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Agreement between the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan And the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

Agreement between the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

And the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

Amman, 14 March 1951

WHEREAS the General Assembly of the United Nations at its Fourth Session, by Resolution 302 (IV) of 8th December, 1949, established the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East hereinafter referred to as the Agency, to carry out the terms of the said Resolution;

WHEREAS the relief for Palestine refugees was formerly the subject of an agreement between the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan and the Director of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and that this agreement has been continued by grace of the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan pending the conclusion of a new agreement between that Government and the Agency:

WHEREAS the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan identifies itself with the above quoted Resolution of the General Assembly and with the Resolution adopted by the General Assembly at its 315th Plenary meeting of 2 December 1950, which Resolutions have been agreed to by the Arab member nations, and whereas the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan has at the same time introduced legislative measures which permit the reintegration of Palestine refugees within the Kingdom of the Jordan at the request of the refugees concerned, the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan and the Agency have agreed that the present machinery established by the Ministry of Development and Reconstruction and the Agency for the consideration and implementation of reintegration and other projects shall be maintained;

WHEREAS the supplies to be distributed and the funds to be expended represent gifts of member states of the United Nations and others for the implementation of the provisions of the above quoted Resolutions;

WHEREAS the Agency as a matter of policy will endeavor to utilize its funds to the maximum advantage of the refugees;

WHEREAS the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan has expressed its desire to cooperate with the Agency in giving effect to the provision of the above quoted Resolutions with which the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan has identified itself, the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan and the Agency have agreed that the following facilities and immunities are necessary for the successful continuation of the Agency's program:

Article I

The Hashemite Government of the Jordan agrees to grant the Director of the Agency, the members of his Advisory Commission and the senior officials of the Agency as may be agreed upon in writing between the Hashemite Government of the Jordan and the Director of the Agency the privileges and immunities normally granted in accordance with international custom to Diplomatic Envoys of equivalent rank.

The Hashemite Government of the Jordan further agrees to grant all internationally recruited members of the Agency's staff the privileges and immunities including freedom from income and other taxes provided for under the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations with which the Hashemite Government of the Jordan identifies itself. Copy of the Convention is annexed to this Agreement,1

Article II

The Hashemite Government of the Jordan agrees to grant the international and local staff of the Agency whose names are communicated to the Hashemite Government of the Jordan certificates of identity or travel permits which will authorise them to:

(1) move freely at any time throughout the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan in and between areas in which substantial groups of refugees may be found, or where reintegration projects are proposed or undertaken;

(2) move freely between the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan and the neighboring Arab states;

(3) such certificates or permits may be withdrawn by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for international staff and by the Minister of Reconstruction and Development for local personnel at any time for reasons connected with public security or for unlawful actions which may have been committed, but in all cases not before notification has been made to the responsible officers of the Agency;

(4) the Government further agrees to issue permits which will permit passengers, cars and freight vehicles of the Agency to move freely at any time within the Kingdom and to grant facilities for speedy crossing of the frontiers; it being understood that the freedom of movement described above shall be subject to regulations pertaining to military security in areas where such regulations are in force;

(5) the Hashemite Government of the Jordan agrees to issue to the Director of the Agency, the members of his Advisory Commission and all members of his staff, appropriate visas which will permit them at all times to enter and leave the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan, and agrees to exempt all such persons, when travelling on official business of the Agency, from quarantine, customs, visas or other fees or taxes of a similar nature collected for the profit of the Kingdom or any administration or society whatsoever.

Article III

The Agency agrees that as a matter of policy, and given equal conditions, priority in the selection of personnel and in the utilization of services will be given to refugees or to services operated or owned by the refugees; and further agrees, all conditions being equal, to purchase such supplies as may be required and are available from local markets.

The appointment of local staff shall be made upon the recommendations of an Agency selection board in which the Government shall be represented.

Article IV

The Hashemite Government of the Jordan agrees to pay to the Agency, with effect from 1st March, 1951, contributions amounting to five thousand Jordanian Dinars per month for all relief and administration purposes.

The Government further agrees to provide safe conduct of goods, produce, stores and equipment at all times within the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan.

The Agency agrees to pay to the Jordan Government, with effect from 1st March 1951, the sum of five hundred Jordanian Dinars per month towards all costs arising out of rents for land occupied by refugee camps and for charges of water consumed by refugees within the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan; it being understood that the responsibility for the provision of camp sites and of water and for resolving all questions arising out of their procurement shall rest with the Government.

The Hashemite Government of Jordan agrees to bear all costs arising out of rents for land occupied by refugee camps and for charges of water consumed by refugees in excess of five hundred Jordanian Dinars per month.

Article V

The goods, stores, produce and equipment including petroleum products destined for the refugees in the Jordan shall be admitted exempt of all customs duty, taxes or import duties of any sort collected for the profit of the Kingdom or any administration or society whatsoever.

The Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan, without prejudice to reasonable security requirements, waives the right of inspection of the aforementioned goods, stores, produce and equipment and further grants exemption from the need to obtain export permits and import permits; it being understood that the Government reserves the right to withdraw this exemption upon the submission of evidence to the responsible officers of the Agency that it has been abused.

Article VI

The goods, stores, produce and equipment including petroleum products brought into the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan by virtue of the preceding Articles shall remain the property of the United Nations until delivery to individual beneficiaries or formal transfer by the Agency to the Government.

