Palestine question – Committee on Palestine of the Non-Aligned Movement statement – Letter from Indonesia

Letter dated 29 September 1993 from the Permanent Representative of Indonesia

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour, as Chairman of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, to enclose herewith the statement adopted by the Committee on Palestine of the Non-Aligned Movement at its Ministerial Meeting on 28 September 1993 in New York (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annex circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 34 and 35, and of the Security Council.

ANNEX

Statement of the Committee on Palestine of the Non-Aligned Movement at its Ministerial Meeting,

held at New York on 28 September 1993

The Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, H.E. President Soeharto, called for the convening of the meeting of the Ministers and Heads of Delegations of the members of the Committee on Palestine of the Non-Aligned Movement in New York on 28 September 1993 to consider the important and momentous developments, which recently took place, relating to the question of Palestine.

The Committee met under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Ali Alatas, the Foreign Minister of Indonesia, and was attended by H.E. Mr. Farouk Kaddoumi, Foreign Minister of Palestine, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Salah Dembre, Foreign Minister of Algeria; H.E. Mr. A. S. M. Mustafizur Rahman, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh; H.E. Mr. Roberto Robaina Gonzalez, Foreign Minister of Cuba; H.E. Mr. Dinish Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs of India; H.E. Dr. Nathan M. Shamuyarira, Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe; H.E. Mr. Keba Birane Cisse, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations in New York; H.E. Dr. M. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer for Palestine to the United Nations in New York; and H.E. Mr. Albert M. Muchanga, Deputy Permanent Representative of Zambia to the United Nations in New York.

The Committee was briefed on the recent developments, in particular the signing on 13 September 1993 of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Government of Israel leading to a permanent settlement based on Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.

The Committee welcomed that important step and expressed the hope that the declaration will be fully implemented.  They expressed their support for the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people, in its efforts to build a Palestinian national authority on Palestinian soil, including Jerusalem, towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.  The Committee emphasized the need for the early commencement of the permanent status negotiations on the basis of international legitimacy, which shall cover the remaining issues, including:  Jerusalem refugees, settlements, security arrangements, borders, relations and cooperation with other neighbours, and other issues of common interest.  The Committee also hailed the sacrifices made by the Palestinian people in their long struggle to achieve their inalienable rights, and reaffirmed the position of principle of the Non-Aligned Movement in support of the implementation of those inalienable rights.

The Committee stressed the need to expeditiously take further steps with regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict, which are essential for the achievement of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, which include the withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories including the Syrian Golan Heights, Southern Lebanon and Jerusalem.

The Committee further reaffirmed the permanent responsibility of the United Nations towards the question of Palestine until it is solved in all its aspects, and stressed the need for an effective and broad role for the United Nations in the peace process and in providing all kinds of assistance to the Palestinian people.  The Committee welcomed the steps taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in this regard.

The Committee decided to continue to monitor closely the developments concerning the implementation of the Declaration of Principles in accordance with its mandate.

—–