Middle East situation/Palestine question/Kuala Lumpur Declaration on terrorism – Final communiqué of OIC FMs Annual Coordination meeting – Letter from Mali

Letter dated 4 April 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Mali

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour, in my capacity as Chairman of the Islamic Group, to transmit herewith the texts of the Statement on the Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on International Terrorism, adopted by the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers at its extraordinary session on terrorism, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 1 to 3 April 2002 (see annexes).

I should be grateful if you would have the text of the present letter and its annexes circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 25, 41, 42 and 166, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Moctar Ouane

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mali
to the United Nations

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Annexes to the letter dated 4 April 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Mali

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

[Original: Arabic, English and French]

Annex I

THE STATEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN

TERRITORIES BY THE EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF THE

ISLAMIC CONFERENCE OF FOREIGN MINISTERS ON TERRORISM

The Ministers closely examined the grave conditions prevailing in the occupied Palestinian territories and reaffirmed all the Islamic resolutions on Palestine, Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Conference strongly condemned the recent Israeli storming of Palestinian cities and villages, as well as the Headquarters of the Palestinian Presidency and endangering the life of President Arafat and of the the members of the Palestinian leadership. The Conference considered this assault a violation of all international norms and laws and the culmination of state terrorism as practised by Israel.

The Conference, while cautioning Israel of the dire consequences of the attack on the Palestinian President, requests the UN Security Council, the two sponsors of the peace process and the European Union to assume their responsibility for immediately stopping the Israeli aggression and withdrawing the Israeli troops from all the occupied Arab and Palestinian territories.

The Conference, while lauding with great pride the steadfastness of the Palestinian people under the leadership of President Yasser Arafat and paying tribute to its valiant resistance and its blessed intifada, reaffirms the continuing support of the Islamic States for the Palestinian people's struggle for the liquidation of the Israeli occupation, the restoration of their inalienable national rights, including the right of refugees to return to their homes, the right to self-determination and to establish their sovereign state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

The Conference, while condemning the state terrorism exercised by Israel and demonstrated by the assassination of Palestinian leaders, citizens, security personnel and policemen, the destruction of the Palestinian National Authority institutions and infrastructures as well as the imposition of the blockade on the Palestinian people and its leadership, requests the international community to take immediate action to stop the Israeli aggression and illegitimate practices, and lift the blockade.

The Conference also requests the UN Security Council to take the necessary measures to provide international protection for the Palestinian people and apply deterrent sanctions against Israel.

Israel's terrorist actions and aggressive practices, posing a threat to international peace and security, and dragging the region towards an all-out war, necessitate immediate action by the UN Security Council to apply Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

The Conference welcomes the Arab peace initiative taken by the Fourteenth Arab Summit Conference in Beirut, and requests the Security Council to put in place a mechanism for implementing that initiative in its entirety according to the relevant resolutions of the international legitimacy.

Kuala Lumpur on 1 April 2002

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Annex II

Following is the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on International Terrorism, adopted on 3 April 2002, at the Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:

Kuala Lumpur Declaration On International Terrorism

1. In the name of Islamic solidarity, we, the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), have gathered in Kuala Lumpur to state our collective resolve to combat terrorism and to respond to developments affecting Muslims and Islamic countries in the aftermath of the 11th September attacks;

2. We recall earlier measures adopted by the OIC in combating international terrorism, including the Code of Conduct for Combating International Terrorism, the OIC Convention on Combating International Terrorism, which inter alia provides a definition of terrorism, and the Declaration of the 9th Extraordinary Session of ICFM as well as relevant OIC resolutions on combating international terrorism;

3. We take note of the important inaugural statement by The Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, which constitutes an official document of this Extraordinary Session;

4. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles and true teachings of Islam which abhor aggression, value peace, tolerance and respect as well as prohibiting the killing of innocent people;

5. We reject any attempt to link Islam and Muslims to terrorism as terrorism has no association with any religion, civilization or nationality;

6. We reiterate that preventive action taken to combat terrorism should not result in ethnic or religious profiling or the targeting of a particular community;

7. We unequivocally condemn acts of international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including state terrorism, irrespective of motives, perpetrators and victims as terrorism poses a serious threat to international peace and security and is a grave violation of human rights;

