Palestine question – NAM Coordinating Bureau final communiqué – Letter from Kuwait

Letter dated 20 April 1982 from the Permanent Representative of

Kuwait to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to enclose herewith the text of the final communiqué of the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Countries on the Question of Palestine, which was held in Kuwait from 5 to 8 April 1982.  I kindly request Your Excellency to have this text circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under items 31 and 34 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

         ________         

*A/37/50/Rev.1.

ANNEX

Final communiqué of the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting of the

Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Countries on the Question

of Palestine, held in Kuwait from 5 to 8 April 1982

INTRODUCTION

1. In pursuance of the decision of the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Countries held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 25 to 28 September 1981, the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Countries met in Kuwait, in extraordinary session at the Ministerial level, from 5 to 8 April 1982, in order to evaluate the situation and take practical measures to strengthen comprehensive assistance to the struggle of the Palestinian people to attain and freely exercise its inalienable rights under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, its sole and legitimate representative.

2. The following members of the Co-ordinating Bureau participated:

Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burundi, Congo, Cuba, Cyprus, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Yemen, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, The Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, Palestine Liberation Organization, Panama, Peru, Somalia, Sri Lanka, The Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, The United Republic of Cameroon, Yugoslavia, Zaire and Zambia.

The following members of the Movement also participated:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Comoros, Equador, Egypt, Grenada, Guinea (Revolutionary People's Republic of), Iran (The Islamic Republic of), Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Nicaragua, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), Sudan, Surinam, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Upper Volta, Viet Nam and Yemen Arab Republic.

The following countries, organizations and national liberation movements attended as observers:

Philippines, African National Congress (South Africa), Organization of the Islamic Conference, Organization of African Unity, United Nations and League of Arab States.

The following countries and organizations were also present as guests:

Austria, Finland, Romania, Sweden, Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Special Committee against Apartheid, United Nations Council for Namibia and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

3. At the inaugural session the Meeting was privileged to hear an important statement by His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Information of Kuwait.  The Meeting also had the privilege of hearing addresses by H.E. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, H.E. Ismat Al Kittani, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and H.E. Isidoro Malmierca, Minister of External Relations of Cuba, Chairman of the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Countries.

4. On the proposal of Mr. Ignac Golob, Assistant Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia, it was decided that the full texts of those statements should be circulated as official documents of the Bureau (Documents NAC/Conf.6/Bur.2/Doc.5, Doc.9, Doc.10 and Doc.6, respectively).

5. The decision to convene an Extraordinary Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau on Palestine demonstrates the Movement's abiding commitment to the liberation of peoples, an essential element in its struggle to bring about an international order free from all relations based on domination and exploitation.

6. The Ministers evaluated the most recent developments in the very serious situation in occupied Palestine and the Middle East and the consequences and implications for international peace and security.

On this subject, the Ministers adopted the following Communiqué and Programme of Action:

7. The Ministers recalled the Declarations of the VI Summit Conference in Havana in September 1979, the Ministerial Conference held in New Delhi in February 1981 and at the Headquarters of the United Nations in September 1981, and reaffirmed, once more, that the Question of Palestine is the core of the Middle East problem and the root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

8. The Ministers asserted that the Question of Palestine and the Middle East problem can be settled only by a comprehensive and just settlement that ensures the following:

A. Complete, total and unconditional withdrawal by Israel from all the Palestinian and other occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, in conformity with the     fundamental principles of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force;

B. The free exercise of the right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted, and to those who choose      not to return the payment of equitable compensation;

C. The attainment and free exercise of the inalienable, rights in Palestine of the Palestinian people, including:

9. The Ministers expressed their full support to the efforts of the United Nations Committee on the exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People:  they highly praised the positive results achieved so far in the General Assembly on the Question of Palestine and urged further support for the recommendations contained in the Committee's report.

10. The Ministers called upon all States and organizations to assist and facilitate actions and movements by the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to pursue its efforts and legitimate struggle by all means, to attain and freely exercise its inalienable rights.

