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Resolution 303 (IV): Palestine — Question of an international regime for the Jerusalem area and the protection of the Holy Places

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aliasesResolution 303, Resolution 303 (IV)

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Summary

The General Assembly’s resolution of 9 December 1949, adopted at its 275th plenary meeting, having regard to resolutions 181 (II) of 29 November 1947 and 194 (III) of 11 December 1948 and having studied the reports of the Conciliation Commission set up under the latter: believing the principles underlying its previous Jerusalem resolutions, in particular that of 29 November 1947, represent a just and equitable settlement, it restates its intention that Jerusalem be placed under a permanent international regime with appropriate guarantees for the protection of the Holy Places within and outside Jerusalem, confirms specifically three provisions of resolution 181 (II) — the City of Jerusalem established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime administered by the United Nations, the Trusteeship Council designated as Administering Authority, and the City’s boundaries out to Abu Dis, Bethlehem, Ein Karim with Motsa and Shu’fat — requests the Trusteeship Council at its next session to complete the Statute of Jerusalem, omitting now inapplicable provisions such as articles 32 and 39 and amending it toward greater democratization without prejudice to the fundamental principles of resolution 181 (II), approve it and proceed immediately with its implementation, undistracted by any interested Government’s actions, and calls on the States concerned to make formal undertakings to approach these matters in good will guided by the resolution (Resolution 303 (IV): Palestine — Question of an international regime for the Jerusalem area and the protection of the Holy Places, PDF p.1-2).

What the file is

The resolution as printed in the General Assembly’s Official Records, printed p.25, with its annex map at printed p.26 (PDF p.1-2). 2 PDF pages, about 613 words for the resolution itself. The file opens with the tail of resolution 302 (IV) (its para. 22 and the 273rd plenary meeting line, 8 December 1949), which is a separate source. The annex (PDF p.2) reproduces the City of Jerusalem boundaries map, Map No. 104.1 of December 1949, identified as Annex B to resolution 181 (II); the map image is only partly legible in the text copy, whose legend and the labels Sur Bahir and Umm Tuba can be read. Footnote numerals are garbled in the copy; the documents they cite are given in the section account without the numerals.

Section by section

  • Preceding material (PDF p.1). The closing lines of resolution 302 (IV) on transmitting the Economic Survey Mission’s final report. Not part of resolution 303.
  • Preamble (PDF p.1). The Assembly has regard to resolutions 181 (II) and 194 (III) and has studied the Conciliation Commission’s reports.
  • Part I, opening (PDF p.1). In relation to Jerusalem, the Assembly believes the principles underlying its previous resolutions on this matter, in particular its resolution of 29 November 1947, represent a just and equitable settlement of the question, and decides as in paras. 1–2.
  • Part I, paragraph 1 (PDF p.1). The intention that Jerusalem be placed under a permanent international regime, envisaging appropriate guarantees for the protection of the Holy Places both within and outside Jerusalem, is restated, and the three resolution 181 (II) provisions listed in the Summary are confirmed specifically. The second confirmed provision is printed with an ellipsis after the Administering Authority clause, as in the original.
  • Part I, paragraph 2 (PDF p.1). The Trusteeship Council is requested, at its next session whether special or regular, to complete the preparation of the Statute of Jerusalem (citing the Statute as annexed to the Official Records of the Trusteeship Council’s second session), omitting the now inapplicable provisions such as articles 32 and 39, and, without prejudice to the fundamental principles of the international regime in resolution 181 (II), introducing amendments in the direction of its greater democratization, to approve the Statute and proceed immediately with its implementation; the Council shall not allow any actions taken by any interested Government or Governments to divert it from adopting and implementing the Statute.
  • Part II (PDF p.1). The States concerned are called upon to make formal undertakings, at an early date and in light of their obligations as Members of the United Nations, to approach these matters in good will and be guided by the resolution’s terms. Dated to the 275th plenary meeting, 9 December 1949.
  • Annex (PDF p.2, printed p.26). The City of Jerusalem boundaries proposed map, Map No. 104.1, December 1949, identified as Annex B to resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947, showing the proposed boundary, main roads and railroads.

Key passages

  • “Jerusalem should be placed under a permanent international regime” (Part I, paragraph 1, PDF p.1), restated as the Assembly’s intention, with guarantees for the protection of the Holy Places within and outside Jerusalem to be envisaged by that regime.
  • “the Trusteeship Council shall be designated to discharge the responsibilities of the Administering Authority” (Part I, paragraph 1, confirming resolution 181 (II), PDF p.1).
  • On the Statute: the Council is to “complete the preparation of the Statute of Jerusalem” (Part I, paragraph 2, PDF p.1), omitting articles 32 and 39 as now inapplicable and amending toward greater democratization.

Evidence the work relies on

  • The resolution is an act of the General Assembly resting on its own prior acts and on a body of reports it names but does not reproduce: resolutions 181 (II) and 194 (III), the Conciliation Commission’s reports, studied under the preamble, and the draft Statute of Jerusalem as annexed to the Official Records of the second session of the Trusteeship Council. The sketch-map it confirms is Annex B to resolution 181 (II), reproduced at PDF p.2.

Analysis

Where resolution 194 (III) had substituted a future regime to be proposed by the Conciliation Commission to the fourth session, this resolution, adopted in that fourth session after studying the Commission’s reports — among them Third Progress Report of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine, which records Israel establishing ministerial services inside the Jerusalem area and the Committee on Jerusalem still awaiting an Arab reply to its questionnaire — returns to resolution 181 (II) and confirms its regime in terms: corpus separatum, United Nations administration, Trusteeship Council as Administering Authority, the same four boundary points. Its only stated adaptations are subtractive and directional: omit the now inapplicable Statute provisions, instanced as articles 32 and 39, and amend toward greater democratization without prejudice to the fundamental principles. The instruction that the Trusteeship Council not be diverted by any interested Government’s actions, and the call in Part II for formal undertakings in good will, are the resolution’s whole enforcement apparatus as printed; it gives no vote figures, no deadline beyond the Council’s next session, and no sanction.

People, organizations, places and events

Palestine Conciliation Commission, Trusteeship Council, City of Jerusalem

Concepts

Corpus separatum, Holy Places

How it relates to other sources

Open questions

  • The resolution gives no vote figures for its adoption.
  • Articles 32 and 39 of the draft Statute are named only as instances of now inapplicable provisions; their content is not in this file and must come from the Trusteeship Council records the footnote cites, not from this text.
  • The second confirmed provision is printed with an ellipsis after the Administering Authority clause; what the ellipsis omits is the fuller wording of resolution 181 (II) Part III, Section A, held on that source’s page, not reproduced here.

Coverage

PDF p.1-2 of 2, read in full

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