Arab Inter-parliamentary Union - News
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Arab Inter-parliamentary Union - News |
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Euro - Arab Parliamentary Dialogue
Introduction The 22nd Conference of the Euro-Arab Parliamentary Dialogue convened in the Belgian Senate and Chamber of Representatives on 21 and 22 June 2002. The Conference was jointly organized by the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliamentary Association for Euro-Arab Cooperation. Parliamentarians from 16 Arab parliaments and 13 European national parliaments and the European Parliament participated in the Conference. Representatives from the European Commission, from UNRWA and the WEU attended as observers. The participants expressed their deep thanks and gratitude to the Belgian government and Parliament, in particular to the Speaker of the Senate, Mr Armand De Decker, and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Herman De Croo, for their warm hospitality and for the excellent organization of the Conference which contributed to the success of their Dialogue. They also thanked the European Commission for its financial contribution.On The Middle East Peace Process Most of the interventions in the conference centered on the tragic events in the Middle East and the deterioration of the situation over the last 21 months due to the continuation of the illegal Israeli occupation. The question is whether Israel wants to coexist with its Arab neighbours. As things stand today, with the deterioration of the situation, both the future of the Palestinian people and the security of the Israeli people are at stake.The participants reaffirmed the principles on which an enduring peace must be based on:
The question of the Israeli settlements has progressively undermined the Peace Process. The participants appealed to the relevant international bodies to bear pressure on Israel for immediate cessation of violence and the continuous trampling of basic human rights. They considered it legitimate for these bodies to exert political and economic pressures to obtain implementation by Israel of all relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. The participants welcomed and supported the Saudi Arabian initiative endorsed by the Arab Summit in Beirut. Until a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem is reached, according to UN Resolution 194 the participants called for the provision of the necessary financial means to UNRWA. The participants considered that the final settlement of the Middle East Conflict should include the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Golan and South Lebanon. The Conference stresses the importance of the European role and called for a stronger commitment and more practical measures from the part of Europe. Iraq The participants called on the international community in conjunction with a representative of the Arab world, possibly the League of Arab States, to remove the sanctions imposed on Iraq at the earliest possible, mostly with a view to alleviate the negative humanitarian aspects and the deleterious effects its is having on old people, children and women, and to pave the way for the normalisation of relations of Iraq with international community. They expressed their concern about the threats against Iraq and any other country in the region. Iraq And Kuwait The participants welcome the rapprochement between Kuwait and Iraq and called on the international community and organisations to encourage both parties to proceed towards a final settlement of their grievances, in particular concerning the unaccounted for Kuwaiti and other persons in accordance with the UN Resolutions. Sudan The participants called for the intensification of ongoing measures by the international community to achieve a peaceful settlement of the question of south Sudan. Libya The participants acknowledged the gradual integration and participation of the Arab Libyan Jamahariya into the Euro-Mediterranean Process, and called for the immediate complete lifting of the remaining non-UN sanctions. Economic Co-Operation Conscious of the inevitable economic interdependency of Europe and the Arab world the Conference recommended strengthening of such co-operation through:
Cultural Co-Operation The participants acknowledged the importance of cultural diversity of all peoples and considered this diversity as a basis for enriching human knowledge. They condemned the attempted linkage between Islam, Arabs and terrorism. Follow Up Committee The conference has proposed the creation of a “Follow-up Committee of the Euro-Arab Parliamentary Dialogue”. The committee would consist of six members (two Members of Parliament from each side, plus the two Secretaries General of the AIPU and the PAEAC. The committee’s task shall be :
Addendum The participants stated that terrorism is a universal phenomenon which should be condemned and combated. They called for increased cooperation to eradicate it and include it as a major axis into the Euro-Arab Dialogue. Brussels, 20-23 June 2002 |
