The Conference of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States, held its Third Session in Dakar, 17 - 18 Muharram 1425, corresponding to 9-10  March 2004, under the high patronage of H.E. Mr. Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, and at the kind invitation of Mr. Pape Diop, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Senegal and President of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, underscores the following issues:

The Conference while recalling all its previous resolutions, appreciates the resolutions adopted by the Tenth Session of the Executive Committee and the Sixth Session of the Council of the Union, and adopts the documents submitted by the Egyptian and Lebanese delegations, as well as puts on record the necessary stands on the issues under review.

First: Political issues

Al-Quds Al-Sharif, Palestine and other occupied territories in Syria and Lebanon:

1. The Conference followed, with deep concern, firm rejection and stern condemnation, the situation facing the Palestinian people including assassinations directed by planes, missiles and tanks, collective punishment, demolition of houses, bulldozing of lands, uprooting of trees, and the resulting dire consequences for both man and the environment, perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces, together with the settlers, as well as,  the confiscation of funds legitimately deposited in banks, the escalation of aggression and continuing siege of the Palestinian people and their legitimate and elected President Yasser Arafat. It urges the Member States to strive to lift this siege immediately and stand in firm solidarity with the  Palestinian President.

2. The Conference strongly condemns the Israeli settlement policy that contravenes all international conventions and agreements, and which has taken a very dangerous turn lately by building the racist Separation Wall that will usurp more than half the lands of the West Bank, isolate the Palestinian people in reservations and cantons, prevent citizens from reaching their farms and work places, the students from getting to their schools and institutes, confiscate 80% of their water resources and dash any hope for the establishment of the Palestinian independent state on the national Palestinian soil, with Al-Quds Asharif as its capital .

3. The Conference also strongly condemns the attempt made by the occupation authorities view to alter the legal and demographic reality of the Arab Al-Quds, surround it with a chain of settlements attempt to isolate it from its Arab environment; continue excavations underneath the Al-Qudsi Haram and its perimeter which resulted lately in the collapse of part of the road leading to Al- Buraq Wall. The international community, in general, and the Islamic states in particular are called upon to act in earnest so as to commit the Israeli occupation government to comply with the relevant international resolutions and the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Agreement and accords signed by both parties.

4. The Conference affirms the necessity of upholding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to return in accordance with the UN resolution No. 194 and their rejection of the attempts for all forms of settlement, and their right to sovereignty, independence and the establishment of their independent state with the Arab Al-Quds as its capital, on their national soil. The Conference demands the Israeli withdrawal from all the occupied Arab territories in Palestine, the Syrian Golan and the Lebanese Shabaa Farms to the 4th of June 1967 borders in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy 242, 338,425, the Madrid Reference and the Principle of Land for Peace.

5. The Conference calls for total support for the valiant struggle of the Palestinian people, their Intifida and legitimate resistance to occupation, and stresses the importance of effectively implementing the resolutions of Arab and Islamic Summit conferences relevant to the support of Palestinian  people by all means possible; and further calls for the adoption of an Arab Islamic plan to counter the Zionist design through appropriate means  that are commensurate with the changes that were developed at the level of the media, and based on rules and  principles of international law and  human rights.

6. The Conference underlines the necessity for reactivating the various aspects of coordination of Arab and Islamic stands on the Palestinian cause  and calls on the Parliaments and Assemblies in Arab and Islamic states to strengthen their efforts supportive of the Palestinian people’s  steadfastness. It also calls on them to enact legislations to commit their respective governments to allocate a small portion of their annual budgets  to support the Palestinian Intifada.

7. The Conference hails the Palestinian and Arab prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons and detention camps, among whom are members of the  National Council and the Legislative Council, and underlines the importance of taking action by all possible means to release them.

8. The Conference welcomes international efforts aimed at revitalizing the peace process in the region through the Arab Initiative of Beirut Summit  and the Road Map, and requests the international community to direct these efforts so as to include both the Syrian and Lebanese tracks.

