Mideast situation/Palestine question – OAU action – Letter from Algeria (excerpts)

CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE

ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY

Letter dated 25 September 1986 from the Permanent Representative of

Algeria to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honor to request that you arrange for the distribution as an official document of the General Assembly under agenda item 27, of the resolutions adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its forty-fourth ordinary session (annex I) and of the declarations, decisions and resolutions adopted by the Summit Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Organization at its twenty-second ordinary session (annex II), which were held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 26 July and from 28 to 30 July 1986, respectively.

ANNEX I

Resolutions adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its forty-fourth ordinary session held at Addis Ababa from 21 to 26 July 1986

CONTENTS

…

CM/Res.1057 (XLIV)

Resolution on the situation in the Middle East

The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting at its forty-fourth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 26 July 1986,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity on the Middle East, as contained in document CM/1388 (XLIV),

Guided by the principle and purposes of the Charters of the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations and by the common determination of the African and Arab peoples to fight jointly to safeguard their freedom,

Recalling the successive resolutions adopted by previous sessions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, and the Council of Ministers of the OAU on the situation in the Middle East,

Recalling further the numerous recommendations and resolutions adopted by the various Conferences of the Non-Aligned Movement on the situation in the Middle East,

Noting with deep concern that, in spite of the many resolutions adopted by the, United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council and the Organization of African Unity urging Israel to withdraw from Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, not only has Israel persistently refused to comply with these resolutions but continues to pursue its expansionist and occupation policy,

Deploring the systematic obstruction by Israel of all efforts made towards reaching a peaceful solution to the problem,

Fully conscious of the fact that the support given to Israel by some Powers, the United States of America in particular, enables it to pursue its acts of aggression and encourages it to perpetrate acts of terrorism and illegal occupation of part of the territories in the region,

Noting with concern that the alliance between the Zionist régime of Israel and the apartheid régime of South Africa is aimed at pursuing the policy of terrorism and liquidation of the Palestinians and Arabs in the occupied territories, on the one hand, and of the majority black population of South Africa and Namibia, on the other,

1. Reaffirms all previous resolutions adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Council of Ministers of the OAU and its total and effective support for the Palestinian people under the dynamic leadership of its sole and legitimate representative, the Palestine Liberation Organization;

2. Further reaffirms its total support for the Arab countries victims of Israeli aggression and its support for the Palestinian people in their just struggle to recover their usurped rights and their occupied territories;

3. Condemns vigorously the establishment of settlements by Israel in Palestine and in the other occupied territories and the Judaization of the city of Jerusalem and its proclamation as its capital;

4. Strongly commends the militant role of the Lebanese people in confronting the Zionist Israeli aggression and vehemently condemns the aggressions perpetrated against Lebanon and the Palestinian camps;

5. Recommends that member States renew their firm determination not to establish or re-establish diplomatic ties with Israel, a natural and unconditional accomplice of racist South Africa;*

6. Strongly condemns all agreements concluded separately and all commitments made individually which constitute a flagrant violation of the rights of the Palestinian people to return to their homeland, exercise of their right to self-determination and their full sovereignty over their territory;

7. Strongly condemns the establishment of nuclear missiles, by Israel in the Golan Heights and the Negev Desert, which not only represents a direct threat to the Arab region, but also to peace and security in the African continent and violates United Nations resolutions which consider the Middle East a region free of nuclear weapons;

8. Strongly condemns Israel, the occupying force, for not complying with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 on the protection of civilians in times of war;

9. Urges Israel to put an immediate end to the illegal occupation of southern Lebanon and considers null and void any measures taken by Israel in the occupied Arab territories aimed at exploiting their resources, and requests all States, international organizations and investment agencies not to recognize Israel's authority over these territories and not to co-operate with it, in any form whatsoever, in its exploitation of these resources and sources of energy;

10. Makes an urgent appeal to the international community to exert an effective pressure on Israel in all fields so as to coerce it to comply with the decision of the international community, and reiterates its request to the security Council to take the necessary measures to compel Israel to end its occupation of the Arab and Palestinian territories and to help the Palestinian people to exercise their national rights in accordance with the recommendations adopted by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to monitor the developments in the Middle East question and to report to the next ordinary session of the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity.

