Resolution 302 (IV): Assistance to Palestine refugees

Summary

The General Assembly’s resolution of 8 December 1949, adopted at its 273rd plenary meeting, recalling resolutions 212 (III) and 194 (III) and affirming in particular paragraph 11 of the latter, and having examined the first interim report of the United Nations Economic Survey Mission for the Middle East and the Secretary-General’s report on assistance to Palestine refugees: it establishes the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to carry out, in collaboration with local governments, the direct relief and works programmes recommended by the Economic Survey Mission, estimates approximately $33, 700, 000 f or d i r ec t r e l i e f an d w or k s f or 1950 ($ 20,200,000 direct relief and $13, 500, 000 w or k s, t h e tw o p a r t ss u mmin g t o t h es t a t e d t o t a l, co m p u t e d) an d a pp r o x ima t e l y$ 21,200,000 for works in the first half of 1951, continues the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees until 1 April 1950 with its assets and liabilities then to transfer to the new Agency, directs the new Agency to consult with the Conciliation Commission with particular reference to paragraph 11, and provides for its Director, its Advisory Commission of France, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and its funding by voluntary contributions, a Working Capital Fund advance of up to $5, 000, 000 an d a p oss ib l e in t er es t - f r ee l o an f r o m t h e I n t er na t i o na l R e f ug ee O r g ani z a t i o n o f u pt o$ 2,800,000 (Resolution 302 (IV): Assistance to Palestine refugees, PDF p.1-3).

What the file is

The resolution as printed in the General Assembly’s Official Records, printed p.23-25 (PDF p.1-3). 3 PDF pages, about 2,468 words in the text copy for the resolution itself; the file also contains neighbouring material. The text is printed in two columns and the text copy interleaves them on PDF p.1; the account below follows the resolution in its printed order. PDF p.1 opens with resolution 301 (IV) on Indonesia (272nd plenary meeting, 7 December 1949), and PDF p.3, after resolution 302 closes, carries the whole of resolution 303 (IV), a separate source. The copy’s OCR garbles individual words throughout; the operative figures and dates were checked against the original.

Section by section

Preceding Indonesia material (PDF p.1). Resolution 301 (IV) welcomes the Hague Round Table Conference agreement and the forthcoming Republic of the United States of Indonesia. Not part of resolution 302.
Preamble (PDF p.1). The Assembly recalls resolutions 212 (III) of 19 November 1948 and 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, affirming in particular paragraph 11 of the latter, and has examined with appreciation the Economic Survey Mission’s first interim report (document A/1106) and the Secretary-General’s report on assistance to Palestine refugees (documents A/1060 and A/1060/Add.1).
Paragraphs 1–4 (PDF p.1). Appreciation to Governments that responded to the resolution 212 (III) and Secretary-General appeals in kind or funds; gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the League of Red Cross Societies and the American Friends Service Committee, which voluntarily assumed distribution of relief supplies and general care of the refugees and have assured the Secretary-General they will continue co-operation until the end of March 1950 on a mutually acceptable basis; commendation of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund and of the specialised agencies that assisted, in particular the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Refugee Organization; and thanks to the numerous religious, charitable and humanitarian organisations that materially assisted.
Paragraph 5 (PDF p.1). Without prejudice to paragraph 11 of resolution 194 (III), continued assistance for relief is recognised as necessary to prevent starvation and distress and to further peace and stability, and constructive measures should be undertaken at an early date toward termination of international assistance for relief.
Paragraph 6 (PDF p.1). The cost estimates and the 31 December 1950 direct-relief termination date are as given in the Summary, subject to para. 9(d).
Paragraph 7 (PDF p.1). The new Agency is established, to carry out the Economic Survey Mission’s recommended direct relief and works programmes in collaboration with local governments, and to consult with the interested Near Eastern Governments on measures they should take preparatory to the time when international assistance is no longer available.
Paragraph 8 (PDF p.1). An Advisory Commission of France, Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America is established, with power to add not more than three members from contributing Governments, to advise and assist the Director; Director and Advisory Commission are to consult each Near Eastern Government concerned on selection, planning and execution of projects.
Paragraph 9 (PDF p.1-2). The Secretary-General is to appoint the Director in consultation with the Advisory Commission Governments. The Director is chief executive officer, responsible to the General Assembly; appoints staff under arrangements agreed with the Secretary-General; establishes the Agency’s financial regulations in consultation with the Secretary-General and the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions; and, subject to those regulations and in consultation with the Advisory Commission, may apportion available funds between direct relief and works projects if the para. 6 estimates require revision.
Paragraphs 10–12 (PDF p.2). The Director is to convene the Advisory Commission at the earliest practicable date. The United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees continues until 1 April 1950, or until the transfer is effected thereafter, with the Secretary-General to continue reducing ration numbers by progressive stages in light of the Economic Survey Mission’s findings; the Secretary-General is to transfer its assets and liabilities to the new Agency by 1 April 1950 or an agreed date.
Paragraphs 13–16 (PDF p.2). Members and non-members are urged to make voluntary contributions in funds or in kind, funds payable in other currencies so far as the programme can be carried out in them; the Secretary-General may advance up to $5, 000, 000 f r o m t h e W or k in g C a p i t a l F u n d, r e p a y ab l e b y 31 D ece mb er 1950 f r o m t h oseco n t r ib u t i o n s; h e ma y n e g o t ia t e anin t er es t - f r ee l o an f r o m t h e I n t er na t i o na l R e f ug ee O r g ani z a t i o n o f u pt o t h ee q u i v a l e n t o f$ 2,800,000; and he may continue the Special Fund established under resolution 212 (III), withdrawing from it for both the old relief operation and, on the Director’s request, the new Agency.
Paragraphs 17–19 (PDF p.2). Governments concerned are called on to accord the new Agency the privileges, immunities, exemptions and facilities granted to its predecessor and all others necessary to its functions. The children’s fund, the refugee organisation, the health, education and food agencies and other appropriate agencies and private groups are urged to furnish assistance in consultation with the Director. The Director is to appoint an observer to the Technical Assistance Board and give the Board full information on the Agency’s technical assistance work, for co-ordination with the programmes referred to in Economic and Social Council resolution 222 (IX) A of August 1949.
Paragraphs 20–22 (PDF p.2-3). The new Agency is directed to consult with the Conciliation Commission in the best interests of their respective tasks, with particular reference to paragraph 11 of resolution 194 (III). The Director must submit an annual report to the General Assembly including an audit of funds. The Conciliation Commission is instructed to transmit the Economic Survey Mission’s final report, with its comments, to the Secretary-General for transmission to the Members and to the new Agency. Dated to the 273rd plenary meeting, 8 December 1949.
Following material (PDF p.3). Resolution 303 (IV) on Jerusalem follows in full; it is not part of resolution 302 and is ingested separately.

