Summit of South American and Arab Countries – Lima Declaration – ASPA declaration/Non-UN document (excerpts);


Lima Declaration

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The Heads of State and Government of the South American and Arab Countries, gathered for the III ASPA Summit on October 2nd, 2012, in Lima, Peru, took note with satisfaction of the activities and achievements that have taken place since the II ASPA Summit in Doha, Qatar, and reaffirmed their commitment about the need to further develop bi-regional relations and consolidate ASPA. For this purpose, and in order to develop the future activities of ASPA, they agreed to:

1. GENERAL GUIDELINES:

1.1 Enhance the political dialogue and multidimensional cooperation in the context of ASPA and reaffirm the importance of bi-regional coordination in international fora and their conviction in South-South and triangular cooperation as a means of effectively promoting development and poverty reduction, through capacity building, innovation, and technical and cultural exchange.

1.2. Expand the current political dialogue, which is aimed at coordinating and reaffirming common positions in all relevant fora, with a view to safeguarding the interests of both regions and respect for the principles of International Law, the role of the United Nations in conflict resolution, the maintenance and consolidation of international peace and security, and the promotion of sustainable development, for the benefit of all mankind. Reiterate their commitment to the promotion and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and international humanitarian law bearing in mind the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds.

1.3 Reaffirm the principle of inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and the obligation of the receiving States to comply with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963

1.4 Applaud the broadening of diplomatic relations between Arab and South American countries, in accordance with the objectives and principles set by ASPA, and call upon ASPA countries to further enhance this process.

1.5 Reaffirm the importance of ASPA as a mechanism for bi-regional cooperation and inter-cultural dialogue. Recall, in this sense, the relevant actions developed to enhance mutual knowledge of both regions cultures, in full accordance with UN principles and objectives laid out in the III and IV sessions of the Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations held in Rio de Janeiro, May 2010 and in Doha, December 2011 respectively, and other related fora.

1.6 Call for the establishment of nuclear weapons-free zones everywhere, especially in the areas located near nuclear arsenals, without prejudice to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. In the same way, promote a combination of measures such as transparency, confidence building, arms control, and to renew their engagement to reject the threat to use force or resorting to it in their international relations. Express their satisfaction for the commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the treaty of Tlatelolco, which created a nuclear weapon free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean, the first in a highly populated territory in the world.

1.7 Set, in accordance to the high priority assigned to their respective domestic policies in the fields of health, education, reduction of poverty and unemployment, specific goals for the bi-regional cooperation in those areas, in furtherance of the Millennium Development Goals; and to establish mechanisms and projects that will effectively contribute to the achievement of those objectives.

1.8 Reaffirm that energy should become one of the axes of the bi-regional relationship in the coming years, especially around the subjects of energy production and consumption efficiency improvement, the development of renewable energies as well as other strategies in addressing climate change bearing in mind the importance of energy for the sustainable development of ASPA members.

1.9 Strengthen scientific coordination and cooperation, particularly in the fields of information society, adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change, combating desertification and management of water resources.

1.10 Recognize that investment is one of the pillars for economic and social development as well as a key to reduce poverty and inequality. Support public and private efforts to promote investments in diverse areas at national and regional levels to facilitate job creation, increase scientific knowledge and education, and promote sustainable development.

1.11 Adopt measures to facilitate and intensify technology transfer, trade and investment flows, especially in the fields of food and agro-industries, energy, infrastructure, tourism, and information technology.

1.12 Strengthen political and technical dialogue, cooperation and joint actions, where possible, by the ASPA Member States to address the world drug problem, using an integrated approach adhering to the principles of common and shared responsibility and respect for international law.

1.13 Support the ongoing global coordination efforts on food security, including the Committee on World Food Security, which will coordinate food security issues at a multilateral level. Moreover, reaffirm their commitment in relation to the conclusions agreed in the World Summit on Food Security held in Rome, in November 2009.2.

POLITICAL COORDINATION:

2.1. Reaffirm the resolutions of the 2009 “Doha Declaration” particularly related to the cause of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict which reaffirmed the need to reach a just, durable and comprehensive peace in the Middle East on the basis of the principle of land for peace and relevant resolutions of the Security Council and of the General Assembly of the United Nations, in particular Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), as well as the Madrid Framework and the “Arab Peace Initiative” adopted at the Beirut Summit (2002) and the following Arab Summits, to ensure the realization of peace and security for all countries in the region. Also highlight the necessity of the full

implementation of the Quartet’s “Road Map” for Peace and stress the need for the Quartet to keep the Security council and international community updated on its efforts. Reaffirm the need for the realization of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination and return, and for the implementation of relevant United Nations Resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 1515 (2003), and the achievement of the independence of the State of Palestine, based on the 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital living side by side with the State of Israel in peace within secure and recognized borders.