___________

* Reservations by Cote d'Ivoire and Zaire.

CM/Res.1058 (XLIV)

Resolution on arrears of contributions to the Special Fund of the OAU Liberation Committee

The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting at its forty-fourth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 26 July 1986,

Having examined the report of the forty-sixth ordinary session of the OAU Co-ordinating Committee for the Liberation of Africa,

Having noted with grave concern the mounting arrears of over $US 15 million to the Special Fund,

Reiterating Africa's absolute commitment to the total liberation of the continent,

Considering the critical phase of the struggle in Southern Africa against the racist apartheid régime,

Recognizing the urgent need to intensify the struggle, in particular the armed struggle,

1. Reaffirms Africa's absolute commitment to the total liberation of the continent;

2. Urges all member States of the OAU to promptly pay up their assessed contributions to the Special Fund;

3.   Calls upon those member States in arrears to settle their outstanding contributions before 31 December 1986;

4. Further urges all member States to increase their assistance to the national liberation movements.

CM/Res.1059 (XLIV)

Resolution on the International Committee

of the Red Cross

The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting at its forty-fourth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 26 July 1986,

Recalling that the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is to protect and assist the victims of armed conflicts, on the basis of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional Protocols,

Paying tribute to the principles which are the basis of its work and of the entire Red Cross Movement, especially humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence and universality,

Recalling the desire expressed by the Heads of State and Government of Africa to promote throughout the world and, in southern Africa in particular, the respect of the rules of international humanitarian law and the universally recognized humanitarian principles,

Stressing the ICRC's particularly great efforts in recent years to assist Africa which make this continent the main beneficiary of ICRC operations,

Considering that the work of the ICRC deserves the widest and most committed support of the international community and regional organizations,

Recalling that the financing of ICRC activities depends mainly on voluntary contributions by Governments,

1. Expresses once again its gratitude to and its support for the ICRC in the humanitarian work it is accomplishing in the world;

2. Invites member States to help the ICRC in its work, by granting it all the facilities necessary to carry out its mandate as laid down in the Geneva Convention;

3. Invites member States to support the activities of the ICRC to the fullest extent they can and by annual financial contributions;

4. Invites member States, in co-operation with their national societies, to support efforts to make public opinion more familiar with all the activities of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement;

5. Appeals to member States to ratify, if they have not already done so, or accede to the two Protocols additional to the 1949 Geneva Conventions.

CM/Res.1060 (XLIV)

Resolution on the Special Program for Africa of the

International Fund for Agricultural Development

The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting at its forty-fourth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 26 July 1986,

Expressing its satisfaction with the achievements of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),

Reaffirming its confidence in IFAD as an institution with great potential to assist African countries in the implementation of Africa's Priority Program for Economic Recovery 1986-1990,

Calls upon the international community to increase financial support to IFAD's Special Program for Africa as a concrete follow-up to the United Nations special session for Africa so that the target of $US 300 million can be reached without delay.

CM/Res.1061 (XLIV)

Resolution on the Palestinian question

The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting at its forty-fourth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 21 to 26 July 1986,

Having examined the report of the Secretary-General on the question of Palestine contained in document CM/1339 (XLIV),

Recalling the resolutions adopted by the previous sessions of the Council of Ministers and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government on the problem of the Middle East and the Palestinian question,

Guided by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the Organization of African Unity, and of the United Nations and by the common struggle against zionism and racism, and for freedom, independence and peace,

Recalling that the Palestinian question constitutes the core of the Middle East conflict, and that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,

Reiterating the relevant decisions of the OAU making the Palestinian question an Arab and African issue,

Conscious of the seriousness of the present situation resulting from the continued occupation of the Palestinian and Arab territories by Israel, its refusal to respect the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations, its firm determination to establish settlements in the occupied Arab territories, especially in Jerusalem, thus altering the geographical, demographic, cultural and social characteristics of Palestine,

