Palestine question, Arab-Israeli conflict, Euro-med process, EU-Israeli relations – Arab Summit (Doha) – Resolutions, Declaration/LAS letter (excerpts)

Letter dated 16 April 2009 from the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

I have the honour to forward a letter dated 9 April 2009, addressed to you from Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, regarding the outcome of the Arab summit held in Doha, on 29 and 30 March 2009 (see annex).

Please find attached a copy of the resolutions and the Doha Declaration issued by the Council of the League of Arab States at its summit on 30 March 2009.

Pursuant to Article 54 of the Charter of the United Nations, I should be grateful if you would arrange for the present letter and its annex to be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Yahya Mahmassani

Ambassador

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Annex to the letter dated 16 April 2009 from the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

[Original: Arabic]

I have the honour to transmit herewith one hard copy and one electronic copy of document No. Q/21(03/09)18-W(0201), which contains the resolutions adopted and communiqués issued at the twenty-first session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, held in Doha on 30 March 2009.

As you are aware, that document contains a number of important resolutions relating to the position of Arab States and to political developments in the region, in particular concerning the Palestinian question and the Arab-Israeli conflict; developments in the situations in Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and the Sudan; and the occupation of three Arab islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates.  It also contains other resolutions on political, economic and social matters.  I should be grateful if you would have the document circulated as a document of the United Nations.

The summit affirmed the unacceptability of the Israeli policy of obstruction and procrastination with respect to peace efforts.  It also affirmed the need to set a time frame within which Israel must honour its commitments under the peace process, primarily the immediate cessation of settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and take clear and specific steps towards the implementation of peace process obligations, on the basis of the terms of reference constituted by relevant United Nations resolutions, the principle of land for peace and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Arab summit also called on the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility and take steps, using the necessary mechanisms, to promote peace efforts in the region, in accordance with the agreed terms of reference, the relevant provisions of international law and previous Security Council resolutions on the issue.  The summit further requested the Security Council to provide protection for the Palestinian people and to take all necessary measures to oblige Israel’s compliance with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice concerning the separation wall and Israeli settlements, to hold Israel legally responsible for the crimes that it committed during its recent onslaught on the Gaza Strip and to prosecute those who committed such crimes.

I should also like to refer to the resolution and the communiqué relating to the decision of the International Criminal Court concerning the President of the Republic of the Sudan, both of which warn of the adverse repercussions of that decision on the efforts to achieve peace, development and unity in the Sudan.  The Arab leaders called on the Security Council to assume its responsibility for bringing peace and stability to the Sudan and to support the endeavours of regional and international organizations to achieve a political settlement among the various Sudanese parties involved in the Darfur crisis.

I should like to take this opportunity to assure you of my interest in continuing cooperation between the League of Arab States and the United Nations and of my appreciation for your sincere efforts to achieve international peace and security.

(Signed) Amre Moussa

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Q/21(03/09)18-W(0201)

League of Arab States

Secretariat-General

Council Division

Council Affairs Directorate

Council of the League of Arab States at summit level

21st ordinary session

Doha – State of Qatar

3 Rabi` II A.H. 1430 (30 March A.D. 2009)

– Resolutions and communiqués

– Document on strengthening Arab reconciliation and solidarity

– The Doha Declaration

– Address by His Highness Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, to the opening session

– Address by Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to the opening session

– List of names of heads of delegations of Arab States participating in the 21st ordinary session

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Q/21(03/09)32-Q(0239)

Resolutions and communiqués

Political issues

/…

Q/21(03/09)/10-N(0193)

2. Document on strengthening Arab reconciliation and solidarity

Doha – State of Qatar

3 Rabi` II A.H. 1430 (30 March A.D. 2009)

We, the leaders of the Arab States,

Aware of the grave repercussions of Arab disputes and their adverse effects on the interests of the Arab nation and issues pertaining to its future,

Proceeding from the call by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, which launched the process of Arab reconciliation at the Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait, and from the importance of greater efforts to clear the atmosphere and build bridges to overcome differences concerning joint Arab action, in which all Arab States are involved,

Given that our Arab nation looks forward to the Doha summit as a positive turning point for strengthening the progress of reconciliation, affirming Arab solidarity and linking the efforts made in this regard to their desired purpose,

Affirm our resolve and determination to forge ahead with this progress, focusing on the aspirations and hopes of our Arab peoples and on our national interests and to agree on a set of principles and bases for Arab action to strengthen reconciliation and solidarity, as follows:

1. Commitment to the Charter of the League of Arab States, in that the League is the term of reference for joint Arab action and aims to develop that action and implement its mechanisms in all fields;

2. The need to devote earnest and sincere attention to the implementation of our previous undertakings set forth the Document of the Covenant, Accord and Solidarity, adopted at the Tunis summit in May 2004, insofar as it constitutes the fundamental basis for clearing the atmosphere, promoting inter-Arab relations, achieving Arab solidarity and safeguarding supreme national interests;

3. The importance of candid talk, transparency, dialogue and consultation as the method for resolving Arab disputes and the importance of avoiding any fuelling of dissension and use of aggressive, provocative or inflammatory language;

4. Construction of a unified strategic vision for dealing with political, security, economic and other challenges that threaten pan-Arab security;

5. Emphasis on the centrality of the Palestinian question and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the importance of commitment to the agreed Arab strategy for the achievement of just and lasting peace in the Middle East;

6. Implementation of the mechanisms of joint Arab action for the settlement of conflicts, including those stipulated in the Document of the Covenant, Accord and Solidarity, and a request for the Secretary-General to implement these mechanisms in order to achieve the supreme interests of joint Arab action and ensure conflict management with a view to avoiding complications harmful to Arab relations.

