Arab-Israeli conflict/Palestine question – Resolution adopted by the 19th Arab Summit/Riyadh Declaration/Addresses – Letter from Saudi Arabia

 

  Letter dated 3 May 2007 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

 

 

  I have the honour to advise Your Excellency that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia holds the Presidency of the League of Arab States for 2007 and that the 19 ^th Arab Summit was held in Riyadh from 28 to 29 March 2007. 

  I enclose the resolutions of the above-mentioned Arab Summit for Your Excellency to take such measures as you see fit with regard to issuing these as a document of the 61 ^st session of the General Assembly, under items 13, 14, 87, 93 and 100, for circulation to Member States of the United Nations.

  Please accept my fullest appreciation and respect.

 

 

(Signed) Abdullatif H. Sallam

Chargé d’affaires a.i.

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The Council of the League of Arab States at Summit Level

 

19^th Ordinary Session 

Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

28-29 March 2007

 

 

League of Arab States

 

 

LAS Secretariat General

LAS Council Division

LAS Council Affairs Directorate

 

/…

 

 

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Resolutions

 

The Council of the League of Arab States at Summit Level

19^th Ordinary Session

Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

28-29 March 2007

/…

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    Political Issues

 

The Palestinian issue and developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict 

Activation of the Arab Peace Initiative

 

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  Having studied the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and final report of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments,

  Recalling Summit resolution 221 (Beirut, 28 March 2002) which launched the Arab Peace Initiative,

  Reaffirming the Arab commitment to a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic choice, that the peace process is a comprehensive, indivisible process, that a just and comprehensive peace in the region can only be achieved by full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967 and the lands still under occupation in southern Lebanon, and by reaching a just solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees agreed in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution 194 (1948), the rejection of all forms of resettlement and affirmation of the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,

  Having reviewed the Arab and international efforts to revive the peace process,

Resolves 

1. To affirm the commitment of all the Arab States to all the elements of the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut Summit (2002), based on the resolutions and principles of international legitimacy, to end the Arab-Israeli conflict and bring about a just and comprehensive peace which will achieve security for all States in the region and enable the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital;

2. To reaffirm the call to the Israeli Government and all Israelis to accept the Arab Peace Initiative and seize the opportunity afforded to restart serious, direct peace negotiations on all trajectories;

3. To charge the Arab ministerial committee on the Arab Peace Initiative to continue its efforts and to form working teams to carry out the necessary liaison with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Member States of the Security Council, the Quartet and parties concerned with the peace process in order to restart the process, mobilize support for this initiative and commence serious negotiations on the basis of agreed terms of reference namely, the relevant United Nations resolutions, the principle of land for peace and the impermissibility of acquiring the territory of others by force;

4. To charge the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level with continuing to assess the situation regarding the effectiveness of current peace efforts and to formulate further measures in the light of this assessment.

(Summit resolution 367, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

 

Support for the Palestinian Government of National Unity

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action,

  Recalling that the Arab States have resolved to follow a clear strategy based upon the Arab Peace Initiative,

  Taking note of the commitment of the Palestinian Government of National Unity to the resolutions of Arab Summits,

  

In the light of the discussions of the ministerial meeting preparatory to the Riyadh Summit,

Resolves 

1. To affirm full support for the Mecca Agreement reached under the generous auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to express the utmost appreciation for the efforts of brotherly Arab States, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference which contributed to reaching the agreement which produced a government of national unity, and to call for the support of all Arab States for the Palestinian President and Government – the Government of National Unity – to enable it to meet the needs and achieve the national interests and goals of the Palestinian people;

2. That the Arab States support the Palestinian National Authority and Palestinian Government of National Unity and reject any dealings with the blockade imposed upon the Palestinian people, in all its manifestations;

3. To appeal to States and international organizations for this blockade to be lifted immediately, to support and recognize the Palestinian Government of National Unity and deal with it without discrimination and for Member States to carry out the necessary liaison with the relevant international parties;

4. To condemn the political, economic and military blockade, all Israeli aggression and the measures it has taken which have led to heavy loss of life and property, to make Israel, as the occupying power, bear the responsibility for compensating the Palestinian people for all these losses and to put pressure on Israel to release the tax funds due to the Palestinian National Authority;

5. To call upon the international community to resume support for the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestinian people, respect their democratic choice and affirm the responsibility of international parties to support the Palestinian people and national economy to meet the development and aid needs in the occupied Palestinian territories and keep pace with the economic and social challenges facing the Palestinian National Authority.