8. We reiterate the principled position under international law and the Charter of the United Nations of the legitimacy of resistance to foreign aggression and the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for national liberation and self-determination. In this context, we underline the urgency for an internationally agreed definition of terrorism, which differentiates such legitimate snuggles from acts of terrorism;

9. We also underline the imperative of respect for international humanitarian law protecting civilian populations;

10. We reject any attempt to link terrorism to the struggle of the Palestinian people in the exercise of their inalienable right to establish their independent state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital;

11. We reject any attempt to associate Islamic states or Palestinian and Lebanese resistance with terrorism which constitutes an impediment to the global struggle against terrorism;

12. We condemn Israel for its escalating military campaign against the Palestinian people, including the daily brutalization and humiliation of its civilians, resulting in mounting casualties, strangulation of the Palestinian economy, systematic and indiscriminate destruction of houses and residential facilities as well as infrastructure, institutions and structures of the Palestinian National Authority;

13. We emphasize the importance of addressing  the root causes of international terrorism, convinced that the war against terrorism will not succeed if the environment that breeds terrorism, including foreign occupation, injustice and exclusion, is allowed to thrive;

14. We reaffirm our commitment to international action in combating international terrorism undertaken in conformity with the principles of the Charter of United Nations, including the principles of non-intervention in internal affairs and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as international law and relevant international conventions and instruments;

15. We reject any unilateral action taken against any Islamic country under the pretext of combating international terrorism, as this will undermine global cooperation against terrorism;

16. We reiterate our call for the convening of an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations;

17. We thus reaffirm our commitment to action at national level and through international cooperation in combating terrorism and agree to the following Plan of Action:

Plan of Action

1. We hereby establish a 13-member open-ended Ministerial-level OIC Committee on International Terrorism with the mandate to formulate recommendations on the following matters:

1.1 measures to strengthen OIC cooperation and coordination in combating international terrorism;

1.2 ways of expediting the implementation of the OIC Code of Conduct and the Convention on Combating International Terrorism;

1.3 measures in projecting the true image of Islam. These include holding seminars and workshops to promote a better understanding of Islam and its principles;

1.4 measures in strengthening dialogue and understanding among different civilizations, cultures and faiths, for instance, by building on initiatives such as the United Nations Dialogue Among Civilizations and the OIC-EU Joint Forum on Harmony and Civilization;

1.5 other measures, as appropriate and in accordance with the Charter of the OIC as well as Summit and ICFM resolutions, in response to developments affecting Muslims and Islam arising from action to count combat terrorism.

We agree that the Committee will present its recommendations to member states and to the ICFM for consideration and action. The Committee is mandated to study the work of other international organizations in matters related to international terrorism. Member countries of the Committee are mandated to contribute to the work of the OIC Group in New York in matters related to international terrorism.

2. We will work towards the early conclusion of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. In this regard, we reiterate our support to the positions adopted by OIC member states at the ongoing negotiations on the said Convention.

3. We will work towards an internationally agreed definition of terrorism and terrorist acts, which shall be differentiated from the legitimate struggle and resistance of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for national liberation and self-determination, for incorporation into the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

4. We will work towards the early convening of an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

5. We will, at all relevant multilateral fora, maintain a united front in upholding the principled position on the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for national liberation and self-determination.

6. We will continue to work through the United Nations Security Council and directly with countries concerned to put an end to the escalating Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, provide the necessary international protection for the Palestinians and undertake efforts to secure a just, comprehensive and durable solution to the Middle East conflict based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 425, United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 and the principle of land for peace. In this context, we will exert every effort to realize the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the 14th Arab Summit in Beirut on 28 March 2002. Further, we will continue to provide political, material and moral support and assistance to the Palestinians.

7. We will continue to work with other countries and support efforts of the international community in combating international terrorism undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations in a transparent and impartial manner and in conformity with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and relevant international conventions and instruments. These include implementing relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, as well as expediting our accession to or ratification of relevant international Conventions and Protocols relating to terrorism.

8. We will make every effort at the international level to promote a collective security regime responding to security and development needs of all countries as well as to promote conducive political, socio-economic environment that will stifle support for terrorist activities and eliminate the causes of terrorist acts.

9. We will, at the national level, continue to pursue policies and strategies aimed at enhancing the well-being and prosperity of our peoples, as well addressing and resolving domestic factors that contribute to terrorism.

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