This Document was done in the city of Doha on 3 Rabi` II A.H. 1430 (30 March A.H. 2009) in one original kept at the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, with a true copy of the original transmitted to each signatory State.

Signatures

For the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

For the State of the United Arab Emirates

For the Kingdom of Bahrain

For the Republic of Tunisia

For the Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria

For the Republic of Djibouti

For the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

For the Republic of the Sudan

For the Syrian Arab Republic

For the Republic of Somalia

For the Republic of Iraq

For the Sultanate of Oman

For the State of Palestine

For the State of Qatar

For the Union of the Comoros

For the State of Kuwait

For the Lebanese Republic

For the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

For the Arab Republic of Egypt

For the Kingdom of Morocco

For the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

For the Republic of Yemen

For the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States

/…

5. The Palestinian question and developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict

The Arab Peace Initiative

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held in Damascus on 16 March 2009,

Recalling Beirut summit resolution 221 (28 March 2002), which launched the Arab Peace Initiative and which was affirmed by the Riyadh summit (2007) and the Damascus summit (2008),

Mindful of the danger posed by Israel’s persistent disregard of Arab and international peace efforts, defiance of resolutions of international legitimacy, rejection of the peace process, adoption of unilateral measures gravely detrimental to the outcome of the final status negotiations and by its attempts to Judaize the city of Jerusalem and change its historic and demographic features, the construction and expansion of settlements, the ongoing construction of the apartheid wall, the imposition of the blockade on the Gaza Strip, the closure of crossing points and denial of the daily needs of towns in the West Bank,

Having reviewed the disastrous effects of the brutal Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip and its serious adverse repercussions for the security and stability of the entire region,

Affirming that Palestinian national unity is an indispensable condition for the achievement of national aims, for the establishment of a Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital, and for the success of Arab action in this regard, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative,

Resolves

1. To affirm adherence to the Arab Peace Initiative as a strategic Arab option for the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace in the region in accordance with the political context, the basis of which is that the Peace Initiative put forward today will not remain on the table for long, that the continued promotion of this Initiative by the Arab side is linked to Israeli acceptance of it, that its implementation is linked to Israeli’s fulfilment of its obligations under the fundamental terms of reference for the achievement of a just and comprehensive peace and that this peace is unattainable as long as Israel persists in its intransigence and rejection of the Arab Peace Initiative;

2. To affirm continuation of the task assigned to the Arab Ministerial Committee for the Arab Peace Initiative and to the Secretary-General of conducting a comprehensive evaluation and review of the plan for Arab action in the face of efforts to revive the peace process in the region in the light of regional and international developments and the challenges facing the region, particularly in the wake of the Israeli military incursion into the Gaza Strip.

(Summit resolution 454, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

On the basis of the firm and principled stand of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya concerning the true requirements for ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya affirms its reservation to the Arab Peace Initiative and other terms of reference, which are not conducive to the establishment of a democratic State on all Palestinian soil or to the return of Palestinian refugees.

Developments in the Palestinian question

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held in Damascus on 16 March 2009,

Recalling Arab summit resolutions, in particular those of the Beirut summit (2002), the Sharm el-Sheikh summit (2003), the Tunis summit (2004), the Algiers summit (2005), the Sudan summit (2006), the Riyadh summit (2007) and the Damascus summit (2008),

Referring to resolutions of international legitimacy relating to the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict, in particular relevant Security Council resolutions relating to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the process for a lasting and comprehensive peace,

Mindful of the serious repercussions of the Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip and the danger posed by Israel’s persistent disregard of Arab and international peace efforts, defiance of resolutions of international legitimacy and adoption of unilateral measures, such as the Judaization of Jerusalem, the construction and expansion of settlements, the imposition of the blockade, the closure of crossing points and assassinations,

Condemning the continuing escalation of the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,

Affirming the importance of Palestinian national unity as the sole means of protecting the Palestinian national project and the importance of respect for Palestinian national legitimacy and the integrity of the Palestinian territories,

Resolves

1. To salute in admiration and esteem the Palestinian people in their heroic resistance in the face of the iniquitous Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip; support their steadfastness and opposition to this incursion; vehemently condemn the savage Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, which killed and injured thousands of Palestinians, in particular civilians, including children and women, and devastated the infrastructure and public and private institutions on a massive and comprehensive scale; call for a halt to the Israeli aggression, the establishment of a ceasefire and the lifting of the unjust blockade; hold Israel, the occupying Power, legally and materially responsible for the war crimes that it perpetrated and for its violations of international law and international humanitarian law; and call on the relevant United Nations institutions to investigate the Israeli war crimes committed against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip as a result of this brute aggression, prosecute those responsible for such crimes and refer them to international courts;

2. To support efforts by the Secretariat-General to investigate Israeli war crimes committed against the Palestinian people during the Israeli incursion into Gaza and its call for action to take these crimes to the competent international courts;