(Summit resolution 368, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

 

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Developments in the Palestinian issue

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action,

  Recalling the resolutions of Arab summits, particularly Beirut (2002), Sharm el-Sheikh (2003), Tunis (2004), Algiers (2005) and Khartoum (2006),

  Cautioning of the danger of Israel’s continued disregard of peaceful Arab and international efforts, defiance of the resolutions of international legitimacy and adoption of unilateral measures,

  Affirming the importance of Palestinian national unity as the sole means of protecting the Palestinian national project,

Resolves 

1. To reaffirm the Arab commitment to a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic choice, that the peace process is a comprehensive, indivisible process and that a just and comprehensive peace in the region can only be achieved by complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab lands, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967 and the lands still under occupation in southern Lebanon, by reaching a just solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees agreed in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution 194 (1948), the rejection of all forms of resettlement and the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in keeping with the Arab Peace Initiative and the appropriate resolutions of international legitimacy;

2. To condemn Israeli excavations beneath and in the vicinity of the al-Aqsa Mosque which are threatening its collapse, to call upon concerned international organizations and institutions, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to assume their responsibilities for safeguarding the Islamic and Christian holy places in East Jerusalem, affirm the Arab identity of Jerusalem and reject all illegal Israeli measures designed to Judaize and annex the city;

3. To affirm the illegality of Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land which represent a violation of international law, United Nations resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and to affirm the need to resist the attempts of the Israeli Government to implement unilateral measures and create new facts on the ground;

4. To put pressure on Israel to release all Palestinian prisoners and detainees currently languishing in the jails of the occupation and whose numbers exceed 10,000, including the Chairman and several members of the Legislative Council, as well as the abducted ministers, and to demand that Israel ceases its disregard of this issue and apply the rules and laws of international legitimacy, at the forefront of which are international law, international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949);

5. To request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to exert prompt efforts and take all measures necessary to achieve the immediate and unconditional release of female Palestinian prisoners and children in Israeli jails and offer protection to them in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325 (October 2000) and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, particularly resolution 48/3 (March 2004) of the 48 ^th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; 

6. To demand that the Security Council assumes its responsibilities toward the Palestinian people and sends international observers to protect them from the ongoing massacres and aggression and to pressurize Israel to stop completely and without delay its continuing outrages, military operations and violations of international law. As the occupying power, Israel must be compelled to adhere to the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) and the legal opinion of the International Court of Justice on the racist separation wall;

7. To charge the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States with assisting the Government of Iraq and the Palestinian National Authority to find a quick solution to providing protection and a decent life for the Palestinian refugees in Iraq;

8. To affirm that the Presidency of the Council of the League, the Arab Member State of the Security Council, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Member States of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee shall continue to be charged with conducting the consultations necessary to monitor implementation of this resolution.

(Summit resolution 369, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

 

An Arab programme to complete and support specialized Palestinian institutions and qualify Palestinian technical staff in preparation for the establishment of a Palestinian State and administration of its civil affairs

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  In support of the existing institutions of the Palestinian National Authority, to enhance their capabilities and readiness to assume their responsibilities in administering civil life in the current and post-independence phases and to establish a fully sovereign Palestinian State on the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital,

  Having studied the speech of H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas, the declaration of the formation of the Palestinian Government of National Unity (16 March 2007), the statement of the Palestinian Government of National Unity immediately after formation, and the serious projects and plans contained in this programme to address the challenges of Palestinian economic and societal development and the completion of the necessary regulatory and administrative structures to administer the vital affairs of all groups of the Palestinian people,

  Having studied the memorandum of the Arab Republic of Egypt in this regard,

Resolves 

1. To welcome the declaration of the formation of the Palestinian Government of National Unity on 16 March 2007 and to consider that an important political step toward restarting the peace process, achieving independence and establishing the desired Palestinian State;

2. To call upon the Secretariat-General, the Economic and Social Council and specialized Arab organizations to coordinate with the Palestinian National Authority in conducting comprehensive studies designed to formulate appropriate programmes for the completion and support of the regulatory and administrative structures and the institutional and technical capabilities necessary to administer the civil affairs of Palestinian society, raise the level of public services and increase the productive capacity of Palestinian economic enterprises in a manner consistent with the priorities of Palestinian state-building in the areas of manufacturing and services, through Arab-Palestinian cooperative programmes and projects of, with the participation of international cooperation agencies, training organizations and Arab development finance funds, paying due attention to meeting priority needs which have a direct impact upon the lives of Palestinian citizens;

3. To present the results of these studies, via the Economic and Social Council, to the next ordinary session of the Council of the League at ministerial level.

