A/HRC/25/37
I.
Introduction
1.
The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 22/17,
adopted on 21 March 2013, in which the Council called upon Israel, the occupying Power,
to comply with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly, the Security Council and
the Human Rights Council. The Human Rights Council recalled in particular Security
Council resolution 497 (1981), in which the Security Council decided, inter alia, that the
decision of Israel to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian
Golan was null and void and without international legal effect and demanded that Israel
rescind forthwith its decision.
2.
The Human Rights Council also requested the Secretary-General to bring resolution
22/17 to the attention of all Governments, the competent United Nations organs, specialized
agencies, international and regional intergovernmental organizations and international
humanitarian organizations, to disseminate it as widely as possible and to report thereon to
the Council at its twenty-fifth session.
II. Implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 22/17
3.
On 30 September 2013, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR), on behalf of the Secretary-General, addressed a note verbale to
the Government of Israel referring to Human Rights Council resolution 22/17, requesting
information on any steps taken or envisaged to be taken concerning the implementation of
the said resolution. No reply was received.
4.
On the same day, OHCHR, on behalf of the Secretary-General, addressed a note
verbale to all permanent missions in Geneva to draw their attention to resolution 22/17 and
to request the Governments of member States to provide information on any steps taken or
envisaged to be taken concerning the implementation of the relevant provisions of the
resolution. The Permanent Missions of the Syrian Arab Republic, of Ireland and of Cuba
responded by means of notes verbales to that request.
5.
In addition, OHCHR, on behalf of the Secretary-General, brought resolution 22/17
to the attention of the competent United Nations organs, specialized agencies, international
and regional intergovernmental organizations and international humanitarian organizations,
pursuant to the request of the Council set out in the resolution. The Permanent Delegation
of the European Union responded by means of a note verbale.
6.
In its note verbale dated 30 October 2013, the Syrian Arab Republic referred to the
occupation of the Syrian Golan in 1967, resulting in the displacement of more than 500,000
Syrians from their homes to other parts of the Syrian territory and the destruction of their
villages and farms. According to the Syrian Arab Republic, for more than four decades,
Israel, the occupying Power, has tried to uproot the remaining Syrian population of the
occupied Golan through systematic violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949). Furthermore, the Syrian Arab Republic referred to
the illegal decision taken by Israel in 1981 to impose its laws, jurisdiction and
administration on the occupied Syrian Golan and to a series of United Nations resolutions
calling upon all Member States to reject any legislative and administrative measures taken
by Israel, the occupying Power, based on the above-mentioned decision. The Syrian Arab
Republic further mentioned that Israel continued to disparage all these resolutions and to
reject their international legitimacy.
7.
In its response, the Syrian Arab Republic referred to the architectural and
demographic changes, land confiscation, and encouragement of thousands of Israeli settlers
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