Frequently Asked Questions
UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
In 1975, by its resolution 3376, the UN General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), and requested it to recommend a programme of implementation to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination without external interference, national independence and sovereignty; and to return to their homes and property from which they had been displaced. The Committee is a subsidiary body of, and reports to the General Assembly.
The Committee is the only body within the United Nations exclusively devoted to the question of Palestine. Its mandate has been annually renewed by the General Assembly, most recently in resolution /75/20 of 8 December 2020.
The Committee’s work aims at:
- Promoting a just and peaceful settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and end to Israeli occupation which began in 1967.
- Realizing the two-State solution: Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side within secure and recognized borders.
- Supporting the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people including self-determination, sovereignty and right to return.
Towards the beginning of each calendar year, the Committee adopts a Programme of Work for the year.
The Committee is composed of 25 Member States. To serve on the Committee Member States put forward their candidacy which is then endorsed by the General Assembly.
Afghanistan, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Cyprus, Ecuador, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
In addition, 24 Observers participate in the work of the Committee:
Algeria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, Viet Nam, Yemen, State of Palestine, African Union, League of Arab States, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
The day-to-day work of the Committee is conducted by the Bureau composed of Permanent Representatives of UN Member States serving in their personal capacity and elected by the Committee. The following are the current representatives of Member States serving on the Bureau:
- Senegal (Chair).
- Afghanistan, Cuba, Indonesia, Namibia, and Nicaragua (Vice-Chairs).
- Afghanistan (Acting Rapporteur).
- The State of Palestine participates in the work of the Bureau as an observer.
The Committee convenes international meetings and conferences, including meetings with civil society, in all regions of the world, on the question of Palestine. The Committee cooperates with a wide network of civil society organizations active on the issue. It also maintains a programme of publications covering United Nations activities with regard to the question of Palestine. To commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people the Committee holds annual special meetings and other events at United Nations Headquarters and elsewhere. The Committee reports to the General Assembly.
The Division for Palestinian Rights serves as the Secretariat of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) and provides the following core functions:
- Organizes the meetings of the Committee and its Bureau at UN Headquarters.
- Monitors political and other relevant developments.
- Organizes the Committee’s programme of events, international meetings and conferences.
- Implements a publications programme.
- Develops and maintains the United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL).
- Liaises with civil society organizations active on the issue and publishes the weekly “NGO Action News”.
- Organizes the annual observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
- Conducts an annual training programme for Palestinian civil servants at UN Headquarters and several other capacity building activities.
The Chair of the Committee delivers statements at Security Council meetings on the situation in the Middle East, including the questions of Palestine every quarter during open (public) debates.
The Newsletter of the Committee is a quarterly publication highlighting the work and activities of the Committee.
The Committee meets four to six times a year, as needed.
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed annually on or around 29 November, commemorating the adoption by the Assembly, on 29 November 1947, of the “partition” resolution 181 (II),
The observance is held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the United Nations Offices at Geneva and Vienna, Nairobi and elsewhere. The event includes special meetings with the participation of high-level officials of the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations and representatives of civil society. The observance also includes cultural events.
The capacity-building programme trains civil servants of the State of Palestine in support of building an independent, inclusive and resilient State.
The online United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL) is a collection of current and historical United Nations documents concerning the question of Palestine as well as other issues related to the Middle East situation and the search for peace. UNISPAL, established and developed by the Division for Palestinian Rights, contains mainly documentation in English with a growing number in the other official UN languages.
The Monthly Bulletin includes all the important documents and resolutions relevant to the Question of Palestine published by the United Nations system and intergovernmental organisations.
The NGO Action News weekly update contains information about the activities by civil society. Two additional annual publications cover the UN resolutions and UN reports on the question of Palestine.