Palestine question/PNC Declaration of Independence – NAM chairman statement – Letter from Zimbabwe

Letter dated 18 November 1988 from the Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

Upon instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit herewith the text of an official statement issued on 17 November 1988 by the Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries welcoming the proclamation of the independent Palestinian State (see annex).

I should be grateful if you would have the text of the present letter and its annex circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 37 and 40, and of the Security Council.

ANNEX

Statement issued on 17 November 1988 by the Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries welcoming the proclamation of the independent Palestinian State

On behalf of the 101 members of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, I heartily welcome the historic proclamation of the State of Palestine. This is a highly commendable decision democratically taken by the dispossessed Palestinian people through the Palestine National Council. The Palestinian people, hitherto denied their inalienable rights through military aggression, occupation, and various forms of political and diplomatic pressure, have now exercised their right to self-determination, political independence and sovereignty over their territory.

The Movement applauds the commitment pledged by the Palestine National Council in its proclamation of the Palestinian State to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This commitment by the Palestine National Council is clearly demonstrated by its acceptance of the United Nations resolutions adopted since 1947 on the question of Palestine, including Security Council resolution 242 (1967). The Movement commends the Palestine National Council for its political will in this respect and calls upon Israel to demonstrate the same constructive spirit by recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to their own independent and sovereign State. In these changed circumstances, the Movement urges Israel's allies to show diplomatic flexibility by agreeing to the early convening of an International Peace Conference on the Middle East, at which the PLO, as the sole and authentic representative of the Palestinian people, would participate on an equal footing with the other parties to the conflict.

As the Chairman of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, I urge all members of the Movement seriously to consider recognizing the newly proclaimed State of Palestine.

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