Key passages

“without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III) of 11 December 1948” (paragraph 5, PDF p.1) — the clause under which the whole relief-and-works programme is established.
“continued assistance for the relief of the Palestine refugees is necessary” (paragraph 5, PDF p.1), stated there as necessary to prevent starvation and distress and to further peace and stability.

Evidence the work relies on

The resolution is an act of the General Assembly; its stated grounds are its own resolutions 212 (III) and 194 (III), the Economic Survey Mission’s first interim report (document A/1106), whose recommended programmes the new Agency is to carry out and whose final report the Conciliation Commission is to transmit under para. 22, and the Secretary-General’s report on assistance to Palestine refugees (documents A/1060 and A/1060/Add.1). None of those documents’ texts are reproduced in this file beyond the estimates in para. 6.

Analysis

The resolution’s structure is a handover with a stated end. Relief, run since resolution 212 (III) by voluntary distributing agencies thanked in paras. 2–4, is continued only to 1 April 1950 and transferred, assets and liabilities, to a new Agency whose mandate pairs direct relief with works programmes and whose governing estimates assume direct relief ends by 31 December 1950 unless the fifth session decides otherwise. Two safeguards frame that transition in the text itself: para. 5 establishes the programme expressly without prejudice to paragraph 11 of resolution 194 (III), and para. 20 directs the Agency to consult with the Conciliation Commission with particular reference to that paragraph — so the termination the resolution plans is termination of international assistance for relief, in its own words, not of the repatriation and compensation provisions it reaffirms in its preamble. The resolution gives no vote figures and no refugee count, and names no Director.

People, organizations, places and events

UNRWA, Palestine Conciliation Commission, International Committee of the Red Cross, League of Red Cross Societies, American Friends Service Committee

Concepts

Right of Return

How it relates to other sources

This file is the constituting text for the agency later sources treat as established fact: Beyond the Lines — Social Networks and Palestinian Militant Organizations in Wartime Lebanon records the agency as established at the end of 1949 and active in spring 1950 with 726,000 registered refugees; The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (PDF p.272-273) gives its coming into being in 1950, not committed to the return Resolution 194 stipulated. The primary text predates both framings: it is dated 8 December 1949, it reaffirms paragraph 11 in its preamble, and its works mandate is tied in paras. 5 and 20 to that paragraph expressly without prejudice to it. The later readings are held alongside the text, not reconciled with it.
It answers, institutionally, the warning in Third Progress Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine paras. 21–22 (PDF p.5-6), where the distributing organisations feared a winter interruption of relief for lack of funds and the Commission suggested new funds be among the first matters the Assembly examined: the three organisations thanked and continued to March 1950 in para. 2 here are the same three distributors named there.
Its predecessor operation, the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees under resolution 212 (III), is the body Resolution 194 (III): Palestine — Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator para. 11 already directed the Commission to work through, as the Director of that relief.

Open questions

The resolution gives no vote figures and no count of the Palestine refugees it provides for; counts given by other ingested sources are recorded on those sources’ pages.
The Economic Survey Mission’s recommendations, on which paras. 6–7 rest, are not reproduced in this file; only the Mission’s first interim report (A/1106) is cited, and its final report is still to be transmitted under para. 22.
Paragraph 19(a) cites Economic and Social Council resolution 222 (IX) A with a date in August 1949; the copy garbles the day, and no day is stated here.

Coverage

PDF p.1-3 of 3, read in full

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