Mideast situation – NAM – Sharm El Sheikh Summit Declaration, Letter from Egypt (excerpts)

Letter dated 24 July 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the pleasure, in my capacity as Chair of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, to enclose herewith the Sharm El Sheikh Declaration adopted by the Fifteenth Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from 11 to 16 July 2009 (see annex).

I kindly request that the above-mentioned Declaration be circulated as a document of the sixty-third session of the General Assembly under agenda items 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 35, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51 (b), 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 78, 79, 80, 81, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 99, 100, 107, 110, 111, 112, 117 and 132, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Maged Abdelaziz

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

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Annex to the letter dated 24 July 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

Sharm El Sheikh Summit Declaration

We, the Heads of State and Government of the Movement of the Non-Aligned Countries, gathered in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on 15 and 16 July 2009 at the Fifteenth Summit of the Movement,

Reiterating our strong commitment to the purposes and the principles of the United Nations Charter and the principles of international law, international humanitarian law and human rights law,

Determined to revitalize and reinvigorate the role and influence of our movement as the principal political platform representing the developing world in multilateral fora, in particular the United Nations,

Determined also to preserve and act in keeping with the Bandung principles, and the Declaration on the Purposes and Principles and the Role of the Non-Aligned Movement in the Present International Juncture, adopted by the Fourteenth Summit of the Movement, held in Havana in 2006,

Expressing sincere appreciation to H.E. Raul Castro Ruz, the President of the Republic of Cuba, for the significant progress achieved in the process of strengthening and revitalizing the Non-Aligned Movement since the Fourteenth Summit of the Movement, held in Havana,

Desirous to enhance the strengthening and revitalization process of the Movement through concrete measures, at all levels, and in the different multilateral forums,

Inspired by the city of Sharm El Sheikh, which has overcome the challenges of war and become the City of Peace, providing a vivid example of the strong determination of the people of Egypt and its leadership to turn a conflict into a success story, and sincerely congratulating H.E. Mohammed Hosny Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, for this success and for assuming the chairmanship of the Movement,

Having adopted the Final Document of the Fifteenth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from 11 to 16 July 2009,

Welcoming the initiative by Egypt to convene the First Ladies’ Summit on the role of women in crisis management, which laid the ground for a fruitful and valuable exchange of experiences and lessons learned, reflecting the importance attached by the Non-Aligned Movement to the active and equal participation of women in addressing the current global crises and challenges, 

Declare that within the implementation of the Sharm El Sheikh Final Document and the documents of the previous Non-Aligned Movement summits and ministerial meetings, due consideration should be given to maximizing the ability of the Movement to deal with the current rapidly evolving global situations, crises and challenges, including but not limited to the following:

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The situation in the Middle East, the core of which is the Palestine question: Demand achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, Madrid Terms of Reference, land for peace, and the Arab Peace Initiative in its entirety:

– Firmly support the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent, contiguous and viable State in Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a just and agreed upon solution to the Palestine refugee question on the basis of resolution 194 (III) through the termination of Israeli occupation that started in 1967 and a just and comprehensive approach encompassing all six core issues. In this regard, we will stand firm against all settlement activities illegally undertaken by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and against Israeli measures and actions aimed at changing the legal status, character and demographic composition of the City of Jerusalem;

– Continue to demand that Israel comply with relevant Security Council resolutions and withdraw fully from the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967, and to withdraw fully from the remaining Lebanese occupied land in the Shabaa Farms, the Kafrashuba hills and the northern part of the Al Ghajjar village;

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Sharm El Sheikh, 16 July 2009