Deeply concerned about the serious intensification of Israeli activities in the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, whether through the continued establishment of new settlements, or by increasing its oppressive measures against the Arab citizens, threatening their livelihood and security, and its flagrant desecrating of holy places and continued pressures on Arab educational academic institutions and universities in the occupied territories,

Fully aware of the gravity of Israel's premeditated air-raid which aimed at the liquidation of the leadership of the PLO and the destruction of its headquarters in Tunisia and which resulted in killing and wounding hundreds of Palestinians and Tunisians; and considers it as an act of organized terrorism and aggression which is meant to erode peace and security and the escalation of tensions in the area and a glaring evidence of Israel's intransigent position which rejects peace and all the principles and resolutions adopted by the United Nations and the international community,

Reaffirming that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved when the people of Palestine exercise their inalienable rights, particularly their right to return to their homeland, the recovery of national sovereignty, their right to self-determination and their right to establish an independent State on their territory,

Reaffirming the legitimacy of the struggle of the Palestinian people, under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, for the recovery of their territories and the full exercise of their national rights,

Considering the recommendations adopted by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and noting with grave concern that the alliance between the Zionist régime of Israel and the racist régime of South Africa aims at intensifying acts of terrorism and genocide against the peoples of Palestine and South Africa,

1. Reaffirms all previous resolutions on the Palestinian question and reiterates its unwavering support for the people of Palestine led by the PLO, the sole legitimate representative, and reaffirms the right of the people of Palestine to continue their struggle in all political and military forms as well as the use of all means to liberate their occupied territory and to cover their inalienable national rights, particularly, their right to return to their homeland, the exercise of their right to self-determination and to establish an independent State in their territory;

2. Strongly condemns all maneuvers and formulas aimed at preventing the people of Palestine from exercising their right to self-determination, to achieve their national aspirations to return to their homeland and exercise their freedom and complete sovereignty;

3. Strongly condemns any initiatives, measures or agreements which do not take into account the aspirations of the people of Palestine and of their sole legitimate representative, the PLO; considers null and void any agreement on the Palestinian question which excludes the Palestine Liberation Organization;

4. Strongly condemns the expansionist policies pursued by Israel and aimed at imposing a fait accompli in the occupied territories and further condemns the Israeli policy of expansionism, establishment of settlements, expropriation of lands and the forced emigration of the indigenous population as well as the massive or individual extermination of people all aimed at modifying the demographical characteristics of the territory;

5. further condemns Israel's policy of expelling the leaders and thinkers of the people of Palestine, as well as other Arab peoples, especially the Lebanese people;

6. Strongly condemns Israel's expansionist, colonialist, racist and terrorist actions against the Palestinian and the Lebanese peoples;

7. Further condemns the collusion between the Zionist régime of Israel and the racist régime of South Africa and calls upon all member States to intensify their efforts to face the danger and to strengthen the struggle against zionism, apartheid and imperialism and to this end, calls upon the member States, and members

of the League of Arab States to place on the agenda of all their sessions, the following item: "Collusion between South Africa and Israel";

8. Calls upon the international community to exercise increased pressure on Israel in all fields so as to compel it to conform to the Charter of the United Nations and the resolution adopted on the Palestinian question, emphasizes the efforts deployed by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and calls upon the Security Council to implement the recommendation of this Committee adopted by the General Assembly;

9. Calls upon the Security Council to take effective measures to guarantee the exercise of the people of Palestine of their national and imprescriptible right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly and considers that Security Council resolution 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 does not guarantee the future of the Palestinian people and their imprescriptible rights nor does it provide a basis for a just solution to the Palestinian question;

10. Firmly supports the Arab Peace Plan adopted at the Twelfth Arab Summit, held at Fez on 9 December 1982, as an important contribution to the search for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Middle East conflict; galls for the implementation of General Assembly resolution 39/49 of 11 December 1984, on the holding of an International Peace Conference on the Middle East and calls upon all the member States to ensure the implementation of the aforesaid resolution;*

11. Commends the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People for its efforts aimed at restoring the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine;

12. Requests the OAU Secretary-General to monitor the developments in the Palestinian question and to report to the next ordinary session of the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity.

__________

* Reservation by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

…