OIC Conference on the Establishment of an Islamic Financial Safety Net in Support of Palestine (Baku, 11 June 2013) – Declaration/Non-UN document

We, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OIC Member States, participating in the Conference on the Establishment of an Islamic Financial Safety Net in Support of the State of Palestine, graciously hosted by the Republic of Azerbaijan, in Baku, the capital, on 11 June 2013, in implementation of the resolution adopted by the Twelfth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt, in February 2013.

Having taken cognizance of the realities of the escalating financial crisis endured at the public budgetary level by the State of Palestine, as a result of the occupation policy, particularly the withholding by Israel, the occupying power, of the tax and customs revenues due to the Palestinian people, the siege it imposes on Palestinian towns, and the impediments it places on trade exchange between these towns and the world states, all in addition to the lack of resources and the shrinking volume of external assistance to the Palestinian Government.

Having reviewed ways and means to enhance financial and economic assistance such as to avail the Government of the State of Palestine of the necessary requirements to ensure its viability and enable it to fulfill its commitments towards the Palestinian people and to continue the building of its institutions.

We hereby:

1. Reiterate the OIC’s solidarity and full support to the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle for the achievement of their national rights foremost of which their right to self-determination and to the concrete establishment of their independent Palestinian State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, whose concretization represents a basis for the establishment of a comprehensive peace in the region.

2. Express our appreciation and gratitude to the States, peoples and international organizations that have been extending consistent political, economic and financial support to the Palestinian people, in favour of putting an end to the Israeli occupation which started in 1967 and the concretization of the sovereignty and independence of the State of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital. We lay emphasis on the dire need for continued international assistance, on a broad scale and in all forms, for the benefit of the Palestinian people, with a view to support the rebuilding of Palestinian institutions taking into consideration priorities as defined by the State of Palestine.

3. Emphasize that the aggravated financial and economic crisis endured by the Palestinian people is attributable, fundamentally, to the persistent illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, forms the main obstacle in the way of the sustained economic development of the Palestinian State, and actually threatens to undermine the assets and institutional capacities and basic services which we firmly believe can best be enhanced under the prevalence of peace and stability.

4. Call upon the international community to take all necessary measures to compel Israel, the occupying power, to put an end to its recurrent practice of withholding the tax and customs revenues due to the Palestinian people, and to lift the siege imposed on the Palestinian towns and the impediments placed in the way of trade exchange between the latter and the world states, all of which form a blatant violation of international law and international agreements and represent collective punishment against the Palestinian people.

5. Undertake to contribute a financial assistance directly to the treasury of the Government of the State of Palestinian, and to the construction of relevant social and infrastructural projects, and pledge to start implementing these undertakings as soon as possible.

6. Extend our profound thanks to the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the government and people of Azerbaijan for their gracious hosting of this Conference and for having made available all means to ensure its success, in support of the Palestinian people and their just cause. The Ministers extend their solidarity and full support to the Government and People of Azerbaijan in strengthening their national statehood, the restoration of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and express their best wishes for continuous success and prosperity to the brotherly People of Azerbaijan.

BAKU, 11th June 2013