The United Nations today held its annual meeting on Palestinian inalienable rights, as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressed the recent Palestinian elections as a new period of hope. "The new attitude of cooperation between the parties has already borne fruit," said Annan. "Security coordination has been restored. The two sides are now in almost daily contact," he said in reference to the Israelis and the Palestinians. Somaia Barghouti, the Palestinian representative, also spoke of economic hardship. While she was also hopeful for the recent peaceful developments that have occurred in the Occupied Territories, she said that Israel continues to "severely restrict the freedom of movement of Palestinians in their own land." "The continued imposition of such collective punishment on the entire Palestinian population has gravely impacted the socio economic situation of the Palestinian people and deepened the humanitarian hardships they continue to face," said Barghouti. Barghouti welcomed the Secretary-General's recent announcement that a register of damages the Israelis have made against the Palestinians will be established. "The international community must continue to exert efforts to compel Israel to abide by international law, including humanitarian law and human rights law," she said. Annan spoke briefly to the press after the meeting and said that he would be announcing his new envoy to the Middle East soon. Terje Rood-Larsen, who has now been appointed the UN Special Envoy to Lebanon, vacated the post in January.
