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International Conference - Geneva, May 26 to 28, 2006


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Final Declaration
logo conference geneve 2006
European Coordination of Committees and associations for Palestine (ECCP)
&
Collectif Urgence Palestine - Genève

During these three days our proceedings have led us to reevaluate:

  • The catastrophic situation in which the Palestinian population of the Occupied Territories –West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem- lives.
  • The question of refugees and of their right of return.
  • The situation of the Palestinian political prisoners

We condemn the countries of the European Union who followed the United States in their policy of sanctions against the democratically elected government of the Palestinian Authority and we are mobilizing to obtain the immediate resumption of the financial aid and the full cooperation with the Palestinian government.

We call upon the European Union and the United Nations – and we will act accordingly - to respect the commitments made in New York during the UN General Assembly of July 20, 2004 in order to enforce the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of July 9, 2004 stating clearly that Israel must cease the construction of the wall, must dismantle it and must pay compensation to the populations who suffered because of it, and to apply all relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions of the United Nations.

This forms the legal, international framework on which the inalienable rights of the entire Palestinian people are based, including their right of return (resolution 194).

We request Switzerland, depositary state of the Geneva Conventions, and in particular of the fourth Convention, to ask the High contracting parties to honor their commitments and to request that Israel fulfills its obligations under International humanitarian law. This call also seeks to persuade Switzerland to fulfill its follow-up mandate to enforce the GA ES-10/15 resolution, supported by all European countries, endorsing the ICJ advisory opinion. .

Our action, based on international law that guarantees the right of a sovereign state for the Palestinian people, brings us to condemn the Israeli government that opposes this fundamental right.

We will continue our actions so that political and economic sanctions, among which the suspension of the association agreements between the EU and Israel and the stop of all military cooperation (in particular arms sales) will:

  • bring the Israeli government to comply with international law, human rights and humanitarian law;
  • contribute to putting an end to the occupation and the colonization of Palestine.

We support the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) call signed by 170 Palestinian organizations and associations and we support the civil society demonstrations aimed at bringing pressure on governments and the international community to compel Israel to obey international law.

We adopted the call of the European social movements and the findings of the "Palestine" seminars that were largely discussed at the European Social Forum in Athens on 5-7 May 2006 and at the international conference held in Geneva on 26-28 May 2006.

In particular:

  1. a demonstration on 29 June in Brussels, to request the European Union to change its decision to suspend its financial aid to the Palestinian government;
  2. to send immediately a petition letter to Javier Solana, that the committees will forward to the Foreign Affairs minister of all member states in the days preceding their European summit of 15 June;
  3. national demonstrations on 7, 8 and 9 July:
    - to recall the ICJ advisory opinion condemning the construction of the wall,
    - to ask the restoration of the European aid to the Palestinian government, underlining that the suspension of the aid puts sanctions upon the occupied Palestinians and not upon the Israeli occupation.
  4. national demonstrations against the apartheid wall, highlighting the situation of Jerusalem, the week of 9-16 November 2006;
  5. renewal of the civil missions and youth camps in Palestine to prevent isolation of the Palestinian population in the Occupied Territories and to show our active solidarity;
  6. maintain actions in defense of Palestinian prisoners and the demand for their release.

Finally, we welcomed the visit to our international conference of Sheikh Tayseer R. Tamimi, Chief Islamic Judge and participant to the national dialogue negotiations. We support the initiative for Palestinian National Unity, based on the 18-point plan, drafted by senior Palestinian militants imprisoned in Israel, and that has received the support of the highest political and religious authorities of Palestine.

 


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> Final declaration - printable [Word]


 

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