3. To condemn Israel’s continuation of its blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has led to a serious and unprecedented deterioration in the humanitarian situation and living conditions of Palestinian civilians, demand that it dismantle the blockade immediately and open all crossing points, and call on States, Arab and international institutions and civil-society organizations to continue providing support and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people;

4. To commend Arab efforts and the endeavours of the Arab Republic of Egypt to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and reach a truce agreement, welcome the Cairo Declaration for the start of national reconciliation, issued by the meeting of factions in Cairo on 26 February 2009, and call on all Palestinian parties to respond to this Egyptian effort and welcome the outcomes of the international donor conference, held in Sharm el- Sheikh on 2 March 2009, at the invitation of the Arab Republic of Egypt, with the aim of delivering the funding needed for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip;

5. To hold Israel accountable for placing obstacles in the way of efforts to establish a truce and for the ensuing increase in the suffering of the Palestinian people;

6. To express gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Governments and peoples of all Arab States for the urgent humanitarian aid provided to the Gaza Strip and their various contributions to the United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East, the World Food Programme and concerned international institutions;

7. To reaffirm that a just and comprehensive peace is the strategic option, that the peace process is a comprehensive and indivisible process, and that a just and comprehensive peace in the region is attainable only through full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967, and from the territories still occupied in the Lebanese south, and through a just and agreed solution to the Palestinian refugee problem, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 of 1948, the rejection of all forms of settlement and the establishment of an independent sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted at the Beirut summit (2002) and reaffirmed at Arab summits, and with resolutions of international legitimacy and their relevant terms of reference;

8. To affirm the Arab character of Jerusalem and reject all illegitimate Israeli measures aimed at the Judaization and annexation of the city and the displacement of its inhabitants, in particular following Israel’s most recent decision to demolish 88 homes and drive 1,500 Jerusalemites out of the Bustan area in Salwan as a preliminary to its demolition and the construction of a public park; condemn the confiscation of land and the construction of settlement units in the area surrounding Jerusalem; condemn the excavation work beneath and around al-Aqsa mosque, which is consequently under threat of collapse; call on the relevant international organizations and institutions, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to shoulder their responsibilities in preserving holy Islamic and Christian sites; and call on Arab States to take swift action as a matter of necessity to thwart Israeli designs;

9. To affirm that the State of Palestine is a full partner in the peace process and that support for the Palestine Liberation Organization in any future negotiations on final status issues must continue, also affirm that the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are a single geographic unit that is indivisible for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on all territories occupied since 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and reject all attempts aimed at fragmenting the Palestinian territories, as well as all unilateral measures taken by Israel, first and foremost the settlement practices in the occupied Arab lands and the attempts to Judaize Jerusalem;

10. To respect Palestinian national legitimacy under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas, commend his efforts with all Palestinian and Arab parties in the area of national reconciliation and successful dialogue, respect the legitimate institutions of the Palestinian National Authority emanating from the Palestine Liberation Organization, including the elected Palestinian Legislative Council, abide by the unity of the Palestinian decision in order to uphold the gains and rights of the Palestinian people, which are at risk, and affirm that Palestinian national reconciliation constitutes the only genuine guarantee of safeguarding the Palestinian territories;

11. To affirm the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which constitute a violation of international law, United Nations resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention; also affirm the need for Israel to declare a full and immediate ceasefire, implement relevant international resolutions, in particular Security Council resolutions 465 (1980) and 497 (1981), which stress the illegality of settlement, and dismantle existing settlements under international supervision of all settlement activities aimed at changing the demographic composition and geographic nature of the occupied territories; seek removal of the apartheid wall and an end to all Israeli measures for the Judaization of Jerusalem, as well as an end to the economic and military blockade; hold Israel to account for compensating the Palestinian people for all of the heavy losses incurred as a result of this blockade; and call on it to remove the military roadblocks between West Bank towns and open all crossing points in the Gaza Strip;

12. To prevail upon the international community to exert pressure on Israel to release all Palestinian prisoners and detainees, some 11,000 of whom, including political and legislative leaders, are languishing in the prisons of the occupation, and to call on it not to neglect this issue, in accordance with the rules and laws of international legitimacy, primarily international law, international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions of 1949;

13. To call on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to make timely efforts and take all necessary measures for the urgent and unconditional release of Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israeli jails and provide international protection for them, in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325, adopted in October 2000, and relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular Commission on the Status of Women resolution 48/3 of March 2004;

14. To call on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take action to adopt the steps and mechanisms needed to resolve all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of the two-State solution in accordance with 1967 borders, the relevant provisions of international law and previous Security Council resolutions on this matter;

15. To call on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people by dispatching international observers and international forces to protect the Palestinian people from massacres and ongoing aggression, calling on Israel to desist fully from its constant military attacks and operations and from its violation of the relevant provisions of international law, and compelling Israel (the occupying Power) to comply with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and with the legal opinion issued by the International Criminal Court.

(Summit resolution 455, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

Q/21/(03/09)11-S(0194)

Communiqué on developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict

Doha, 3 Rabi` II A.H. 1430 (30 March A.D. 2009)

The Arab leaders together considered the developments in the Palestinian question and the Arab-Israeli conflict and the outcome of Arab and international efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region, in the light of Israel’s intransigence, its rejection of the resolutions of international legitimacy for the achievement of peace and the grave repercussions recently experienced in the region as a result of the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.

