Mideast situation/Palestine question – IPU 107th Conference/Resolution – Letter from IPU

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE

OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES, INCLUDING PALESTINE

Written submission by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

In March 2002, the 107th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union adopted, by consensus, a resolution on “The role of parliaments in supporting implementation of resolution 1397 adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 12 March 2002, and particularly the paragraph in which the Council expresses its attachment to ‘a vision of a region in which two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders’”.  The text of this resolution appears below. ^*

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*  Reproduced in the annex as received, in the languages of submission (English, French and Spanish) only.

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Annex

THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENTS IN SUPPORTING IMPLEMENTATION

OF RESOLUTION 1397 ADOPTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS

SECURITY COUNCIL ON 12 MARCH 2002 AND PARTICULARLY

THE PARAGRAPH IN WHICH THE COUNCIL EXPRESSES ITS

ATTACHMENT TO "A VISION OF A REGION IN WHICH TWO

STATES, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, LIVE SIDE BY SIDE

WITHIN SECURE AND RECOGNISED BORDERS"

Resolution adopted by consensus* by the 107th Conference

(Marrakech, 22 March 2002)

The 107th Inter-Parliamentary Conference,

Recalling its previous resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, in particular the one adopted by consensus on 14 September 2001 in Ouagadougou,

Recalling also the resolutions adopted at the United Nations by the Security Council and the General Assembly,

Expressing its grave concern at the tragic and violent events that every day claim a great many lives and cause enormous destruction,

Endorsing the adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1397 on 12 March 2002,

1. Welcomes and supports the implementation of Security Council resolution 1397 and in particular its attachment to "a vision of a region in which two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognised borders";

2. Calls on the Israelis and the Palestinians:

(i) To introduce a logic of peace to replace the logic of war, violence and terror, by resuming political negotiations for a common future;

(ii) To do their utmost to enable the Special Envoy from the United States, as well as the Special Envoys from the Russian Federation and the European Union and the United Nations Special Coordinator, to successfully conclude their missions of peace to the region;

(iii) To observe a ceasefire, comply with the standards of international humanitarian law and put an end to hostilities with a view to ensuring the security of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, enabling Palestinian institutions to function freely and allowing the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to move about in all safety;

(iv) To cooperate in the implementation of the Mitchell Plan and the Tenet Outlines;

(v) To resume the peace negotiations immediately on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and other UN bodies and the IPU resolution adopted in Ouagadougou;

3. Welcomes the contribution of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah to achieving peace and stability in the region;

4. Supports all parliamentary and inter-parliamentary peace initiatives.

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*The delegations of Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic stated that they could not join the consensus, whereas the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran expressed reservations on those elements of the text which might be construed to imply recognition of Israel.