The Israel/Palestine conflict has impacted the daily lives of the Palestinian people since 1948. The UNCTAD was requested to assess the impact of Israeli policies onto the Palestinian people given the General Assembly report A/73/201. A foundation must be established to achieve a just and lasting peace within the two countries through three steps: assessing the economic cost of the Israeli occupation, reporting the unjust actions and the cost assessed for evidence, and documenting the rights and losses of the Palestinian people.

Assessing the economic cost of the occupation begins with Area C, which imposes a cost roughly around 25% of Palestine’s GDP. As the Palestinian population is exchanged with Israeli population into this area through settlements, there is a massive loss of opportunity, culture, and unity from the Palestinian people and economy. Through the construction of the separation barrier in the West Bank as well as the illegal settlements of Israeli civilians, Security Council resolutions 446 (1979) and 2334 (2016) are violated. Particular sectors of the Palestinian economy–agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, communications and tourism–are directly being affected by Israeli policies. Roughly around 60% of agricultural land is no longer accessible in addition to more than two-thirds of grazing land in the West Bank. From contaminated water, fish populations have drastically diminished and an emphasis was placed on documenting specific numbers pertaining to how the environment is affected by Israeli policies. Palestine is unable to personally solve the contamination due to the Israeli occupation.

There is an urgent need to establish a systematic and comprehensive framework to the UN system. Cuba emphasized reaching out for help to create a network of countries to combat the legal suffering of the Palestinian people. Assessing, documenting, and reporting to the GA on the Israeli occupation cost for the Palestinian people is a priority.

Meeting: Briefing to Member States on the findings of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report to the General Assembly (A/73/201) on the Economic costs of the Israeli Occupation for the Palestinian people

Date/Location: 28 November 2018/Conference Room 9

Speakers: UN Coordinator of Palestinian People, UN Coordinator of Israeli People, Cuba

Written By: WIT Representative Jessica Shi