Call upon Israel, the occupying power, to immediately withdraw from all Arab territories occupied in June 1967 including the occupied Syrian Golan and what remained from the Lebanese territories and to dismantle all settlements including those in occupied East Jerusalem. Reaffirm the necessity of halting all Israeli settlement activities, which are illegal and illegitimate, and obstruct the peace process and are contradictory to relevant international resolutions and treaties and threaten the viability of the two-State solution. Reaffirm further that all unilateral measures taken by Israel in East Jerusalem are invalid. Duly take into account the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice concerning the “Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, and call upon all parties concerned to comply with the said advisory opinion, with regard to legal obligations.

2.2 Reaffirm the need for the immediate release of all Arab and Palestinian political prisoners and detainees in the Israeli occupation prisons, and support the Arab efforts aiming at addressing this critical issue in the United Nations General Assembly and other relevant organs of the United Nations System.

2.3 The Arab countries highly appreciate the position of those South American countries that have recognized the State of Palestine on the basis of the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and call upon other countries to follow suit. Welcome the support expressed by those South American countries that were in agreement with the request by Palestine, submitted by H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas on 23 September 2011 to the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for the admission of Palestine as a State Member of the United Nations on the basis of the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, a step which will contribute towards the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and independence and to making peace a reality in the Middle East.

2.4 Regret the lack of meaningful progress in the efforts carried out by the Quartet in the recent period, and consider that the support of other actors could contribute to the resumption of negotiations as a matter of urgency. Recall that the Palestine Question is one of the main challenges on Today’s international peace and security agenda and, therefore, efforts to resolve it should be regularly reported to and should involve the UN Security Council.

2.5 Welcome the admission of Palestine as a State Member of the UNESCO and thank those South American countries that voted in favor of full membership of the State of Palestine. And commend the decision of the Executive Board of UNESCO at its 187th session on the adoption of the Jordanian design for the restoration and preservation of the Mughrabi ascent which was submitted to the World Heritage Centre on 27/5/2011, confirming the importance of the vital role of UNESCO in the protection of world heritage. Call for support of its initiatives in Occupied East Jerusalem, taking into account the city's humanitarian, cultural, and spiritual status for followers of monotheistic religions, and for support of the collective Arab efforts on the establishment of a permanent office of UNESCO in Occupied East Jerusalem. Welcome the inscription of the property Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity, the Pilgrimage Route Bethlehem on the World Heritage List.

2.6. Call upon UNESCO to continue to uphold the legal reference that it relied upon to issue its previous resolutions regarding the inclusion of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls on the World Heritage List in 1981 at the request of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with Arab and Islamic comprehensive support according to the resolution of the Executive Board of the organization in September 1981 session, and the resolution issued in 1982, which included Jerusalem on the list of the endangered World Heritage, given that the legal status of Jerusalem as an occupied territory is still standing.

2.7 Condemn the Israeli military attack against the maritime vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza (“Freedom Flotilla”), which caused civilian casualties in violation of International Law provisions that protect navigation in international waters, as well as international agreements, principles and humanitarian law, and consider that such violations hinder the prospect of peaceful solution to the conflicts in the Middle East. Welcome the report issued by the independent fact finding mission of the Human Rights Council to investigate violations of International Law, including international humanitarian and Human Rights Law, resulting from the Israeli attack on the “Freedom Flotilla”.

2.8. Call for the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1850 and 1860 and reaffirm the provisions of the Security Council Presidential Statement on 1/6/2010 regarding the critical situation in Gaza created by the Israeli blockade and deeming this situation as unjust and unsustainable. Call upon Israel, the occupying power, to lift the blockade and allow for the sustained and regular movement of persons, delivery of medical aid, food, and required building materials for reconstruction, unimpeded provision and distribution of humanitarian aid, and commercial flows.

2.9. Reaffirm that no measures, unilateral or otherwise, should be taken which will affect the authenticity and the integrity of the cultural, historical and religious heritage of the City of Jerusalem and of Christian and Muslim Sites therein, in accordance with the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of 1972 and the relevant provisions on the protection of cultural heritage of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954. In this regard, welcome and call for the implementation of the relevant resolutions on East Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territory which were adopted by the Executive Board of UNESCO at its 185th session.

2.10. Welcome the proposal issued by of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar during the International Conference for the Defense of Jerusalem, which was held on 26/2/2012 to request the Security Council to adopt a resolution on the setting up of an international commission to investigate all the actions taken by Israel since the occupation in 1967 in East Jerusalem with a purpose of erasing its Islamic and Arab identity, and also welcome His Highness call for the preparation of a comprehensive and extensive strategy for the various sectors and projects needed in Jerusalem, as well as the willingness of the State of Qatar to contribute in all possible ways to the realization and the implementation of said strategy.

2.11 Welcome the realization in Brasilia on July 10, 2012, of the seminar “Side by Side – building peace in the Middle East: the role of the diasporas” on the role of the Jewish and Arab diasporas to further the Middle East peace.

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2019-03-12T17:35:41-04:00

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