ECONOMIC PROBLEMS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IN THE
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, OF THE SYRIAN CITIZENS
IN THE OCCUPIED SYRIAN GOLAN HEIGHTS AND OF THE LEBANESE
CITIZENS IN OCCUPIED SOUTH LEBANON
AND THE WESTERN BEKKA FORMERLY UNDER OCCUPATION
The Thirty-second Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session of Integration and Development), held in Sana’a, Republic of Yemen, from 21-23 Jumada Al Awwal 1426H (28-30 June 2005),
Recalling Resolution No. 9/10-E (IS) adopted by the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference; and Resolution No. 9/3 1-E adopted by the Thirty-first Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers;
Believing in the objectives and principles of the OIC Charter aimed at strengthening Islamic solidarity among the Member States, and conforming with mass international will that rejects arbitrary Israeli practices in the occupied Arab territory which lead to deterioration of the economic and social conditions of Arab citizens under the yoke of Israeli occupation, on the one hand, and that supports the establishment of a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East region based on the (Land-for-Peace principle) UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 425, 1397, 1402 and 1403 as well as the authority of the Madrid Peace Conference, on the other;
Underlining the unfailing efforts exerted by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to promote the economic structure; and to renovate what was destroyed by the Israeli aggression and in view of the escalation of the illegal and unlawful expansionist settlement policies of the Israeli government, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the occupied Syrian Golan; and also in view of the serious implications of this escalation on the existing difficult economic and humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory and the Syrian citizens in the occupied Golan;
Expressing extreme concern over the grave economic impacts, resulting from the expansionist settlement policy of the Israeli government, on the difficult living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory and those of the Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan as well as the Arab people in the occupied Arab territory;
Expressing deep concern over the danger of Israel’s continued occupation of the Syrian Golan, part of South Lebanon which are suffering huge economic and material losses;
Having considered the report of the Secretary General,
1. Hails the efforts made by the Palestinian National Authority to rebuild Palestinian facilities, infrastructure and properties already destroyed and those being destroyed by the Israeli occupation authorities. It commends the strenuous efforts exerted by the Palestinian Authority to rebuild and strengthen Palestinian national economy.
2. Invites all concerned bodies to expedite the extension of the envisaged necessary assistance to help the Palestinian people to establish their national economy, consolidation of their national institutions and to enable them to establish their independent State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
3. Reaffirms the earlier OIC resolutions in favour of the extension of all forms of economic, technical, material and moral support and assistance to the Palestinian people, preferential treatment for Palestinian export products, granting them exemptions from taxes and tariffs and permitting Palestinian manpower to work in the Member States for specific periods thus helping to improve their material conditions and contributing to their return and their steadfastness on their land.
4. Urges Member States to set up people’s committees to collect donations to support the Intifada and provide urgent assistance to the Palestinian people in this emergency situation.
5. Strongly condemns the closure and blockade imposed on corridors, and on the Palestinian towns and villages, which have resulted in heavy losses and serious damage to the social and economic life of the Palestinian people, and are detrimental to the Palestinian economy; and calls upon the international community to force Israel to end the closure and lift the blockade imposed on the Palestinian territories.
6. Strongly condemns the acts of demolition and destruction of Palestinian homes, institutions, facilities, lands, the uprooting and burning of fruitful trees and plants, and the bulldozing of the soil, which are perpetrated by the Israeli occupation army and settlers and which have resulted in severe losses for the Palestinian economy and building an expansionist infrastructure by establishing more settlements and calls upon the international community to force Israel to put an end to these criminal acts and to pay reparations for these damages also strongly condemns Israel for its erection of the Apartheid Wall which eats up into the Palestinian lands, isolates scores of villages, and prevents their population from exploiting their land in addition to the crimes perpetrated by the settlers, the fences built by them, and their preventing Palestinians from harvesting their crops.