(Summit resolution 370, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

 

Support for the budget of the Palestinian National Authority and steadfastness of the Palestinian people

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action,

  Affirming the importance of Member States paying the obligatory contributions in support of the Palestinian National Authority budget in accordance with the resolutions of Arab Summits in Beirut (2002), Sharm el-Sheikh (2003), Tunis (2004), Algiers (2005) and Khartoum (2006),

Resolves 

1. To extend gratitude to those Arab States which have met their financial obligations in whole or in part in support of the resources of the al-Aqsa Fund and Intifada Al-Quds Fund, in accordance with the decisions of the extraordinary summit in Cairo (2000) and resolution of the 14 ^th ordinary session of the Council of the League at summit level (Beirut, 2002), to call upon those States which have not fulfilled their obligations to do so promptly and to appeal for the provision of additional support to boost the steadfastness of the Palestinian people;

2. To extend gratitude to those Arab States which have fulfilled their commitments in support of the budget of the Palestinian National Authority, to call upon other Arab States to settle their arrears as soon as possible, to affirm the importance of committing to the implementation of Arab summit resolutions regarding continued support for the budget of the Palestinian National Authority and to charge the Secretariat-General with continuing to issue reports showing the status of payment and circulate these to Member States;

3. To call upon the Arab States to continue to support the budget of the Palestinian National Authority in accordance with the resolutions of previous Arab summits and for a period of one year with effect from 1 April 2007;

4. To extend gratitude and appreciation to the friendly States whose recent support has been an extremely important source of assistance to the budget of the Palestinian National Authority and to affirm the importance of continuing and increasing such support.

(Summit resolution 371, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

 

Israel’s inscription of Jerusalem on its preliminary list in the UNESCO World Heritage List

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action,

Resolves 

1. To condemn the measures taken by Israel in breach of the rules of international law and provisions of international humanitarian law;

2. That the Arab States, particularly those who are members of the World Heritage Committee, contact Member States of the Committee to urge them not to inscribe Jerusalem on the Israeli preliminary list on the World Heritage List as this conflicts with international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy;

3. To form a working group consisting of the Member States of the Committee (Tunisia, Kuwait and Morocco), the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to monitor developments in the situation until the Committee meets in New Zealand on 23 June 2007.

(Summit resolution 372, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

 

The occupied Syrian Arab Golan

  The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

  Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action,

  Affirming the resolutions of Arab Summit conferences, of which the last was resolution 338 (Khartoum, 29 March 2006) of the 18 ^th ordinary session,

Resolves

1.   To affirm the firm support and backing of the Arab States for Syria’s just and rightful demand to recover the entire occupied Syrian Arab Golan up to the line of 4 June 1967, on the basis of the principles of the peace process and resolutions of international legitimacy and pursuant to achievements within the framework of the Peace Conference launched in Madrid in 1991;

2.   To reaffirm all its resolutions, of which the last was 338 (Khartoum, 29 March 2006), stipulating the rejection of all measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed at changing the legal, natural and demographic status of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and to consider Israeli measures designed to reinforce its control as illegal, null and void and a violation of international agreements, the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations, in particular resolution 497 (1981) of the Security Council and resolution 27/61 (1 December 2006) of the 61 ^st session of the General Assembly affirming that Israel’s decision of 14 December 1981 to annex the occupied Syrian Arab Golan is illegal, null and void, without legal force and represents a grave violation of Security Council resolution 497 (1981);

3.   To reaffirm that the occupation of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan since 1967 represents a continuing threat to peace and security in the region and the world;

4.   To condemn Israeli practices in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan in respect of the seizure of land and water resources, the building of a dam near the town Quneitra to steal water and deprive Syrian farmers of the most important source of water for the irrigation of their farms and watering of their cattle, the construction and expansion of settlements and transporting of settlers thereto, the exploitation of natural resources, the construction of projects, the most recent of which was the announcement of a tender for the sale of ten zones in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan for the establishment of vineyards and wineries, and the imposition of an economic boycott on the agricultural produce of the Arab population and forbidding its export;