11. The Ministers recalled that the VI Summit Conference endorsed the right of the Palestine Liberation Organization and of the Arab States to reject and oppose any solution or settlement detrimental to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the liberation of all the occupied Arab territories, and that it has also endorsed the right to foil such solutions and settlements by all possible means.

12. The Ministers reiterated their condemnation of any partial or separate solution and any agreement that would harm the rights of the Arab countries and the Palestinian people, violate the principles and resolutions of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and the United Nations, or prevent the liberation of Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories and the attainment and full exercise by the Palestinian people of its inalienable national rights.

13. The Ministers, taking note of the recent developments in the occupied Palestinian territory, expressed grave concern over the persistent efforts, actions, measures and on-going parleys to enforce those provisions of the Camp David Accords which purport to determine the future of the Palestinian people and Palestinian territory occupied by Israel, including Jerusalem, and rejected all attempts at their extension.

14. The Ministers expressed grave concern at the deployment of foreign forces on or near the territories of non-aligned countries in the Middle East, and emphasized the necessity of strict observance of the principles and the criteria of non-alignment in this regard.

15. The Ministers affirmed that any departure from the decisions and policies of the Conferences of Non-Aligned Countries relevant to the Question of Palestine and the continued aggression by Israel against the Arab countries undermines the legitimate struggle for the liberation of the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories, and the attainment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

16. The Ministers expressed their condemnation of Israeli aggressive and expansionist policies in Palestine and the occupied Arab territories, its violation of the basic rights and freedoms of the inhabitants of Palestine and the occupied Arab territories, its persistent establishment of settlements, displacement of Arab citizens, demolition of their houses and confiscation of their properties.

17. The Ministers also condemned Israel's usurpation of water and natural resources in Palestine and the occupied Arab territories, and expressed their deep concern at the excavations and diggings under the Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock and other holy places.

18. The Ministers after having considered in depth the latest repressive Israeli acts against the Palestinian people under occupation, including the imposition of curfews, the expulsion of popularly-elected officials, and even the shooting of unarmed student demonstrators, strongly condemned these acts.  They called upon all States to join in efforts to bring about the cessation of these acts and to put an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian and Arab territories.

19. The Ministers condemned Israel for its complete disregard of Security Council resolutions 465 (1980), 476 (1980) and 478 (1980) condemning the promulgation of the "basic law on Jerusalem" and condemned all Israeli measures aiming at the judaization of the Holy City of Jerusalem by altering its demographic composition, character and status.  The Ministers reaffirmed their decision to refuse to accord any recognition to the Israeli "basic law on Jerusalem" and again called upon all States and organizations not to deal with Israeli institutions established in Jerusalem.  In this connection, the Ministers deplored the decision of the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe to hold a meeting in occupied Jerusalem.  They called on the Committee to respect international law and Security Council resolutions and desist from holding this meeting in Jerusalem.  They also reminded all States of their general duty under international law, not to deal with the Israeli occupying authorities in any manner that might be construed by the latter as implying recognition of their illegal presence in Jerusalem.

20. The Ministers decided to call upon the Security Council of the United Nations to convene in order to impose the measures prescribed in Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations against Israel for its failure to carry out the Security Council decisions and for endangering, through its actions, international peace and security.

21. The Ministers recalled resolution ES-7/2 adopted by the General Assembly at its Emergency Special Session on 29 July 1980 requesting the Secretary-General to take the necessary measures towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to the General Assembly at its 31st Session as a basis for the solution of the Question of Palestine.

22. The Ministers noted with grave concern that in this context no action has yet been taken and urged the Security Council to meet to consider the situation and adopt measures without further delay.