On the basis of the need for a just and comprehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the context of international legitimacy, the leaders affirmed that a just and comprehensive peace in the region was attainable only through an end to the Israeli occupation and the withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967, as well as from the remaining occupied territories in south Lebanon, and through an agreed and just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem, the rejection of all forms of settlement and the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The leaders also affirmed the unacceptability of the Israeli obstruction and procrastination, in which successive Israeli Governments have persisted, and similarly affirmed the need to set a specific time frame for Israel’s fulfilment of its obligations vis-à-vis the peace process, primarily the immediate cessation of settlement activities and action to take clear and determined steps to carry out the commitments under the peace process based on the terms of reference represented in relevant United Nations resolutions, the principle of land for peace and also the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Arab leaders also affirmed in the strongest terms their condemnation of the continuation and escalating growth of Israeli settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as their vehement condemnation of the decisions of the Israeli Government to demolish Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem with the aim of altering its geographical and demographic status and its Arab identity, separating it from the remaining occupied territories and imposing new facts on the ground in a bid to outdo the final status negotiations and in clear breach of the resolutions of international legitimacy and the rules of international law.  They furthermore welcomed the European Union position in that regard and called on the Security Council and the international community to shoulder their responsibilities and take measures to guarantee the cessation of Israeli settlement operations.

The leaders held Israel legally responsible for the war crimes and crimes against humanity that it perpetrated against the Palestinian people, affirming their determination to prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes and ensure that they do not escape justice.

The leaders rejected Israeli moves aimed at diverting the peace process and its political commitments onto a track confined to an economic and security approach that entrenches the occupation and increases tension and instability in the region.

The Arab leaders considered the continuation of these practices by successive Israeli Governments of varying persuasions as tantamount to a rejection of the peace efforts and the two-State solution adopted by the international community, which undermines Arab and international efforts to achieve peace, security and stability in the region.   It also necessarily means that Israel is not regarded as a partner in the peace process and furthermore changes the Arab approach to the achievement of a just and comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The leaders expressed their hope that the new United States Administration would play the role of impartial mediator in the context of a new strategy for the achievement of peace in the region and called on it to adopt a decisive position in countering Israel’s continuation of the blockade on Gaza and its illegal practices, in particular the measures to Judaize Jerusalem and expand its settlement activities, its violations of the rights of the Palestinian people and its failure to take any serious action for the achievement of peace.  They also expressed their satisfaction with the first positive attitudes expressed by the new United States Administration towards the peace process.

The leaders affirmed the Arab commitment to provision of the necessary financing and support for reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and called on the international community to assume its responsibilities with regard to the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, since the reconstruction process cannot withstand obstruction under any Israeli pretext.  They also called on Israel to open the crossing points, end the blockade on the Gaza Strip, remove the roadblocks and search points in the West Bank and compel Israel to desist from attacks on the occupied Palestinian territories and from denying their needs.

The leaders called on the Palestinian factions participating in the Palestinian National Dialogue Conference, sponsored by the Arab Republic of Egypt, to expedite Palestinian national reconciliation in order to restore the Palestinian position to unanimity in the interest of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people.  They further called on the international community and concerned parties to respect matters agreed by the Palestinians and to impose no conditions in that regard.

The leaders charged both the ministerial committee on the Arab Peace Initiative and the Secretary-General with pursuing efforts and contacts with the international parties concerned with the progress of the peace endeavours and to take the necessary action to convene a joint meeting with the Ministerial Council of the European Union and also with the Quartet to explain the Arab position in this regard.

The leaders also decided to charge the Council of the League at the ministerial level to conduct an assessment and review of the plan for Arab action in the face of efforts for the achievement of peace in the region.

Support for the budget of the Palestinian National Authority and steadfastness of the Palestinian people

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held in Damascus on 16 March 2009,

Affirming the importance of the pledge by Member States to pay the contributions incumbent on Member States in support of the budget of the Palestinian National Authority, in accordance with the resolutions of Arab summits in Beirut (2002), Sharm el-Sheikh (2003), Tunis (2004), Algiers (2005), Khartoum (2006), Riyadh (2007) and Damascus (2008),

Resolves

1. To extend gratitude to those Arab States having met their commitments and their contribution in whole or in part in support of the resources of the al-Aqsa Fund and the Jerusalem Intifada Fund, in accordance with the resolutions of the Beirut summit in 2002 (14th ordinary session), and call on Arab States not having fulfilled their commitments of additional support to do so promptly;

2. To extend gratitude to those Arab States having met their commitments in support of the budget of the Palestinian National Authority, call on other Arab States to settle their arrears with utmost speed and affirm the importance of continued support for the budget of the Palestinian National Authority;

3. To call on the Arab States to continue to support the budget of the Palestinian National Authority for a new period, beginning on 1 April 2009, in accordance with the mechanism approved by the Beirut summit in 2002.