7. Calls upon the international community to intervene to force Israel to release the Palestinian funds being held up by it and estimated at millions of dollars accruing from taxes and tariffs due to the Palestinian authority and levied by the Israeli government.
8. Calls the Member States to continue to make generous contributions to the Al-Quds Fund, the Al-Quds Waqf and Beit al-Mal of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, particularly in the light of the current conditions in the occupied territories where the infrastructure is being systematically destroyed.
9. Calls for the necessity of implementing the draft resolutions of the UN General Assembly on the economic assistance extended to the Palestinian people as well as the draft resolutions of other international organizations and relevant specialized agencies. It also calls for united efforts on the part of the Member States in their support of the Palestinian cause during the sessions of the United Nations General Assembly.
10. Condemns Israel’s persisting defiance of the international community and the construction of a separation wall in the Palestinian territories, and stresses its dangerous impact on the economic conditions in Palestine, and the adverse effects of the wall on the daily life of the Palestinian people and their consequent suffering.
11. Urges the private sector and investors of the Member States to undertake the execution of the economic, industrial, agricultural and housing programmes in the territories of the Palestinian National Authority with a view to supporting and strengthening the Palestinian national economy.
12. Appreciating the efforts of IDB and ICCI, calls upon the Federation of Palestinian Chambers and the local Palestinian Chambers to activate their private sector so that not only the means of technical and financial assistance could be extended to the private sector but also joint ventures could be materialized with the private sector from other Islamic Countries.
13. Condemns Israel for its continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and parts of South Lebanon, including the Shebaa farms and the arbitrary Israeli practices which have led to the degradation of the social and economic situation of the Syrian and Lebanese populations suffering under the yoke of Israeli occupation.
14. Urges the OIC Member States to carry all necessary actions at the international level to exert pressure on Israel to desist from resorting to imposition of the brutal blockades on the occupied Palestinian territory, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif which result in extremely painful economic effects on the Palestinian people and raise the level of unemployment among the Palestinians. It also hampers international efforts aimed at realizing development in the occupied Palestinian territory and the territory of the Palestinian National Authority.
15. Calls on Member States and the international community to compel Israel to pay the Government of Lebanon reparations for the plight of the Lebanese citizens in Southern Lebanon and the Western Beqaa who suffered Israeli aggressions throughout the occupation that has induced substantial losses and social complications and caused a quasi-permanent paralysis of economic activities in the region.
16. Calls on Member States and the international community to extend necessary assistance to the Lebanese citizens in South Lebanon and the Western Beqaa who have been constantly and every day the targets of Israeli aggression throughout the occupation period, thus entailing huge material losses and social hardships leading to a quasi permanent paralysis of the economic activities in the area.
17. Calls also on the Member States to coordinate their efforts regarding the implementation of the resolutions on the subject.
18. Requests the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of this resolution and submit a report thereon to the Thirty-third Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINE
The Thirty-second Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session of Integration and Development), held in Sana’a, Republic of Yemen, from 21-23 Jumada Al Awwal 1426H (28-30 June 2005),
Recalling Resolution No. 25/10-E (IS) adopted by the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference; and Resolution No. 25/31-E adopted by the Thirty-first Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers;
Recalling also Resolution of the Seventh Islamic Summit Conference as well as resolutions of the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st Sessions of the Islamic Conferences of Foreign Ministers;
Noting with great interest the efforts by the Palestinian National Authority in Gaza Strip and West Bank to improve the living conditions of the Palestinian people and to reconstruct the Palestinian national economy;
Having considered the report of the Secretary General on the issue;
1. Expresses its deep appreciation for the assistance extended to the Palestinian people and Authority by some Member States and relevant bodies of the OIC; and calls upon all Member States to continue their support and assistance for their Palestinian brothers to enable them face the difficult conditions they are passing through due to continuous Israeli aggression.
