A/HRC/34/37
I. Introduction
1.
The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 31/25,
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 Council recalled in particular Security Council resolution 497 (1981), in which it
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.
In resolution 31/25, the Human Rights Council also requested the Secretary-General
to bring the resolution 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 thirty-fourth session. In addition, the Council decided to
continue the consideration of the human rights violations in the occupied Syrian Golan at
its thirty-fourth session.
II. Implementation of Human Rights Council resolution 31/25
3.
On 26 October 2016, 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 31/25 and
requesting information on any steps taken or envisaged concerning the implementation of
the said resolution. OHCHR did not receive any reply to the note verbale.
4.
On the same day, OHCHR, on behalf of the Secretary-General, also addressed a note
verbale to all permanent missions in Geneva to draw their attention to Human Rights
Council resolution 31/25 and to request the Governments of Member States to provide
information on any steps taken, or envisaged, concerning the implementation of the
relevant provisions of the resolution. The Permanent Missions of Cuba, the Russian
Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic responded to that request in notes verbales.
5.
In addition, on behalf of the Secretary-General, OHCHR, pursuant to the request of
the Human Rights Council, brought resolution 31/25 to the attention of the competent
United Nations organs, specialized agencies, international and regional intergovernmental
organizations and international humanitarian organizations. OHCHR did not receive any
reply thereon.
6.
On 3 November 2016, the Permanent Mission of Cuba addressed a note verbale to
OHCHR, in which it requested the international community not to recognize any of the
legislative or administrative measures and actions taken by Israel as referred to in Human
Rights Council resolution 31/25, and reiterated the importance of the efforts made by the
United Nations to end the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan.
7.
The Permanent Mission of Cuba pointed out that the acquisition of territory by force
was a violation ofd international law. Israel had taken steps seeking to modify the legal
status, physical character, demographic composition and institutional structure of the
occupied Syrian Golan.
8.
In its note verbale, Cuba called upon Israel to withdraw immediately from the Syrian
Golan to the lines existing on 4 June 1967, in compliance with Security Council resolutions
242 (1967) and 338 (1973). It also emphasized that Israel should renounce its “unrestrained
attempts” to take over the occupied Syrian Golan. According to Cuba, foreign occupation,
policies of expansion and aggression, the creation of settlements and the acquisition of
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