23. The Ministers condemned all policies which frustrate the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.  In this respect they deplored the hostile attitude of the Government of the United States of America towards the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and condemned the misuse of the veto by the United States to impede the Security Council from taking action in support of the achievement of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

24. The Ministers expressed their sincere hope that the Government of the United States of America would review its policy and attitude in a positive and constructive way with the view to enhancing the prospects for a just and lasting solution of the question of Palestine conducive to a comprehensive and just peace in the Middle East.

25. The Ministers reiterated their support for Lebanon's sovereignty, territorial integrity, unity and political independence, and called for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 425 (1978).  They expressed their deep concern over the situation resulting from Israel's intense campaign, threatening to intervene militarily in Lebanon and, while reiterating their condemnation of Israel's aggression and aggressive policy, they reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the Lebanese Government, with regional and international endorsement, to restore the exclusive sovereignty and authority of the Lebanese State over all of its territory up to the internationally recognized boundaries.  In this connection, they welcomed Security Council resolution 501 (1982) and urged all States to render increased sustained support to UNIFIL and to exert their efforts to bring an end to the tragic situation which prevails in Southern Lebanon.

26. The Ministers condemned Israel's projected construction of a canal linking the Mediterranean with the Dead Sea, and asserted that such a project constitutes a grave act of aggression against the legitimate rights and vital interests of the Palestinian people and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and imperils international peace and security.  The Ministers called upon all countries to denounce this project and refrain from extending any form of support or assistance which might enable Israel to carry it out.

27. The Ministers expressed their serious concern over the recurrent financial deficit in the budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and called upon the international community to shoulder its responsibility and increase its contributions to the budget of

this Agency so that it may continue its services in view of the grave dangers involved in their discontinuation.

28. The Ministers strongly condemned Israel for its rejection of complying with Security Council resolution 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981 and General Assembly resolution 36/226B of 17 December 1981 concerning the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and reiterated that all measures carried out by Israel to give effect to its decision annexing the Syrian Golan Heights are devoid of every legal validity and shall not be recognized.

29. The Ministers expressed their indignation at the aggressive, repressive and arbitrary measures taken by Israel against Syrian nationals, depriving them of their basic rights and fundamental freedoms, in violation of the provisions of the fourth Geneva Convention which applies to these nationals.

30. The Ministers paid tribute to the resistance of the Syrian nationals in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights against Israeli occupation and annexation, and expressed support for their just struggle in defence of their freedom, territorial integrity and national identity.

31. The Ministers expressed the full support of the Members of the Non-Aligned Movement for and their solidarity with the just struggle of the Government and people of the Syrian Arab Republic against the Israeli occupation and aggression and for the liberation of its occupied territories.

32. The Ministers expressed their deep concern at the failure of the Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, to take appropriate measures against Israel under Chapter VII of the Charter owing to the veto cast on 20 January 1982 by the United States which is a permanent member of the Security Council.

33. The Ministers reaffirmed the commitment of the Members of the Movement of Non-Aligned countries to comply with the provisions of General Assembly Emergency Special Session resolution 9/1 of 5 February 1982, particularly the application of measure against Israel called for in that resolution.

34. The Ministers expressed their conviction that Israel's record and actions established conclusively that it is not a peace-loving State and that it has not carried out its obligations under the Charter.

35. The Ministers expressed deep concern over the expansion in Israeli conventional armaments: as well as nuclear armaments.  The Ministers deplored imperialist policies, particularly those pursued by the United States: which armed Israel and supplied it, both directly and indirectly, with the nuclear technology and materials enabling it to continue its nuclear weapons programme designed to perpetuate its occupation of the Palestinian and other Arab territories.  They also deplored the growing co-operation in the field of armaments between the racist Zionist entity and the South African regime.

36. The Ministers called upon all countries and peoples of the world to refrain from giving Israel any military, material or human support which would allow it to persist in its hostile policies.

37. The Ministers further called upon all countries to refrain from concluding any military agreements with Israel, particularly for the purchase of Israeli military weapons and equipment, which would help it to develop its potential in the field of military industrialization and armaments and at the same time strengthen its economy: enabling it to persist in its hostile and expansionist policies and to finance its expansionist settlement schemes in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories.

