Mideast situation/Palestine question – OIC/Islamic group request for SecCo meeting – Letter from Mali and Qatar

Letter dated 16 August 2001 from the representatives of Mali and Qatar

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

We have the honour to inform you that at two urgent and successive meetings, the first of the Follow-up Committee of the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference and the second of the Islamic Group, both held yesterday, at the ambassadorial level, grave concern was expressed over the deteriorating situation that has developed in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem. This, we contend, is the direct outcome of Israel’s unwarranted and illegal seizure of the Orient House, its high-handed closure of the Palestinian Authority’s political and security offices; its forceful occupation of several other Palestinian buildings in East Jerusalem; its destruction of a Palestinian police station and other property in Jenin and, among other things, its killing and injuring of Palestinian citizens, including children.

While these and other actions of Israel, the occupying Power, are severely undermining the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to lend stability to its administration, they also critically threaten the peace process in Palestine and the Middle East region. We have, yesterday, addressed a letter to the President of the Security Council requesting an immediate meeting of the Council to address the crisis-ridden situation in Palestine (S/2001/797).

On behalf of the Islamic Group and of the Follow-up Committee on the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference, we are now writing to you to request your urgent initiative in dealing with the grave situation and, in particular, in providing international protection to the Palestinian people against the inhuman atrocities of Israel, the occupying Power.

We would be grateful if the present letter could be circulated as an official document of the General Assembly under agenda items 40 and 41.