(Summit resolution 456, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

The occupied Syrian Arab Golan

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action,

Affirming the resolutions of Arab summit conferences, most recently Damascus summit resolution 412 (20th ordinary session, 30 March 2008),

Resolves

1. To affirm the solid support and backing of the Arab States for Syria’s just demand and right to recover the entire occupied Syrian Arab Golan up to the line of 4 June 1967, on the basis of the principles of the peace process and resolutions of international legitimacy, and build on achievements accomplished within the framework of the Madrid peace conference, held in 1991;

2. To reaffirm all of its resolutions, most recently Damascus summit resolution 412 (20th ordinary session, 30 March 2008), which stipulates the rejection of all measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed at changing the legal, physical and demographic status of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, and to consider Israeli measures designed to reinforce its control over it as illegal, null and void and a violation of international agreements and of the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations, in particular Security Council resolution 497 (1981) and General Assembly resolution 63/99 of 5 December 2008, which affirms that Israel’s decision of 14 December 1981 to annex the occupied Syrian Arab Golan is illegal, null and void, without legal effect and constitutes a grave violation of Security Council resolution 497 (1981);

3. To reaffirm that Israel’s continued occupation of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan since 1967 represents an ongoing threat to peace and security in the region and the world;

4. To condemn Israel for its practices in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan in respect of the seizure of land and water resources, the building of a rock-fill dam near the town of Quneitra to steal water and deprive Syrian farmers of the most important source of water for the irrigation of their farms and watering of their livestock, the construction and expansion of settlements and transporting of settlers thereto, the exploitation of natural resources, construction projects, the latest of which was the announcement of a tender for the sale of 10 zones in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan to establish vineyards and wineries, and the imposition of an economic boycott and export ban on the agricultural produce of the Arab population;

5. To affirm the Arab position of full solidarity with Syria and Lebanon, stand with them in confronting the continuing Israeli aggression and threats, considering any aggression against them as aggression against the Arab nation, and condemn the economic sanctions imposed on Syria;

6. To support the steadfastness of the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, standing beside them in their resistance to the Israeli occupation and its repressive practices and their determination to hold on to their land and their Syrian Arab identity; affirm the need to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 in respect of the inhabitants of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan; and condemn, pursuant to the principles of international law and rules of international legitimacy, the Israeli occupation authorities for their gross violations of all the rights of the Syrian inhabitants, old and young, living under occupation in the Golan and the ensuing displacement and expulsion of thousands, the pillage of their lands, separation of families and the consequences of this situation on the lives of the children and their education, in addition to numerous other violations of children’s rights in contravention of international obligations arising from the international Convention on the Rights of the Child;

7. To call on the United Nations, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council to ensure Israel’s respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and seek to facilitate visits by the population of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan to their families and relatives in their motherland of Syria, via the Quneitra crossing, under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC);

8. To condemn the practices and provocations of the Israeli occupation forces against the inhabitants of the Syrian village of Ghajar in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, with the aim of partitioning it, displacing its inhabitants and constructing a separation wall between the inhabitants and their lands and livelihood; consider Israel’s forcible transfer of the civilian population to the southern part of the village as a violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention and, in accordance with article 7 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court, “a crime against humanity”; further consider any partition of the village as undermining Syria’s sovereignty over it; call on the international community to assume its responsibilities by exerting pressure on Israel to prevent it from partitioning of the village and put an end to the humanitarian, social and economic suffering of its inhabitants labouring under the occupation; and support Syria in reserving its right to take whatever measures necessary to prevent partition of the village;

9. To call on the Secretariat of the United Nations, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and civil-society organizations working in the area of human rights and international humanitarian law to put pressure on Israel to release all Syrian prisoners and detainees from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan being held in Israeli jails and also call on international humanitarian organizations to prevail upon Israel to allow ICRC representatives, accompanied by medical specialists, to visit these prisoners and detainees to examine their physical and psychological health, save their lives and relieve the sufferings caused by the repressive Israeli practices and inhuman conditions of detention under which they live inside Israeli prisons, as well as the policy of physical and mental subjugation practised by the Israeli authorities, which deprives them of their most basic human and social rights, causing their health to deteriorate and endangering their lives;

10. To uphold the resolutions of international legitimacy requiring the non-recognition of any situation resulting from Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Arab lands, insofar as  it is an illegal activity giving rise to neither right nor obligation and that the construction of settlements and housing of settlers therein represent a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions, a war crime under the First Protocol additional thereto and a violation of the principles of the peace process, which require that all Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and the occupied Arab lands be terminated;

11. To urge the international community to uphold the resolutions of international legitimacy rejecting Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan by condemning the practices of the Israeli Government, which declared its intention on 31 December 2003 to establish nine new settlements, expand existing ones, double the number of settlers and allocate the appropriations necessary to implement this, contrary to the peaceful Arab and international approaches aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Beirut Summit in 2002;

12. To condemn the policy of the Israeli Government, which has wrecked the peace process and led to the continued escalation of tension in the region, and call on the international community to prevail upon Israel to apply United Nations resolutions relating to full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and all occupied Arab lands to the line of 4 June 1967.

(Summit resolution 457, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

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Solidarity with and support for Lebanon

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action,

Recalling the resolutions of Arab summit conferences, most recently Damascus summit resolution 413 (20th ordinary session, 30 March 2008),

Taking note of the latest domestic and international developments relating to Lebanon,

Resolves

1. To salute the steadfastness of Lebanon and its heroic resistance to the iniquitous Israeli aggression and in particular to the events of July 2006, to ask God for mercy on the souls of the Lebanese martyrs and to regard the solidarity and unity of the Lebanese people in the face of aggression as a guarantee of the future security and stability of Lebanon;

2. To affirm full Arab solidarity with Lebanon and provide political and economic support to the country and its Government in order to safeguard Lebanese national unity, Lebanon’s security and stability and its sovereignty over all of its territory;