5.   To affirm the Arab position of full solidarity with Syria and Lebanon, standing with them in confronting the continuing Israeli aggression and threats, considering any aggression against them as aggression against the Arab nation, and to condemn the economic sanctions imposed on Syria;

6.   To support the steadfastness of the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, standing beside them in their resistance to the Israeli occupation and its repressive practices and their determination to hold on to their land and Syrian Arab identity; to affirm the need to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) to the inhabitants of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan; and to condemn, on the basis of the principles of international law and tenets of international legality, the Israeli occupation authorities for their gross violations of all the rights of the Syrian inhabitants, young and old, living under occupation in the Golan, resulting in the displacement and expulsion of thousands, the pillage of their lands, the separation of families and the consequences of this situation on the lives of the children and their education, in addition to numerous other violations of children’s rights in contravention of international obligations arising from the international Convention on the Rights of the Child;

7.   To condemn the practices and provocations of the Israeli occupation forces against the inhabitants of the Syrian village of Ghajar in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, with the aim of partitioning it, displacing its inhabitants and constructing a separation wall between the inhabitants and their lands and livelihood. Israel's forcible transfer of the civilian population to the southern part of the village is a violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and, according to article 7 of the Statutes of the International Criminal Court, “a crime against humanity”, falling within its jurisdiction and punishable. Any partition is designed to infringe Syrian sovereignty over the village. The international community is called upon to assume its responsibilities to pressurize Israel to stop it from partitioning the village, put an end to the humanitarian, social and economic suffering of its inhabitants labouring under the occupation and support Syria in reserving its right to take whatever measures are necessary to prevent partition of the village;

8.   To uphold the resolutions of international legality requiring non-recognition of any situation resulting from Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Arab lands, considering this to be illegal activity from which neither right nor obligation arises and that the establishment of settlements and the housing of settlers therein represents a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions, a war crime under the First Protocol additional thereto and a violation of the principles of the peace process which require that all Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and the occupied Arab territories be terminated;

9.   To urge the international community to uphold the resolutions of international legality rejecting Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan by condemning the practices of the Israeli Government, which declared its intention on 31 December 2003 of establishing seven new settlements, expanding existing ones, doubling the number of settlers and allocating the approvals necessary to implement this, contrary to the peaceful Arab and international approaches aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of the resolutions of international legality and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Beirut Summit (2002);

10.   To condemn the policy of the Israeli Government which has wrecked the peace process and led to the continued escalation of tension in the region and to call upon the international community, in particular the sponsors of the Madrid Peace Conference and the European Union, to induce Israel to apply the resolutions of the United Nations on full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and all occupied Arab territories to the line of 4 June 1967.

(Summit resolution 373, 19^th ordinary session – 29 March 2007)

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Address of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to the opening session

In the Name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate,

Prayers and peace upon our Prophet, Muhammad,

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses, the Leaders of the Arab nation, Brothers,

May the peace and blessings of God be upon you.

In my name and that of the Saudi people, it is a pleasure to welcome you and wish you success in your deliberations. I thank His Excellency Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan for his efforts during his presidency of the summit last year.

Dear Brothers,

The Arab League was established over 60 years ago as a nucleus for genuine Arab unity – united armies, united economies, united political goals and, above all, united hearts and minds.

There is no doubt that the question which poses itself to us is: What has been achieved from all this? The answer is revealed by our current situation which confirms that we are as far away from unity today as we were on the day the League was established.

Dear Brothers.

In wounded Palestine, a resolute people are still suffering subjugation and occupation, deprived of their right to an independent State. As you all know, our Palestinian brothers gathered in Mecca, in the vicinity of the Holy Mosque and, by the grace of God, successfully put an end to their differences and agreed upon the declaration of a Government of National Unity. In the light of this positive development, it became essential to put an end to the iniquitous blockade imposed on the Palestinian people as soon as possible to enable the peace process to get underway in an atmosphere free from repression and coercion, allowing it to successfully achieve its goal of the establishment of an independent Palestinian State.