9. The Conference condemns the Syria Accountability Act, as it constitutes a blatant intervention in the internal affairs of an independent country, and further condemns the vicious Israeli aggression on the Syrian territories in early October 2003.

10. The Conference rejects the Greater Middle East Plan, which is considered as interference in the internal affairs of the States of the region, and an attempt to achieve hegemony aimed at controlling the potentialities of peoples. It reaffirms that the process of reform and development is the responsibility of the peoples and States of the region, who should decide on the adoption of the best forms of reform and its framework.

11. The Conference calls for making the whole Middle East region a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons.

12. The Conference confirms its stand and support to the efforts of Sudan to achieve peace and preserve its territorial integrity. Situation in Iraq and Restoration by the Iraqi people of their Political and Economic Sovereignty and the Restructuring of Independent Iraq:

The Conference, while expressing its concern over the prevailing situation in Iraq, declares the following:

13. Condemns strongly the occupation of Iraq and calls for the withdrawal of the forces of occupation as soon as possible;

14. Regrets the deterioration of living conditions in Iraq, particularly as concerns food, health and housing;

15. Urgently demands the occupying forces, which are responsible for the safety of the people living in Iraq, to put an end to the aggressions against  civilians and find out the culprits

16. Calls for the preservation of the territorial integrity, independence land, political and economic sovereignty of Iraq;

17. Calls on the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and other international organizations as well as all Member States of  the Union, in particular the neighboring countries of Iraq, to provide help for the reconstruction of Iraq, to express their solidarity with the Iraqi  people, and examine the issue of the debt of this country;

18. Re-asserts the right of the Iraqis to choose freely their political regime, their constitution and their leaders;

19. Calls for the preservation of the Iraqi cultural heritage and the exploitation of the resources of the country for the exclusive benefit of the Iraqi  people;

20. Calls on civil society organizations around the world, in particular those in the Islamic world, to support the Iraqi people in their struggle to  recover their sovereignty which has been usurped by the occupying forces. Combating terrorism under the umbrella of the UN and reconfirming the legitimate right to resist occupation and foreign aggression by all individual and collective means according to Article 51 of the UN Charter and further documents and measures of liquidation of colonialism and racism. Pursuant to the Islamic values which prohibit the killing of innocent people and affirm respect for the dignity of Man and his right to life.

21. The Conference condemns all forms and manifestations of terrorism including state terrorism. It also affirms that foreign occupation is the apogee and most heinous form of terrorism.

22. The Conference supports the call to convene an international conference to define terrorism and distinguish between the latter and the legitimate right of people to struggle for the liberation of their territories from occupation and restoration of their rights.

23. The Conference rejects all attempts aimed at establishing a link between terrorism and Islam.

24. The Conference reaffirms that the terrorism is a global phenomenon without religion or home. The Conference calls for doubling international efforts to

Eliminate terrorism.

25. The Conference stresses that this will be achieved only when all states ratify and implement international accords on combating terrorism as well as through the coordination of international effort under the supervision of the United Nations to eliminate its causes.

26. The Conference stresses its categorical rejection of utilizing the combating of terrorism as a pretext to restrict the enjoyment of human rights and  carry out actions that are in conflict with the international law such as imprisonment without trial, cultural blackmail, including changing  educational curricula, imposing coercive economic measures, murdering innocent people and restricting the activities of Islamic charitable  institutions.

27. The Conference calls for rejecting the policy of double standards and selectivity in the application of international law which is practiced by  some powers since it promotes a feeling of frustration among some sectors of people and help to spread the phenomenon of terrorism.

28. The Conference condemns the acts of terrorism perpetrated by the Zionist forces of occupation against the Palestinian people, their institutions  and properties and requests the international community to take immediate measures to halt them.

29. The Conference condemns and denounces  the highly biased media campaign against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Islamic  countries since the 9/11 events aimed at slandering Islam.

30. The Conference also condemns and denounces the assassination of the former Chechen President Salim Khan Yanderbaiv in Doha on 13 February 2004 and considers it a criminal act that contradicts religious, moral and human values.