3. To commend the national role played by the Lebanese army in the Lebanese south and all Lebanese regions, support the task of this army, as determined by the Lebanese Cabinet, of extending the sovereignty of the Lebanese State over all of its territory and safeguarding national peace, and affirm the need to build the capacities of the Lebanese army and security forces to enable them to perform the national tasks with which they are shouldered;

4. To condemn the Israeli breaches and violations of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and hold Israel liable for these violations, call on the Security Council to assume its responsibilities in compelling Israel to observe a full and firm ceasefire and cease its land, sea and air violations of Lebanese sovereignty, deplore Israeli threats made to Lebanon and its civilian facilities and its infrastructure by senior Israeli officials, and affirm Lebanon’s right over its waters, in accordance with international law, in the face of Israeli ambitions;

5. The Council also affirms:

– The need for Israel to withdraw from the Lebanese Shab`a farmlands and the Kafr Shuba hills, welcoming the seven-point plan presented by the Lebanese Government, and from the Lebanese part of the village of Ghajar to behind the Blue Line, on the basis of relevant international resolutions, in particular Security Council resolution 1701 (2006);

– The call for Israel to hand over full information concerning the sites of the cluster bombs that it rained down on Lebanon during the aggression in the summer of 2006 and to continue providing support for Lebanon in order to remove the cluster bombs and the mines laid by Israel during its occupation of Lebanese land;

– The promotion of close cooperation between the security forces and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with a view to strengthening security and stability in south Lebanon in accordance with Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), and commendation of the contribution of States to UNIFIL;

6. To hold Israel fully responsible for the aggression to which Lebanon was subjected in the summer of 2006, for the results of that aggression and for the deliberate targeting of civilians and infrastructure, which constitutes a gross and serious breach of international law, particularly international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions of 1949; hold Israel also responsible for the payment of compensation to the Lebanese Republic and Lebanese citizens for the grievous direct and indirect losses suffered by the Lebanese people and economy as a result of Israeli aggression; consider Israel’s aggression against Lebanon as constituting a war crime, the perpetrators of which must be prosecuted before the competent international authorities; and, with reference to United Nations General Assembly resolution 62/188 of 19 December 2007 concerning the environmental pollution during the July 2006 aggression, to hold Israel responsible for the resulting damage and demand that it pay immediate and sufficient compensation to Lebanon and other States affected by this pollution;

7. To support the efforts of the Lebanese Government in establishing security and political and economic stability, as well as in combating terrorism; salute the martyrs of the Lebanese army and security forces who died defending Lebanon’s sovereignty and unity; affirm the continuation of support for the Lebanese Government in its efforts to modernize and revive the Lebanese economy, as expressed at the Arab and international conference for support to Lebanon (Paris III); and urge participating States and funds to complete fulfilment of their commitments;

8. To affirm support for Lebanon in respect of its sovereign right to exercise its political options within the principles and institutions of the Constitution, taking into account its right to establish relations with brotherly and friendly States on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and independence, its national interests, good neighbourliness, equality and generosity, as well as reaffirm the right of the Lebanese State to protect and guard its borders against all violations and breaches, including the infiltration of arms;

9. To take note of the commencement of work by the tribunal of an international character and welcome the efforts made to uncover the truth about the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and his bodyguards in order to ensure that justice prevails and to establish security and stability in Lebanon;

10. To affirm the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, emphasizing the rejection of any form of settlement and commending and supporting the clear and firm position of the Palestinian leadership that rejects the notion of settlement for Palestinian refugees in host States, particularly Lebanon; caution that failure to resolve the issue of refugees residing in Lebanon on the basis of a return to their homes, in accordance with resolutions of international legitimacy and the principles of international law, or attempts to resettle them, will disrupt security and stability in the region and hinder the achievement of a just peace; welcome the efforts of the Lebanese Government to strengthen the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue with a view to addressing the vital social, economic, legal and security issues of Palestinian refugees in the camps, in cooperation with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and to dealing with pending security issues in accordance with the decisions of the Lebanese National Dialogue Conference; commend the efforts of the Lebanese Government to reconstruct Nahr al-Barid camp; call on States and organizations to fulfil their commitments as stated at the Vienna conference for the reconstruction of Nahr al-Barid camp and provide aid to that end; and welcome the principled decision of the Lebanese Cabinet to establish diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine;

11. To affirm condemnation of international terrorism, which the Arab States are actively engaged in fighting, and the important need to make a distinction between terrorism and legitimate resistance against Israeli occupation, in that resistance activity should not be considered a terrorist act and, consequently, resistance fighters should not be included on terrorist lists;

12. To welcome again the Doha Agreement concluded under the kind auspices of His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, and the efforts of the Arab Ministerial Committee chaired by His Excellency Shaikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabar Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar, and Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; express appreciation and esteem for the important role played by General Michel Suleiman, President of the Republic, in sponsoring and presiding over the national dialogue sessions, fulfilling and implementing its previous outcomes, completing national reconciliation and driving forward Lebanon’s foreign relations, thereby affirming his role as President of the State and symbol of national unity; express its willingness to provide any assistance in this field in support of the efforts of the President of the Republic, in cooperation with the Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora; express its welcome of the decision by Lebanon and Syria to establish diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, adopted during the official visit by President Michel Suleiman to Damascus, and of the opening of the two embassies in Beirut and Damascus; and welcome the completion of steps between the two countries in the forthcoming stage in respect of efforts to put Lebanese-Syrian relations on the path that will achieve the interests of the two sister countries;

13. To commend and support the efforts of the current and former summit presidencies and the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Arab States, Lebanese constitutional institutions and various political forces to establish stability and strengthen sustainable economic growth in Lebanon in order to safeguard its unity, security and stability.