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The Council of the League of Arab States at Summit Level

19th Ordinary Session

Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

28-29 March 2007

The Riyadh Declaration

We, the leaders of the Arab States assembling at the 19th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the 28th and 29th days of March 2007,

Pursuant to the principles and intentions of the Charter of the League of Arab States and other Arab charters, including the Document of the Covenant, Accord and Solidarity and the Document of Development and Modernization in the Arab World,

Drawing inspiration from religious and Arab values which reject all forms of extremism, fanaticism and racism, and desiring to strengthen the Arab identity, entrench its civilizational and cultural foundations and maintain its human mission of openness in the light of the challenges and dangers facing the Arab nation which threaten to redraw the situation in the region, dissolve the Arab identity and break the bonds which bind us,

Affirming the pressing need to recover the spirit of Arab solidarity, protect joint Arab security, promote Arab economic, social and development action, commit diligently and sincerely to Joint Arab Action and fulfil the demands of support for the League of Arab States and its institutions,

Declaring our determination to strive diligently to protect the Arab identity, bolster its foundations and secure allegiance to it in the hearts and minds of children, teenagers and young men and women, given that Arabism is not a racial or ethnic concept but rather a common cultural identity, with the Arabic language as its means of expression and of preserving its heritage, and a shared civilizational framework based upon spiritual, ethical and human values, enriched by diversity, plurality, openness to other human cultures and keeping pace with rapid scientific and technical developments, without dissolution, fragmentation or loss of distinctiveness,

We therefore resolve:

· To give the utmost priority to the development of education and educational curricula in the Arab world to deepen shared Arab allegiance, respond to the needs of development, modernization and sustainable growth, entrench the values of dialogue and inventiveness and secure the principles of human rights and the active and positive participation of women;

· To develop joint Arab action in the fields of education, culture and science by bolstering existing institutions, according them the importance they deserve and the human and financial resources they need, particularly in relation to the development of scientific research, the joint production of books, programmes and materials for children and teenagers, the launching of an extensive translation enterprise from and into Arabic and the promotion of Arabic in all fields, including telecommunications, information technology, the media, the Internet, science and technology;

· To spread the culture of moderation, tolerance, dialogue and openness, reject all forms of terrorism, fanaticism and extremism, all exclusionary racist trends, campaigns of hatred and defamation and attempts to cast doubt on our human values or violate our religious beliefs and what we hold sacred, and to warn against employing doctrinal and sectarian plurality for political purposes aimed at partitioning the Arab nation, dividing its States and peoples and igniting destructive civil discord and strife;

· To secure effective Arab solidarity in order to contain crises and settle disputes between Member States by peaceful means, within the framework of a proactive Arab Peace and Security Council as resolved at previous Arab summits, to develop dialogue with the neighbouring States of the region on the basis of unified and defined Arab positions, to revitalize the institutions of joint Arab security protection and affirm its terms of reference as stipulated in Arab charters, and to endeavour to meet Arab defence and security needs;

· To affirm the option of a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic choice for the Arab nation and to affirm the Arab Peace Initiative which charts the proper course for reaching a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israeli dispute on the basis of the principles and resolutions of international legitimacy and the principle of land for peace;

· To affirm the importance of the region being free of all weapons of mass destruction, without double standards and selectivity, warning against starting a dangerous and destructive nuclear armaments race in the region, and affirming the right of all States to acquire peaceful nuclear energy in accordance with international authorities and the inspection and control regime based thereon.

The dangerous situation which has overtaken our region, with Arab land seen as fair game for pillage, Arab energies and resources squandered and Arab identity, allegiance and culture declining, requires us all to engage in an honest and thorough self-examination. All of us – leaders, officials and citizens, fathers, mothers and children – are partners in designing our own destiny and preserving our identity, culture, values and rights. The grave crises they pass through only increase the faith and resolve of great and vigorous nations. When it closes ranks and strengthens its joint action, the Arab nation is capable of achieving the security, dignity, well-being and prosperity it deserves.

Riyadh, 29 March 2007

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Address of Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to the opening session

President of the Summit, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,

Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,

 The convening of the 19^th Arab Summit in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, sends a clear message which is that the regular, annual convening of the Arab Summit has become an established mechanism for the management of Joint Arab Action since its adoption in Cairo in 2000. It has also been imposed by the urgent need for coordination and solidarity in the face of the enormous challenges facing the Arabs at a time of unprecedented tension in the modern history of the Middle East and Arab world.

