Palestine question – Communiqué by the Co-ordinating Bureau of NAM – letter from Zimbabwe

Letter dated 16 March 1989 from the Permanent Representative of

Zimbabwe to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honor to forward the enclosed communiqué issued on 15 March 1989 by the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, with a request that it be circulated as an official document of the forty-third session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 37, and of the Security Council.

ANNEX

Communiqué on the question of Palestine issued on 15 March 1989 by the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries

The Co-ordinating Bureau of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries met in New York on 15 March 1989. On that occasion, the Bureau heard a statement by the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations on developments related to the question of Palestine.

The Bureau expressed grave concern at the continuing alarming situation in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied by Israel, including Jerusalem, resulting from the persistent "iron fist" policies and practices of Israel. In this regard, the Bureau condemned Israel for continuing policies and practices that violate the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. The Bureau once again called upon the Security Council to consider implementing the recommendations aimed at, protecting the safety of Palestinians in the occupied territories, contained in the report of the Secretary-General (S/19443) submitted in accordance with Security Council resolution 605 (1987).

The Co-ordinating Bureau was deeply concerned at the continuing deadlock in the efforts to initiate the Middle East peace process. It expressed regret that the Security Council had been prevented from taking positive action on the situation in the occupied territories as well as on initiating the Middle East peace process due to the negative positions taken by some of the Council Members. The Bureau called upon the Security Council, working together with the Secretary-General, to make a contribution by initiating concrete steps towards the launching of the peace process in the Middle East in accordance with the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.

The Bureau further called upon Israel to respond positively to the significant initiatives taken by Palestine at the "intifadah session" of the Palestine National Council (PNC) held at Algiers in November 1988 and by the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Mr. Yasser Arafat at Geneva, as well as elsewhere. The Bureau was convinced that if Israel reciprocated the goodwill demonstrated by Palestine since the Algiers meeting of PNC, which the rest of the international community has already welcomed, the important confidence-building measures initiated by Palestine would yield positive results for the peace process in the Middle East.

The Co-ordinating Bureau once again saluted the heroic uprising of the Palestinian people in the occupied territories, the intifadah, which represents a further step in their struggle against occupation. The Bureau reaffirmed the will of non-aligned countries to extend their full solidarity and support to the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the PLO, so as to enable them to pursue the struggle to end Israeli occupation and achieve their inalienable rights.

The co-ordinating Bureau also saluted the heroic resistance of the Arab population in the Syrian Arab Golan and in South Lebanon against Israeli occupation.

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