Situation in the OPT/Jerusalem-Inter Parliamentary Conference decision(excerpts)-Letter from Republic of Korea

Letter dated 7 May 1997 from the Permanent Representative

of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations addressed

to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to inform you that the 97th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was held at Seoul from 10 to 15 April 1997, at the invitation of the Parliament of the Republic of Korea.  The Conference brought together 572 members of Parliament from 118 countries and the representatives of 25 observer delegations.

As the host country of the 97th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith the results of the Conference.

I should be grateful if you would have the text of the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under items 20, 29, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 59, 61, 70, 98, 99 and 113 of the preliminary list.

  (Signed)  PARK Soo Gil      

Permanent Representative

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*A/52/50.

Annex

97th CONFERENCE OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION

The 97th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union* was held in Seoul (Republic of (Korea) from 10 to 15 April 1997, at the invitation of the Parliament of the Republic of Korea.  The Conference brought together 572 members of Parliament from 118 countries and the representatives of 25 observer delegations.

In the course of its proceedings, the Conference adopted the attached resolutions.

Members (138)

Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cubs, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,   Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, San Marino, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Associate Members

Andean Parliament, Latin American Parliament, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

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* The Inter-Parliamentary Union's membership was as follow as at 15 April 1997:

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SAFEGUARDING THE STATUS OF THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALEM AND UTILISING ALL

POSSIBLE MEANS LIKELY TO THWART MANOEUVRES WHICH ARE PREJUDICIAL TO ITS

IDENTITY AND GRAVELY ENDANGER SECURITY AND THE PEACE PROCESS IN THE AREA

Resolution adopted without a vote by the 97th Inter-Parliamentary Conference

(Seoul, 14 April 1997)*

The 97th Inter-Parliamentary Conference,

Reaffirming its support for the Middle East peace process and all its achievements,

Recalling once more the resolutions adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union to bolster efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East,

Also recalling United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for the revocation of any and al Israeli measures and actions designed to alter the legal status, the demographic composition and suchgeographical structure of Jerusalem and considering such measures invalid,

Expressing deep concern at the new settlement activities in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, and in particular at the construction of a settlement at the Jebel Abu Ghneim area in East Jerusalem,

Stressing that these settlements are illegal, in breach of international law and a major obstacle to peace,

Concerned about the difficulties facing the Middle East peace process and their negative impact on the living conditions of all peoples of the region, and more especially the Palestinian people,

Deploring the increasing recourse to violence since the dangerous stalling of the peace process,

Reaffirming resolutions adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, particularly at the 77th, 81st, 84th and 90th Conferences, on bolstering efforts to give impetus to peace moves in the Middle East,

1. Denounces the Israeli settlement policy in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem;

2. Calls upon the Israeli authorities to refrain from all actions or measures, including settlement activities, which alter the 'acts on the ground, pre-empting the final status negotiations, and have negative implications for the Middle East peace process;

3. Calls upon Israel, as the occupying power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations under the Hague Convention of 1907 and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949;

4. Calls upon ail parties, and especially Israelis and Palestinians, to continue and speed up, in the interests of peace and security, their negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed bases, and Israel in particular to implement within the prescribed time-limits the agreements concluded, and in particular the Oslo Agreements;

5. Calls upon the Israeli government to desist from confiscating the identity cards of the Palestinian citizens of Jerusalem and to revoke the policy that prevents them from repairing their homes or building new ones to meet their urgent housing needs;

6. Urgently appeals, as part of the peace process, for an end to acts of violence and terrorism, whatever their source;

7. Appeals to the United Nations to bring its influence to bear forthwith in order to protect all citizens, all institutions and all historical monuments in Jerusalem, and particularly the Palestinian institutions pending the implementation of Security Council resolution 242 and the achievement of peace;

8. Recommends that the situation in Jerusalem be monitored through the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions, which will report to the inter-Parliamentary Council in Cairo (September 1997).

…/…

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* After the text was adopted, the Israeli delegation expressed its opposition to the resolution as a whole.

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