NAM/FM/Committee/Palestine/Statement
26 September 2003

 * Statement of the
Ministerial Committee on Palestine
of the Non-Aligned Movement 

 NEW YORK, 26 SEPTEMBER 2003 

1.             The Ministers affirmed their adherence to the positions on Palestine adopted by the XIIIth NAM Summit, detailed in its main document, as the guidelines for the Members of the Movement as well as their adherence to the positions set forth in the statement on Palestine, including with regard to recent events and positions on practical steps to be taken by the Members of the Movement in this regard. 

2.            The Ministers expressed their grave concern at the further deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the continuing downward spiral to a near-catastrophic situation.  They condemned the continuing and escalating Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people, including the reported war crimes.  They condemned in particular the willful killing of civilians, including extrajudicial executions, and the continuing settler colonialism as well as the building of the expansionist wall.  The Ministers also condemned in particular the Israeli threats against the safety and freedom of President Yasser Arafat and expressed their solidarity with the President of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian leadership and stressed the necessity for ending these threats.  They welcomed the overwhelming adoption of General Assembly resolution ES-10/X on 19 September 2003 and called for scrupulous compliance with its provisions. 

3.            The Ministers expressed their deep regret that the Road Map had largely not been implemented.  They noted with concern the fact that the Israeli government had never formally accepted the Road Map, attached several reservations to it and failed to take the necessary first step in adherence with its obligations therein.  They called for an intensification of efforts by the Quartet and for the full and honest implementation of the Road Map. 

 4.            The Ministers affirmed the important role, as well as the responsibility, of the Security Council vis-à-vis the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  They affirmed that the Security Council could and should play a central role in this regard, including by providing strong support for the Road Map and by requiring the two sides to comply with and implement its provisions in addition to establishing a monitoring mechanism. 

5.            The Ministers expressed their support for the proposal of a comprehensive Security Council resolution in line with the Road Map, which would also set forth positions on the components of a final settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as well as establish an effective international presence or monitoring mechanism.  In this regard, the Ministers expressed their belief that such a draft resolution would be best pursued through broad consultations with Members of the Security Council, including examining its adoption under Chapter 7 in a way that would ensure the smooth and timely proceeding of the peace process and ensure the implementation by the two sides of their respective obligations towards the final destination of two States based on the line of 1967. 

6.            The Ministers expressed their support for the idea that, in addition to the existing set of United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Palestine, the work during the 58^th session should also focus on the expansionist Israeli wall, which has involved the confiscation and destruction of thousands more dunums of Palestinian land, the isolation of Palestinian cities, towns and villages and the destruction of the lives of thousands of Palestinian civilians and which continues to be built by the occupying Power.  The Ministers affirmed the importance of and called for the application of legal remedies in accordance with provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention and other relevant instruments without impunity to war crimes committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.  The Ministers also reiterated that Israel’s representation in the General Assembly must be in conformity with international law and called for ensuring that the Israeli credentials to the United Nations do not cover the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including East Jerusalem.   

7.            The Ministers stressed the important role to be played by the Movement and entrusted the Chair to lead the efforts of the Movement with regard to the question of Palestine and peace in the region. They expressed their appreciation to the Members of the Committee on Palestine.  They further instructed their Permanent Representatives to continuously follow up with such issues related to the United Nations. 

New York

26 September 2003

 *       This Statement was adopted by the Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Non-Aligned Movement, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on 26 September 2003.