The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, 212 (III) of 19
November 1948, 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 and all subsequent related
resolutions,
 
      Recalling also the relevant Security Council resolutions,
 
      Having considered the report of the Commissioner-General of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for
the period from 1 July 1995 to 30 June 1996,
 
      Taking note of the letter dated 22 September 1996 from the Chairman of
the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East addressed to the Commissioner-General,
contained in the report of the Commissioner-General,
 
      Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General submitted in
pursuance of its resolutions 48/40 E, 48/40 H and 48/40 J of 10 December 1993
and 49/35 C of 9 December 1994,
 
      Recalling Articles 100, 104 and 105 of the Charter of the United Nations
and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations,
 
      Affirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the
Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem,
 
      Aware of the fact that Palestine refugees have, for over four decades,
lost their homes, lands and means of livelihood,
 
      Also aware of the continuing needs of Palestine refugees throughout the
occupied Palestinian territory and in the other fields of operation, namely,
in Lebanon, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic,
 
      Further aware of the valuable work done by the refugee affairs officers
of the Agency in providing protection to the Palestinian people, in particular
Palestine refugees,
 
      Deeply concerned about the critical financial situation of the Agency
and its effect on the continuity of provision of necessary Agency services to
the Palestine refugees, including the emergency-related programmes,
 
      Aware of the work of the new Peace Implementation Programme of the
Agency,
 
      Welcoming the signing in Washington on 13 September 1993 of the
Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by the
Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization,
and the subsequent implementation agreements, including the Interim Agreement
on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip signed in Washington on 28 September 1995,
 
      Taking note of the agreement reached on 24 June 1994, embodied in an
exchange of letters between the Agency and the Palestine Liberation
Organization,
 
      Aware of the establishment of a working relationship between the
Advisory Commission of the Agency and the Palestine Liberation Organization in
accordance with General Assembly decision 48/417 of 10 December 1993,
 
      1.    Expresses its appreciation to the Commissioner-General of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East, as well as to all the staff of the Agency, for their tireless efforts
and valuable work;
 
      2.    Also expresses its appreciation to the Advisory Commission of the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East, and requests it to continue its efforts and to keep the General Assembly
informed of its activities, including the full implementation of decision
48/417;
 
      3.    Welcomes the completion of the transfer of the headquarters of the
Agency to Gaza and the signing of the Headquarters Agreement between the
Agency and the Palestinian Authority;
 
      4.    Acknowledges the support of the host Government and the Palestine
Liberation Organization for the Agency in the discharge of its duties;
 
      5.    Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to accept the de jure
applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian
Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and to abide scrupulously by its
provisions;
 
      6.    Also calls upon Israel to abide by Articles 100, 104 and 105 of
the Charter of the United Nations and the Convention on the Privileges and
Immunities of the United Nations with regard to the safety of the personnel of
the Agency and the protection of its institutions and the safeguarding of the
security of the facilities of the Agency in the occupied Palestinian
territory, including Jerusalem;
 
      7.    Calls once again upon the Government of Israel to compensate the
Agency for damages to its property and facilities resulting from actions by
the Israeli side;
 
      8.    Requests the Commissioner-General to proceed with the issuance of
identification cards for Palestine refugees and their descendants in the
occupied Palestinian territory;
 
      9.    Notes that the new context created by the signing of the
Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements by the
Government of the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization
and subsequent implementation agreements has had major consequences for the
activities of the Agency, which is henceforth called upon, in close
cooperation with the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied
Territories, the specialized agencies and the World Bank, to continue to
contribute towards the development of economic and social stability in the
occupied territory;
 
      10.   Notes also that the functioning of the Agency remains essential in
all fields of operation;
 
      11.   Notes further the significant success of the Peace Implementation
Programme of the Agency;
 
      12.   Urges all States, specialized agencies and non-governmental
organizations to continue and to increase their contributions to the Agency so
as to ease current financial constraints and to support the Agency in
maintaining the provision of the most basic and effective assistance to the
Palestine refugees.