Article VII

The Agency agrees that a schedule of refugees shall be established upon the completion of the current census of refugees within the Hashemite Kingdom. of the Jordan to which the Government has given its support, and thereafter agrees that this schedule may be amended by eliminations and addition by the Chief District Officer of UNRWA in Jordan after consultations with [Arabic copy reads: “in agreement with”] the Hashemite Minister of Development and Reconstruction; keeping in mind the necessity of encouragement of able-bodied refugees to find employment as well as the responsibility of the Agency to spend its funds in conformity with its mandate.

Article VIII

The Hashemite Government of the Jordan agrees that any funds which are the property of the Agency at the end of its program and which are on deposit or current account within Jordan as the result of an official transfer, may at the request of the Director of the Agency be reconverted into the original foreign currency at the current official rates obtaining at the time of reconversion.

The Agency further agrees that all transfers of Agency funds into the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan shall be effected through official channels.

Article IX

The specific conditions under which works and reintegration projects are to be carried out shall be laid down in special agreements between the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan and the Agency.

Article X

The Hashemite Government of the Jordan undertakes to accept responsibility for guarding within the Kingdom the stores, warehouses, water and other installations of the Agency and generally undertakes to give all such facilities which may assist the Agency in achieving the objectives set out in the Resolutions of the General Assembly which are annexed to this Agreement and to which the Hashemite Government of the Jordan now adheres and supports in common with the action taken by other Arab Governments at the Fourth and Fifth Sessions of the General Assembly.

Article XI

The terms and obligations of this Agreement shall be regarded as being binding upon the contracting parties from the date of signature. The provisions of Articles IV and V concerning contributions and services to be given by the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan save when otherwise indicated shall be binding as from 1st May 1950.

 

(Signed) John B. BLANDFORD, Jr., Director On behalf of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

(Signed) Anastas HANANIA, Minister for Development and Reconstruction, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

***

Letter

The Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

to the Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Amman, 20 August 1951

Excellency,

I have the honour to inform Your Excellency that I am enclosing herewith a copy, in Arabic, of the agreement between UNRWA and the Jordan Government, which I have duly signed.

I have signed this agreement, in spite of the differences between the English and Arabic texts as to procedure for the modification of the ration rolls since I sincerely believe in the good faith of the Jordan Government, and I am most anxious to do away with the final obstacles to the implementation of a realistic and constructive programme.

It is, however, my duty to draw your Excellency's attention to the Agency's new obligations under the resolution adopted by the 5th General Assembly of the United Nations, which were based on recommendations from UNRWA’s Advisory Commission. Further, the Agency's relief budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1951, is presently limited to $20,000,000. Other available funds are intended for reintegration.

After three years’ effort and investigations, the contributing countries are now justified in considering that the number of refugees registered does in fact correspond to the number of Palestinians who should receive relief. We therefore now consider that the number of rations actually distributed in each host country constitute a ceiling which must not be exceeded.

Any new registrations which might possibly be proposed by the Appeal Board should, therefore, be accepted only in very exceptional cases and if conclusive proofs are furnished as to the rights of the persons concerned. Acceptance of any such registrations will naturally entail a decrease in the calorific value of the rations distributed, as the share of the new beneficiaries will have to be drawn from the present ration quota as determined by apportionment of contributions for relief.

Your Excellency will also no doubt realise that since registration on the ration rolls may be interpreted as qualification for the benefit of the reintegration programme any such registration should follow very strict rules, and complete objectivity should be observed.

There is a further point which has been firmly pressed upon by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the principal contributors: Agency funds are not available for meeting the serious problem of the non-refugee needy.

In the light of the foregoing I have no doubt that Your Excellency and Sir Alexander Galloway will be able to work out a procedure for the practical application of the agreement, the signature of which will, I sincerely hope, be the starting point of concrete and profitable achievements for the benefit of the refugees.

I have the honour to be, Your Excellency, With expression of my highest regard, Yours very truly

 

John B. BLANDFORD, Jr. Director, UNRWA

 

Source: United Nations. Treaty Series 1952. New York: United Nations, vol. 120, pp. 282-304.

 

ADDENDUM

Amman, 19 June 1952

WHEREAS Article IV of the above Agreement provides that the Agency shall contribute with effect from March 1st, 1951, the sum of JD 500 (Jordan Dinars Five Hundred) per month towards all costs arising out of rents for land occupied by refugee camps and for charges of water consumed by refugees within the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan;

WHEREAS it is further agreed by virtue of the said Article IV that the responsibility for the provision of camp sites and of water and for resolving all questions arising out of their procurement shall rest with the Government;

WHEREAS the Agency is prepared to amend the provisions of Article IV of the agreement and the Hashemite Government of the Kingdon of Jordan is prepared to accept an amendment providing for contribution by the Agency of JD 1,000 (Jordan Dinars One Thousand) in lieu of JD 500 (Jordan Dinars Five Hundred);

It is agreed by the Agency and his Excellency the Minister of Development and Reconstruction on behalf of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan that with effect from 1 March 1951 the Agency will contribute JD 1,000 (Jordan Dinars One Thousand) in lieu of JD 500 (Jordan Dinars Five Hundred) as provided by Article IV of the Agreement between the Government and the Agency and that in all other respects the provisions of article IV of the said Agreement" are reaffirmed.

The Minister of Development end Reconstruction for the Hashemite Government of the Kingdom of Jordan

(signed) Anastas Hanania

 

For the United Nations Relief and Works Agency Por Palestine Refugees:

(signed) James Keen