NEW YORK, May 11, 2007 (WAFA) - First Secretary of the permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations, Ammar Hijazi, said Friday industrial development efforts in Palestine have gone into regress mode thanks to the systematic acts of destruction, aggression, siege, and outright vandalism of the occupation.

Addressing the High level Segment of the Commission on Sustainable Development in New York, Hijazi said The fact that no plant, company, field, or property is immune from the occupation's aggression and destruction makes thinking of or developing any industry an act of reckless financial investment, rather than a lucrative opportunity in a market of endless opportunities.

In this regard, he said the single most important factor crippling the Palestinian industry and nipping its development in the bud is by far the occupation's closure and siege of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the construction of the illegal separation Wall in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the closure of the commercial and travel crossings in Gaza.

Hijazi added that living under a foreign military occupation, the occupied People are stripped from their rights to have a choice over energy supply or control over their natural resources that could generate energy as well as the right and the opportunity to develop their industry and preserve their environment in a manner that preserves their long-term national interest.

"That is why attempting to sidestep the special needs and circumstances of peoples living under foreign occupation should be unthinkable to the CSD, which aims to address the concerns and needs of all nations, without discrimination," he continued.

He affirmed that the false context of politicization is but an indication of an objectionable attitude that aims to add to the misery and oppression of people under occupation by ignoring their needs and plight for a better future through environmentally conscious industrial and energy development.

"The Palestinian population has one of the fastest growth rates in the world, placing energy at the heart of the Palestinian agenda and at the top of its priority list."

In this regard, he stressed, the occupation's deliberate bombing and destruction of Gaza's only power station and the disastrous domino effect of that bombing clearly illustrates some of the difficulties facing Palestinians in this regard.

But, in addition to the ordinary concerns in the field of energy, said Hijazi, which Palestine shares with the rest of the independent states, it must also deal with the issue of access and control over its energy-producing resources, which continue to be undeveloped because of the occupation's oppressive policy.

Additionally, foreign investment, which is vital to the development of any struggling economy, can only be encouraged by the lifting of the siege imposed by the occupation and the unjust international sanctions imposed on the occupied Palestinian people for their democratic choice - the first time an occupied people are punished by the international community instead of aided, he affirmed.

Hijazi stressed that the CSD 15 should not shy away from addressing the special energy needs of peoples living under occupation out of fear of being accused of politicization, which is nothing more than a pretext to obstruct defending the occupied peoples' right to access and develop their energy resources and industry.

"Like all other peoples, peoples under occupation also deserve access to energy and the opportunity to develop their industry in a manner that ensures economic prosperity and development."

Hijazi said the CSD -15 should make it clear that in its efforts to protect the right to access and develop energy and the right to industrial development, it will not accept the neglect that peoples under occupation suffer or be an accomplice to the inexcusable actions of destruction and oppression by foreign occupation powers by ignoring the occupied peoples' needs hence giving the impression that the international community condones their continued deprivation and subjugation.

A.D (23:30P) (20:30GMT)