(Summit resolution 458, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

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The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action,

Resolves

1. To commend the efforts of the Arab Coordinator for the Barcelona Process, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the efforts of the Secretariat-General in the context of the coordinating meetings at ministerial level and the Arab coordination mechanism at the level of the committee of senior officials, held in Cairo, Brussels and Marseilles, to prepare for the tenth Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the States of the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, held in Marseilles on 3 and 4 November 2008;

2. To welcome the Marseilles ministerial statement, which affirmed the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative among the terms of reference for resolving the Arab-Israeli dispute; to affirm categorically the participation of the League of Arab States and its specialized institutions; and to work with the Arab Coordinator within all of the mechanisms of the new Euro-Mediterranean track, in all of its meetings and at all levels;

3. To support the candidate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom’s ambassador to Brussels, for the post of head of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean, which is to be established in the Spanish city of Barcelona, and to commend the position of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan concerning postponement of the ministerial meeting on water affairs, scheduled to take place on 29 October 2008, in solidarity with the League of Arab States, the requirement being that it must participate in all meetings.

(Summit resolution 476, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

Upgrading of relations between the European Union and Israel

The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level,

Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action,

Resolves

1. To regard the decision of the European Ministerial Council to strengthen its relations with Israel, despite its continuing blockade of Palestinian territories and its brutal incursion into Gaza, as constituting a flagrant violation of the policy of neighbourliness and of human rights;

2. To call on the European Union to review its decision to strengthen relations with Israel, which will affect the development of European-Arab relations;

3. To establish an Arab ministerial delegation from the Arab troika at summit level, with the Arab Republic of Egypt (the Arab Coordinator) and the Secretariat-General, to visit the European Union to discuss the danger posed by this decision to Arab-European relations;

4. To establish a delegation of Arab parliamentarians (the Arab Parliamentary Union and the Arab Transitional Parliament) to visit the headquarters of the European Parliament to discuss this subject with the European Parliament.

(Summit resolution 477, 21st ordinary session – 30 March 2009)

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Q/21(03/09)16-`A(0199)

Council of the League of Arab States

21st ordinary session

Doha – State of Qatar

3 Rabi` II A.H. 1430 (30 March A.D. 2009)

The Doha Declaration

We, the leaders of the Arab States, assembling at the 21st session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, on 3 Rabi` II A.H. 1430 (30 March A.D. 2009),

Having carefully studied the current Arab situation and the surrounding circumstances, Arab relations, the challenges facing the nation, the dangers besetting Arab national security and the grave threats to the Middle East peace process,

Taking into account the current changes in the international order, their repercussions on the Arab region and the enormous challenges that the present transformations, including the global economic crisis, represent for the Arab regional order,

Affirming our commitment to the goals and purposes set forth in the Charter of the League of Arab States and in its supplementary pacts and agreements, our resolve to implement them to ensure the cohesion of the nation and achieve prosperity for our people, and our adherence to the noble principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations for a world in which peace and security prevail and which is characterized by freedom, justice and equality,

Proceeding from our pan-Arab responsibility to promote broader horizons in Arab relations and work to strengthen ties in order to achieve the supreme interests and aspirations of the nation, preserve its pan-Arab security and safeguard its dignity and pride,

Declare as follows:

We are committed to Arab solidarity, adhere to noble Arab values and traditions and emphasize the need to preserve the integrity of all Arab States, respect their sovereignty and their legitimate right to defend their national independence and their resources and capacities, have due regard for their political systems in accordance with their constitutions and laws, and ensure non-interference in their domestic affairs.

We emphasize the need to resolve Arab disputes through purposeful and constructive dialogue and the need for efforts to strengthen Arab relations, consolidate Arab ties and connections and safeguard the supreme interests of the Arab nation.

We call for the continuation of efforts aimed at developing and advancing the system of joint Arab action, implementing its mechanisms and furthering its performance, thus enabling us to create effective policies for the reconstruction of an integrated Arab society with the resources and capacities to match the new challenges of the forthcoming stage and keep pace with any regional and international developments that may occur.

We salute in admiration and esteem the Palestinian people in their heroic resistance in the face of the iniquitous Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip; affirm support their steadfastness and opposition to this incursion; vehemently condemn the savage Israeli incursion into the Gaza Strip; call for a halt to the Israeli aggression, the establishment of a ceasefire, the lifting of the unjust blockade on the Gaza Strip and the opening of all crossings; affirm that Israel, the occupying Power, is held legally and materially responsible for the war crimes that it perpetrated and for its violations of international law and international humanitarian law; and call on the international community to prosecute those responsible for such crimes and refer them to international courts.

We affirm our full support for the Arab efforts to end the division in the Palestinian national ranks and to strengthen national unity; call on all Palestinian factions to respond to these efforts in order to ensure achievement of the desired national reconciliation and secure the geographical and political unity of the Palestinian territories; and renew our support for the Palestinian National Authority and respect for the legitimate institutions of the Palestinian National Authority emanating from the Palestine Liberation Organization, including the elected Palestinian Legislative Council.

