency special sessions.