  I would like to congratulate the Kingdom and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on assuming the Presidency of the Summit. With his wisdom, strength of character and unwavering stances he is, as we have known all along, capable of vigilant leadership on the path ahead, of awakening determination and of sharpening resolve in the face of the clear challenge to the nature and, indeed, the very existence of the Arab nation.

  I express appreciation to His Excellency Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir for his outstanding efforts and vigorous management since assuming the Presidency of the Arab Summit in the last Arab political year. Under his leadership, Sudanese diplomacy faithfully assumed responsibility for monitoring implementation of the resolutions of that summit amidst difficult circumstances in which dangers and challenges multiplied for the Sudan itself, the adjacent region of the Horn of Africa and throughout the Middle East.

President of the Summit, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,

  At the start of the new Presidency, allow me to present you with a statement of account on Joint Arab Action in the year between the Khartoum Summit of last May and now.

  As you know, the Arab agenda is based on four key items:

  In my report, I will deal with each of these items with a concision which will not, I trust, be unseemly. However, details may be found in my report which you have before you.

    As regards the strategic and political situation in the region, the Arab world, the surrounding Islamic world and, in fact, most of the world sees in the continuation of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its essence, the Palestinian issue, the core of the problem and the source of tension in the entire region. A pertinent question might be asked here: What must we do in the face of shockingly biased international policies which influence Israel’s extremist policy of thwarting the chances for a just peace? This bias has caused the paralysis of the peace process. It is a situation which makes us work determinedly for and to demand reconsideration of this policy, if there is to be a stable peace in the Middle East. The absence of honest mediation has done great damage to the chances of bringing about a qualitative transformation in the regional situation. Nonetheless, we are currently pursuing diplomatic activity which will, we hope, lead to the peace process being restarted. We hope it will be successful, particularly because we are in decisive race against time, given the continuation of Israeli practices to change the geographic and demographic situation in the occupied Arab territories.

  We hope that it will not be simply wasted activity with vicious circles emerging once again, and we find ourselves after a while in the same situation and all we have done is to give Israeli policy the time it needs to impose a new fait accompli in the occupied territories to use in argument against us, whether with regard to Jerusalem, its environs or the occupied territories in general.

  Vigilance is required now more than at any time in the past, followed by a necessary process of assessment over the coming weeks and months to enable us to discuss the path that must be taken, if the present efforts fail or are clearly ineffective, which is a very real possibility.

  The Arabs have prepared themselves to enter into a peace process to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, as developments in recent weeks have borne witness. At the forefront of Arab achievements is the Mecca Agreement, held under the generous sponsorship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to offset a dangerous situation facing the region. Related to this is the Palestinian agreement to establish a Government of National Unity which we salute and wish every success in furthering Palestinian action toward achieving a just peace within the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative. Here, I salute the European nations which have taken the proper and bold decision to recognise and deal with the new Palestinian Government. Foremost among these is Norway, represented here today by its Minister of Foreign Affairs. I demand an end to the unjust economic blockade imposed upon the Palestinian people which only serves the goals of the foreign occupation.

  The Arab goal is clearly demonstrated by the Arab Peace Initiative to which all Arabs are committed and which forms the framework of their acceptance and the necessary conditions for comprehensive peace, including the demand for an end to the military occupation of the Palestinian territories, the Syrian Golan and Lebanese Shebaa Farms and the establishment of future relations with Israel under conditions of comprehensive peace and a viable Palestinian State.

  If Israeli policy wants the Arabs to amend their initiative into something which, in the end, consists of Arab concessions for nothing in return and to cede rights to Israel without corresponding obligations – following the racist proposal for the exclusion of land and people and the focus on the demand for normalization – it will not only cancel the initiative but also prevent peace.

    It may be correct to assert that Israeli public opinion’s ignorance of the Arab Peace Initiative is exploited by Israeli politicians and that we must exert additional efforts to inform and convince both them and their allies. King Abdullah II of Jordan explained this clearly and plainly in his wide-ranging address to the U.S. Congress. But the negative Israeli response is: Amend it first. We say to them: If you accept it first and come to the negotiating table, perhaps we can arrive at a just solution acceptable to all, consistent with international law, the resolutions of the Security Council and the principle of land for peace.

  We are at a crossroads. We either move toward a genuine and acceptable peace, for which we are ready or continue in a situation – indeed, a worsening situation – of maximum tension, for which many are prepared.

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