Palestine question/Mideast situation – Ministerial Declaration of the Group of 77 and China – Letter from Yemen (excerpts)

Letter dated 29 September 2010 from the Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General 

 I have the honour to transmit herewith the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the thirty-fourth annual meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 and China, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 28 September 2010.

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, I would appreciate it if the present letter and its annex could be circulated as a document of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly under agenda items 9, 13, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 60, 69, 74, 115, 128, 129, 130, 131, 133 and 134. 

(Signed) Abdullah M. Alsaidi
Ambassador and Permanent Representative
of the Republic of Yemen to the United Nations
Chairman of the Group of 77 

Annex to the letter dated 29 September 2010 from the Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General 

   Ministerial Declaration adopted at the thirty-fourth annual meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77

   New York, 29 September 2010 

   Ministerial Declaration 

 The Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Group of 77 and China met at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 28 September 2010 on the occasion of their thirty-fourth annual meeting to address the development challenges facing developing countries, and adopted the following Declaration:

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70.  The Ministers reiterated their call for the immediate and full withdrawal of Israel, the occupying Power, from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 and from the remaining Lebanese occupied land. They reaffirmed their support for a Middle East peace process aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the region, in accordance with Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 425 (1978) and 1850 (2008) and the principle of land for peace. In this context, they also reaffirmed their support for the Arab Peace Initiative endorsed by the Arab Summit since March 2002. 

71.  The Ministers condemned the ongoing Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which has resulted in the loss of civilian lives and the vast destruction of Palestinian properties, infrastructure and agricultural lands. The Ministers expressed deep concern about the further decline of the social and economic conditions of the Palestinian people, particularly in the besieged Gaza Strip, as a result of the illegal Israeli practices, including the construction of settlements and the Wall and the imposition of blockade and hundreds of checkpoints. They called upon Israel, the occupying Power, to cease immediately all illegal measures impairing the Palestinian economy and development, including, in particular, the inhumane and illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip and restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, including commercial trade throughout, into and out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to make reparation for all damages caused to Palestinian properties, institutions and infrastructure. They reiterated their call upon the international community to continue providing much needed developmental and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people during this critical period particularly for the reconstruction and economic recovery in the Gaza Strip.

72.  The Ministers expressed support for the assistance in the demining efforts and cluster bombs clearance in the south of Lebanon. They further expressed their deep concern about the lack of financial resources for carrying out the remaining demining and clearance of mines and cluster munitions in the south of Lebanon, and called upon the international donors and the United Nations system to provide the appropriate and adequate financial resources to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Centre in South Lebanon, in order to allow it to perform its task. The Ministers reiterated their call on Israel to complete the submission to the United Nations of adequate information on these mines and cluster munitions, as well as all remaining maps related to their locations, which are hindering the development and rehabilitation of the south of Lebanon and preventing the agricultural exploitation of vast areas of rich agrarian land. The Ministers requested Israel to assume responsibility for the laying of landmines and use of cluster bombs in the south of Lebanon and assume defraying the cost of clearance as well as providing compensation for Lebanon for any ensuing losses and for reclaiming the affected areas in the south of Lebanon for productive purposes.

73.  The Ministers supported the inalienable right of Lebanon to utilize its waters in accordance with international law, in particular to ensure the social and economic needs of its population in the liberated areas and villages. They called on Israel to end its air violations of Lebanese sovereignty and other violations that severely damage the security situation, which is a critical factor in promoting the economy and tourism industries. 

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