We call for a halt to unilateral Israeli policies and measures designed to impose a status quo, including the immediate cessation of all settlement activities and removal of the apartheid wall, for steps to ensure that the status of East Jerusalem remains intact and for preservation of the Islamic and Christian sites that it houses.

We affirm the unacceptability of the Israeli obstruction and procrastination in which successive Israeli Governments have persisted and similarly affirm the need to set a time frame for Israel’s fulfilment of its obligations vis-à-vis the peace process and to take clear and determined steps to carry out the commitments under the peace process on the basis of the terms of reference represented in relevant United Nations resolutions, the principle of land for peace and also the Arab Peace Initiative.

We affirm the need for a just solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in the context of international legitimacy and also affirm that a just and comprehensive peace in the region is attainable only through an end to the Israeli occupation and withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967, as well as from the remaining occupied territories in south Lebanon, the Shab`a farmlands, the Kafr Shuba hills and the northern part of the village of Ghajar.  We further affirm the need for an agreed and just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem, the rejection of all forms of settlement and the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

We affirm our solidarity with the Sudan, our rejection of the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court concerning President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, our support for our sister the Sudan in countering all efforts to undermine its sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity, and our rejection of all measures that threaten the peace efforts made by the State of Qatar in the context of the Arab-African Ministerial Committee and in coordination with the Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur, efforts for which we affirm our support with a view to the establishment of peace in Darfur.

We commend the Arab summit conference for the steps taken in Iraq to achieve security, stability and national unity, reject sectarianism and stabilize the political process, with the participation of all components of Iraqi society.

We welcome the agreement concluded between our brothers in Somalia, the election of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as President of the Republic of Somalia and the formation of a Somali Transitional Government and a Somali transitional parliament, and affirm the doubling of Arab efforts to provide all forms of support to the Republic of Somalia.

We affirm our non-recognition of the results of the referendum held in France on 29 March 2009 on incorporating the Comoros island of Mayotte and turning it into a French overseas territory and consider the measures taken by France pursuant to the results of this referendum to be unlawful and invalid, giving rise to no rights and establishing no obligations.

We express hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond to the initiative of the United Arab Emirates and to Arab efforts to find a solution to the question of the islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa through serious and direct negotiations or through recourse to the International Court of Justice.

We reaffirm our condemnation of terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations, whatever its course, motives and justifications, and the need to address its root causes and eliminate the factors that feed it.

We call on the international community to empty the Middle East region of all weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons; take steps to establish a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the Middle East so as to promote international peace and security; compel Israel to sign the Treaty on the on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and subject all of Israel’s nuclear facilities and activities to the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

We affirm the legitimate right of Arab States to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful uses in all areas that serve its development programmes, support its economies and diversify their sources of energy.

We commend the ongoing efforts of the Arab States to expand the practices of rational management and apply the principles of transparency, responsibility, accountability and popular participation, and we affirm our determination to pursue political and social reforms in Arab societies in order to achieve social integration, national harmony and civil peace.

We call for the intensification of dialogue among cultures and peoples, for the establishment of a culture of openness and acceptance of others, and for support for the principles of fraternity, tolerance and respect for human values that emphasize human rights, promote human dignity and safeguard freedom.

We welcome the outcomes and resolutions of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit held in Kuwait on 19 and 20 January 2009 and affirm our resolve to follow up and implement its outcomes in the interests of joint Arab economic action and the development of Arab societies.

We affirm our continuing endeavour to establish a customs union in order to pave the way for an Arab common market, ensure shared Arab economic interests and safeguard the Arab gains made at the social and economic levels so as to strengthen Arab economies, help in alleviating the adverse affects of the global economic crisis, develop partnership, increase mutual investment and establish joint productive projects.

We call on the international community to work at doubling efforts and strengthening  close cooperation among its States, to participate actively in the global efforts aimed at implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the eradication of hunger and poverty, and to increase financial support for the least developed countries in order to narrow the gap in the social and economic development levels of rich and poor countries.

We affirm the importance of a strong social upbringing for Arab children and the need to bring out their Arab identity through the development of a value system in which the Arab child is raised to be aware of his identity, instilling him with pride in his nationality, his Arabness, his Arab heritage and its splendours and contribution to the development of human society.

We call for the provision of opportunities for young people to participate effectively the life of society and engage in employment, and for fostering of the national sentiment in them and for strengthening of their belonging to Arab civilization and of their Arab identity.

We emphasize the need to devote particular attention to the Arabic language as a fount of knowledge and Arab culture, which encompasses heritage, culture and identity, and to cementing it and developing the curricula for teaching it in line with the rapid global developments in science and knowledge.

We extend sincere gratitude and tremendous appreciation to His Highness Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, for his judicious management of work of the summit and for his direction of its deliberations, and express our full confidence that his leadership will boost the success and development of joint Arab action and firmly establish Arab solidarity so as to benefit the Arab nation and its reform, given the wisdom, expertise and devotion to Arab solidarity for which he is known.

We also express our deep appreciation to the State of Qatar and its welcoming people for the warmth of their reception and their generous hospitality, as well as for the flawless organization of the meetings of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level.  We also greatly appreciate the intensive consultations conducted with Arab States to ensure the success of the summit and its convening in the best and smoothest of circumstances.

We express our sincere gratitude for the continuous efforts of Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to promote joint Arab action.

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