UN GA Resolution 303 |
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Introduction
UN General Assembly resolution 303 reiterated the UN commitment to internationalization of Jerusalem, and designated it a "corpus separatum" - separate body. Under the original partition plan of 1947 (GA resolution 181), Jerusalem was to have been administered under UN sovereignty as an international city. The outbreak of hostilities immediately following the publication of the partition plan, led to division of Jerusalem into an eastern half controlled by Jordan and a western half under Israeli sovereignty. The Arabs initially rejected the internationalization of Jerusalem, and the Jewish side accepted it. By the end of the war of independence (1948 war) after the Jews had been expelled from the old city of Jerusalem, the Israeli government rejected internationalization. The UN had made virtually no effort to establish an international regime or to safeguard Arab and Jewish inhabitants. The area allotted by the UN for this international city of Jerusalem covered Jerusalem, Bethlehem and environs. Jerusalem was conquered and reunified by Israel in the 6-day war. Despite the reality of the actual situation, the UN has never ceased to officially regard Jerusalem as a "corpus separatum." The United States does not recognize any part of Jerusalem as part of Israel, despite congressional resolutions. Both the United States and Great Britain, among others, consider that the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved by the parties to the dispute in final settlement negotiations, and in practice, ignore the UN corpus separatum resolutions.
Click here to view a map of the area set aside for this independent UN administered area, which included both Jerusalem and the Christian holy places in Bethlehem and Beit Sahur.
Notice - Copyright
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General Assembly |
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A/RES/303 (IV) 9 December 1949 |
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303 (IV). Palestine: Question of an
international regime for the
Jerusalem area and the protection of the
Holy Places
The General Assembly,
Having regard to
its resolutions 181 (II) 1/
of 29 November 1947 and 194 (III) 2/
of 11 December 1948,
Having studied
the reports of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine set up
under the latter resolution,
I. Decides
In relation to Jerusalem,
Believing that
the principles underlying its previous resolutions concerning this matter, and
in particular its resolution of 29 November 1947, represent a just and equitable
settlement of the question,
1. To restate, therefore, its intention that Jerusalem
should be placed under a permanent international regime, which should envisage
appropriate guarantees for the protection of the Holy Places, both within and
outside Jerusalem, and to confirm specifically the following provisions of
General Assembly Resolution 181 (II) 3/
(1) the City of Jerusalem shall be established as a
corpus separatum
under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United
Nations; (2) the Trusteeship Council shall be designated to discharge the
responsibilities of the Administering Authority ...; and (3) the City of
Jerusalem shall include the present municipality of Jerusalem plus the
surrounding villages and towns, the most eastern of which shall be Abu Dis; the
most southern, Bethlehem; the most western, Ein Karim (including also the
built-up area of Motsa); and the most northern, Shu'fat, as indicated on the
attached sketch-map;4/
2. To request for this purpose that the Trusteeship
Council at its next session, whether special or regular, complete the
preparation of the Statute of Jerusalem,5/
omitting the now inapplicable provisions, such as articles 32 and 39, and,
without prejudice to the fundamental principles of the international regime for
Jerusalem set forth in General Assembly resolution 181 (II) introducing therein
amendments in the direction of its greater democratization, approve the Statue,
and proceed immediately with its implementation. The Trusteeship Council shall
not allow any actions taken by any interested Government or Governments to
divert it from adopting and implementing the Statute of Jerusalem;
II. Calls upon
the States concerned to make formal undertakings, at an early date and in the
light of their obligations as Members of the United Nations, that they will
approach these matters with good will and be guided by the terms of the present
resolution.
__________________
1/ See
Official Records of the second session of the
General Assembly, Resolutions, page 131.
2/ See
Official Records of the third session of the General
Assembly, Part I, Resolutions, page 21.
3/ See
Official Records of the second session of the
General Assembly, Resolutions, page 146.
4/ See annex on
page 26. (This map appears as Annex B to resolution 181 (II) of the General
Assembly, dated 29 November 1947.)
5/ See
Official Records of the second session of the
Trusteeship Council, Third Part, Annex, page
4.