38. The Ministers firmly condemned the premeditated Israeli attack on Iraqi nuclear installations and affirmed that such an attack, which could only be regarded as an act of State terrorism, revealed once more Israel's aggressive nature as a destructive imperialist tool aimed at undermining the cultural, scientific and economic development of Arab States.  It also revealed Israeli intransigence which undermined all international values, standards and laws.

39. The Ministers also underlined the fact that the international community considered the aggression to be directed against the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its subsidiary organs.  They therefore expressed their support for all resolutions adopted by the United Nations and IAEA in this connexion, and emphasized the importance of taking effective and deterrent measures against Israel, including suspension of its membership in IAEA, particularly in view of the fact that Israel threatened to repeat its act of aggression.

40. The Ministers affirmed Israel's international responsibility to compensate for the material damage as well as for the loss of human life which had resulted from its premeditated act.

41. The Ministers considered the aggression to be a crime that concerned the non-aligned  countries as a whole, since it constituted, inter alia, a violation of the non-aligned countries' right to possess scientific and technological knowledge.  The Ministers therefore called for further solidarity and collaboration with Iraq and for support for its right and the right of all other non-aligned countries to the acquisition and development of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and as part of their development programmes.

42. The Ministers strongly condemned Israel's continued violations of the airspace of the Arab countries, which they considered an act of aggression, an infringement of their sovereignty, an aspect of Israel's aggressive policies against the Arab countries, and a violation of the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter.

43. The Ministers held the United States responsible for the support, weapons and means of aggression it provides Israel and declared that such support and aid were determining factors in the pursuit by the Zionist regime of its blatant policy of aggression, occupation and colonization of the occupied Arab territories and of its persistent refusal to recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

44. The Ministers expressed grave concern that despite the adjournment of discussions between the United States and Israel, the Government of the United States is still pursuing its policy to conclude a "strategic alliance" with Israel in the Middle East.  This policy and alliance, instead of contributing to the endeavours to achieve a comprehensive and final solution to the Middle East question, confirm the role of Israel as a true bridgehead of imperialism, and as an element threatening the stability of the countries in the Middle East region as well as international peace and security.

45. The Ministers recalled resolution 36/226 of the General Assembly which declared "once more that peace in the Middle East is indivisible and must be based on a comprehensive, just and lasting solution of the Middle East problem, under the auspices of the United Nations," which ensures the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and which enables the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to exercise its inalienable rights, including the right to return and the right to self-determination, national independence and the establishment of its independent sovereign State in Palestine, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations relevant to the Question of Palestine, in particular, General Assembly resolutions ES-7/2 of 29 July 1980 and 36/120 A to F of 10 December 1981.

46. The Ministers strongly believed that the Secretary-General of the United Nations should undertake,  at the earliest possible time, adequate endeavours to initiate contacts with all parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East, with a view to finding concrete ways and means to achieve the comprehensive just and lasting solution conducive to peace as declared in paragraph 45 above.

47. The Ministers invited the members of the Security Council of the United Nations to assume their role and discharge their responsibilities so that the Security Council may take adequate measures as provided for in the Charter of the United Nations to attain the desired peace and to guarantee peace and security in the Middle East.

48. The Ministers denounced the attitude of those countries which give Israel aid and arms and considered that the real motive for providing such vast quantities of lethal weapons and means of destruction is to consolidate Israel as a base for colonialism and racism in Africa and Asia.  The Ministers decided to call upon all Non-Aligned countries to take any action that they may deem fit towards those States, particularly the United States of America.

49. The Ministers condemned Israel for its intransigence in pursuing its aggressive and expansionist policies against the Arab countries and the Palestinian people and called upon the States, especially the United States of America, to cease forthwith giving Israel any  human, military, political and/or economic assistance that might encourage it to pursue its policies.

