The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) is an organization founded on 29 May 1948 for peacekeeping in the Middle East. Established amidst the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, its primary task was initially to provide the military command structure to the peacekeeping forces in the Middle East to enable the peacekeepers to observe and maintain the ceasefire, and in assisting the parties to the Armistice Agreements in the supervision of the application and observance of the terms of those Agreements. The organization's structure and role has evolved over time as a result of the various conflicts in the region and at times UNTSO personnel have been used to rapidly deploy to other areas of the Middle East in support of other United Nations operations. The command structure of the UNTSO was maintained to cover the later peacekeeping organisations of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to which UNTSO continues to provide military observers.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 is a resolution adopted near the end of the 1947–1949 Palestine war. The Resolution defines principles for reaching a final settlement and returning Palestine refugees to their homes. Article 11 of the resolution resolves that
refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.
The Bernadotte plan officially known as Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine submitted to the Secretary-General for transmission to the members of the United Nations was a plan submitted by the United Nations Mediator on Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte to the Third Session of the United Nations General Assembly. It was published on September 16, 1948, one day before Bernadotte was assassinated by members of Lehi.
The Lausanne Conference of 1949 was convened by the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP) from 27 April to 12 September 1949 in Lausanne, Switzerland. Representatives of Israel, the Arab states Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and the Arab Higher Committee and a number of refugee delegations were in attendance to resolve disputes arising from the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, mainly about refugees and territories in connection with Resolution 194 and Resolution 181.
The United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP) or Palestine Conciliation Commission (PCC) was created by UN-resolution 194 of 11 December 1948, in order to mediate in the Arab–Israeli conflict. The Commission consisted of France, Turkey and the United States. Its official headquarters was set up in Jerusalem on 24 January 1949.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 41, adopted on February 28, 1948, commended both parties in the Indonesian National Revolution for the recent signing of a truce and attempts to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 27, repeated the offer of mediation made in United Nations Security Council Resolution 31, and requested the Committee of Good Offices keep them informed as to the progress of political settlement in the Indonesia.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 43, adopted unanimously on April 1, 1948, notes the increasing violence and disorder in Palestine, calling upon the Jewish Agency for Palestine and the Arab Higher Committee to make representatives available to the Security Council to arrange and enforce a truce. The Resolution further calls upon armed Arab and Jewish groups to cease acts of violence immediately.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 47, adopted on 21 April 1948, concerns the resolution of the Kashmir conflict. After hearing arguments from both India and Pakistan, the Council increased the size of the UN Commission created by the former Resolution 39 to five members, instructed the Commission to go to the subcontinent and help the governments of India and Pakistan restore peace and order to the region and prepare for a plebiscite to decide the fate of Kashmir.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 48, adopted on April 23, 1948, called on all concerned parties to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 46 and to that end established a Truce Commission for Palestine to assist the Security Council in implementing the truce.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 49, adopted on May 22, 1948, considering that the previous resolutions of the Security Council in respect to Palestine have not been complied with and that military operations were still taking place in Palestine, the resolution called upon all governments and authorities to abstain from any further hostile military action in Palestine and to that end issue a cease-fire order to their military and paramilitary forces to come into effect at noon, May 24, 1948, New York City local time. The resolution further ordered the Truce Commission for Palestine set up in United Nations Security Council Resolution 48 to report to the Council on the compliance of the concerned parties with the resolution.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 50, adopted on May 29, 1948, called upon all governments and authorities involved in the conflict in Palestine to order a cessation of all acts of armed force of four weeks, to refrain from introducing any fighting personnel into Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan or Yemen during the cease-fire, to refrain from importing or exporting war material into or to Palestine, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Transjordan or Yemen during the cease-fire.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 54, adopted on 15 July 1948, determined that the situation in Palestine constitutes a threat to the peace within the meaning of Article 39 of the Charter of the United Nations. The resolution ordered all governments and authorities concerned to desist from further military action and to issue a cease-fire to their military and paramilitary forces to take effect at a time to be determined by the mediator in the next three days. It also declared that failure to comply with these orders would demonstrate the existence of a breach of the peace within the meaning of article 39 of the Charter and would require immediate consideration by the Council.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 56, adopted on August 19, 1948, having received communications from the United Nations Mediator concerning the situation in Jerusalem the Council directed the attention of the Governments and authorities to United Nations Security Council Resolution 54. The Council decided that all parties involved were to bear direct responsibility for all of their regular and irregular forces, that they were to use all means available to prevent the truce from being broken and that any group or subject that did was to be given a speedy trial.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 59, adopted on October 19, 1948, concern that the Provisional government of Israel had yet to submit a report to the Council regarding the progress of the investigation into the assassinations of United Nations Mediator Count Folke Bernadotte and Observer Colonel Andre Serot. The Council requested the Israeli Government submit an account of the progress made in the investigation and to indicate therein the measures taken with regard to negligence on the part of officials or other factors affecting the crime.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 61, adopted on November 4, 1948, decided that the truce established in United Nations Security Council Resolution 54 shall remain in effect until a peaceful adjustment of the future situation of Palestine is reached. To that end the Council ordered the withdraw of the forces in the area back to the positions held on the 14th of October with the Acting Mediator being authorized to establish provisional lines beyond which no movement of troops was to take place. The Council also decreed that neutral zones shall be established through negotiations between the parties, or failing that, by the decision of the Acting Mediator.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 62, adopted on November 16, 1948, called for an armistice in all sectors of Palestine, in order to facilitate the transition from the then-current truce to a permanent peace.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 66, adopted on December 29, 1948, in response to a report by the Acting Mediator regarding hostilities which broke out in southern Palestine on December 22 despite UN calls for a cease-fire, the Council demanded the immediate implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 61. The Resolution instructs the Acting Mediator to facilitate the complete supervision of the truce by the UN observers. The Resolution further instructs the committee appointed in UNSC Resolution 61 to meet at Lake Success, New York on January 7 to consider the situation in southern Palestine and to report to the Council on the extent to which governments have or have not complied with UNSC Resolutions 61 and 62. The Resolution also invited Cuba and Norway to replace the two retiring member of the committee on January 1.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 73, adopted on August 11, 1949, noted with satisfaction the Armistice Agreements between the parties involved in the 1948 conflict in Palestine and then expressed the hope that a final settlement of all questions outstanding between the parties might be achieved soon. The Resolution went on to relieve the Action Mediator in Palestine, as his duties had been fulfilled, and requested the Secretary-General arrange for the continued service of the personnel of the present Truce Supervision Organization as may be required in observing and maintaining the cease-fires and Armistices. The Resolution also requested that the Chief of Staff of the TSO report to the Council on the observance of the cease-fire.