2. Commends the substantial assistance and contributions extended by the people and Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the generosity of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his support of 1,000 families of the martyrs of the Palestinian intifada and notes that Saudi Arabia has paid up all its installments until May 2003 to support the Palestinian Authority in conformity with the Arab League resolution addressed to all Arab countries in support of the Palestinian Authority.
3. Commends the efforts of the Palestinian National Authority in the Palestinian territories to reconstruct what has been destroyed during three consecutive years of Israeli aggression, and calls upon the international community, and monetary and economic institutions to come to the aid of the Palestinian people and assist them to rebuild the destruction caused by the Israeli occupation.
4. Reaffirms the previous resolutions aimed at extending all forms of moral, material, technical and economic support to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian National Authority; and at giving preference to importation of Palestinian products and exempting them from taxes and custom duties.
5. Urges businessmen and investors in Member States to contribute in executing economic, industrial, agricultural and housing projects in the Palestinian territories in order to build the Palestinian national economy and to support the Palestinian National and institutions in the implementation of the coming phases of their development programmes in the economic, social and health fields.
6. Urges Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, in view of the obstacles placed by Israel, to facilitate employment opportunities for the Palestinian labour force, in order to enhance the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people and to eradicate unemployment.
7. Also urges the Member States to conclude bilateral agreements with the Palestinian National Authority in the economic, commercial and social fields in order to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people in their homeland, and expresses its deep appreciation for the assistance extended to the Palestinian people by some Member States to build their national economy in the self rule regions of West Bank and Gaza Strip.
8. Requests the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of this resolution and submit a report thereon to the Thirty-three Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON
The Thirty-second Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session of Integration and Development), held in Sana’a, Republic of Yemen, from 21-23 Jumada Al Awwal 1426H (28-30 June 2005),
Recalling Resolution No. 13/10-E (IS) adopted by the Tenth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference;
Recalling Resolution No. 13/31 -E adopted by the Thirty-first Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers;
Further recalling Israeli aggressions against Lebanon, and the resulting losses of life and property, and their consequences on political and economic conditions in Lebanon;
Appreciating the efforts exerted by the Government of Lebanon to achieve stability and security, establish its authority, reconstruct its country, and provide for the needs of citizens in the territories previously under Israeli occupation;
Taking into account the difficulties faced by the Lebanese citizens in the territories previously occupied by Israel, and in the neighbouring areas;
Having considered the report of the Secretary General on the subject;
1. Expresses its appreciation for the donation made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced at the Donors Conference (Paris 2) of the amount of US$700 million in the form of securities and of purchasing government bonds.
2. Expresses also its appreciation of the assistance extended by some Member States and by the relevant organs of the OIC.
3. Condemns Israeli acts of aggression against public facilities and infrastructures in Lebanon, aimed at obstructing the efforts of reconstruction made by the government of Lebanon. It also condemns the continued Israeli unwillingness to withdraw from parts of the territory of Lebanon, including the Shab’a farms, to the line of the internationally recognized borders of Lebanon.
4. Further condemns Israel for refusing to hand over maps of landmines, which it planted in various agricultural and vital regions of the south and the western Bekaa, which constitutes a grave danger to the lives of civilians and prevents them from leading a normal life. Condemns also Israel for detaining Lebanese detainees in its prisons.
5. Reaffirms its previous Resolutions on the need to provide various forms of financial, material, and humanitarian aid to Lebanon to meet its economic, technical and training needs, and reiterates the appeal to OIC Member States and to international and regional bodies to contribute urgently and effectively to the reconstruction of what was destroyed by Israeli occupation, and to respond positively to the call for a conference of donor states for that purpose.
6. Calls on Member States to grant exceptional facilities to Lebanese products to permit them unhindered access to their markets in support of the Lebanese economy, the mainstay of Lebanese steadfastness and resistance to Israeli aggression.
7. Requests the Secretary General to follow up the implementation of this resolution and submit a report thereon to the Thirty-third Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.