50. The Ministers condemned the invocation by Israel and the Zionist organizations of the right of individuals to travel in order to implement the Zionist programme for assembling Jews from all countries of the world and settling them in the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories for the purpose of perpetuating occupation and aggression.

51. They called upon all countries to refrain from aiding or facilitating the implementation of Zionist schemes aimed at promoting the immigration of Jews from all over the world to Israel and the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, so long as the Zionists continue to occupy these territories and refuse to allow the Palestinians to return to their homes or even recognize their right to return.

52. The Ministers expressed their grave concern about the increasing collaboration between Israel and the racist regime in South Africa, in particular in the military and nuclear fields, and strongly condemned such collaboration and co-operation.  They called on all members of the Movement to sever all relations with the two regimes, in all fields and to isolate them completely.

53. The Ministers welcomed the positive attitude taken by some States of the European Economic Community and called upon all other members of the Community to recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, as identified and affirmed by the United Nations, and to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

PROGRAMME OF ACTION

54. The Ministers, after evaluating the extremely serious situation resulting from continued Israeli occupation and policies and practices, reaffirming their total and unconditional support for the struggle of the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, its sole and legitimate representative, to attain and freely exercise its inalienable rights to return, self-determination and the establishment in Palestine of its independent sovereign state, and expressing its solidarity with the neighbouring Arab countries of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan:

A. Urge all member countries to reaffirm their total commitment to the just cause of the Palestinian people and its struggle under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization.  In that regard, the Ministers undertake to react concretely and effectively to the provocative challenge of Israel to the entire international community.

B. Request friendly countries and organizations which have always contributed to national liberation struggles to intensify their assistance to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the neighbouring Arab countries, to enable them to meet the needs of the liberation struggle and defend their territories against repeated Israeli attacks threats of destabilization.

C. Undertake to increase their moral, political, diplomatic and material support for the Palestine Liberation Organization, in order to enable the latter to pursue and escalate its struggle by all means.

D. Calls on all members of the Movement to undertake similar commitments and to respond rapidly and effectively to appeals for solidarity and action by the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, in accordance with the needs of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Arab countries facing threats or aggression.

E. Call for the intensification, by national and international means, of the campaign for political and economic as well as mandatory sanctions against Israel, and call upon all countries which support the Palestinian cause to take whatever action they may deem fit against those States which encourage Israel to pursue its policies and practices, in particular the United States of America.

F. Call upon all States and organizations to isolate Israel completely, as its record and actions confirm that it is not a peace-loving Member State of the United Nations, and, to this end, to implement fully the set of measures contained in the operative section of General Assembly resolution ES-9/1.

55. To that and, the Ministers decided to:

I. Call upon the Secretary General of the United Nations to undertake, at the earliest possible time, adequate endeavours to initiate contacts with all parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East, with a view to finding concrete ways and means to achieve the comprehensive, just and lasting Solution conducive to peace, in conformity with the principles of the United Nations Charter and relevant resolutions.

II. Call upon the Security Council to recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as defined in General Assembly resolution ES-7/2 and to endorse the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People as endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution 31/20 of 2 November 1976.

III. Call upon the Security Council to apply, as a matter of urgency, comprehensive and mandatory sanctions against Israel, under the provisions of Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, until Israel fully carries out the decisions and resolutions of the United Nations relevant to the Question of Palestine.

IV. Call upon the President of the General Assembly to resume the meetings of the Seventh Emergency Special Session on the question of Palestine no later than 20 April 1982.

V. Request all Member States of the United Nations who have not as yet done so, as an expression of their solidarity with the just struggle of the Syrian nationals in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, to take steps to implement General Assembly resolution ES 9/1 of 5 February 1982 concerning the Golan Heights.

VI. Call upon the Security  Council to take appropriate measures to compel Israel to rescind the annexation of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights in compliance with Security Council resolution 497 (81) of 17 December 1981.