The Conference stresses its solidarity with the sisterly State of Qatar and supports all measures taken, and will be taken to discover the circumstances
surrounding this criminal act and to preserve security and stability. The Conference further condemns all terrorist actions, which have taken place in some Islamic countries and resulted in the loss of innocent people and material damage.

The Conference while following the conditions of the Muslim community in the West:

31. Calls for reconsidering the law on prohibiting religious symbols in France because it jeopardizes the religious freedoms of persons.

32. Expresses its solidarity and condolences to all Muslim states, which have been afflicted with natural disasters recently and recommends sending  telegrams of condolences to the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

33. Proposes the creation of an Islamic Solidarity Fund to finance activities of interdependence (takaful) and solidarity among Islamic states during times of disaster. Supporting the efforts aimed at establishing sustainable dialogue between Islamic and Western Parliamentarians:
While commending the efforts of the General Secretariat of the PUIC which aims at promoting dialogue among Parliaments,

34. Expresses its deep concern about the lack of sustainable and intensive contacts between parliamentarians of the western and Islamic worlds, which results in ignorance, and therefore, bias detrimental to real and sincere cooperation based on mutual knowledge and understanding at these times which are characterized by distrust and incapsulation.

35. Firmly believes in the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a factor of rapprochement, cooperation and mutual enrichment which can  contribute to ensure a better knowledge of the real image of the Islamic message as a message of tolerance, peace, love and progress while  recognizing the right of all to security and to preserve this right.

36. Calls the Islamic States to resolve their bilateral differences through dialogue, deemed as a civilized method, and in this respect recalls the  previous resolutions of the Union and encourages all initiatives and efforts exerted in this regard.

37. Attaches great interest in establishing sustainable, open, constructive and creditworthy dialogue among member Parliaments of the Union on  the one hand, and Parliamentary Unions in the Western world, on the other.

38. Wishes to extend this dialogue to include also the Parliamentary Unions of Asian countries where fairly large Muslim communities coexist with members of other religious beliefs.

39. Proposes, in this respect, that all sides adopt an appropriate discourse based on moderation, restraint, tolerance, open-mindedness and mutual  respect;

40. Proposes also the institution of an appropriate mechanism and special channels for permanent dialogue and various forms of interaction specially in the cultural field, and based on the real facts of world civilizations and common values while stressing, at the same time, the values that bring people together and unite them rather those which divide them. That mechanism might be:
a) either an inter- parliamentary forum on dialogue among cultures and mutual understanding – a forum which could be held annually and bring together parliamentarians with different cultural backgrounds to deal with specific themes selected by mutual consent, in order to generate a process  of reflection aimed providing an opportunity for better understanding through discovering the realities of each other.
b) or symposia on issues of common interest which may promote dialogue among civilizations, mutual understanding and respect, cultural diversity and love between peoples.

41. Proposes the establishment of an Islamic Information Center, which must be a focal point for disseminating cultural, political, economic, social  and other messages for the purpose of offering to Muslim populations and to the rest of the world a vision of Islam devoid of manifestations of  falsehood and distortion.

42. Proposes also to examine the idea of creating an institute of inter- parliamentary dialogue,

43. Approves the initiative taken by the Secretary General of the Union to contact the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in order to establish a sustainable dialogue with it, and encourages him to pursue this kind of initiative.

44. The Conference decides to establish a focal point to be initially composed of the Presidential Troika (Morocco, Senegal and Turkey) to contact the Western Parliamentary side to principally agree on establishing sustainable dialogue between Muslim and Western Parliamentarians. In a later stage, an agreement may be reached to establish the frameworks, mechanisms, Agenda of the dialogue as well as the frequency of holding its meetings. This shall be done with the participation of the Union’s Secretary General.

SECOND: ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

45. The Conference calls on Member Parliaments to take the following measures:
• To develop the means of production, upgrade equipments and mobilize scientific and technological capabilities.
• To reduce armament expenditures and allocate part of the budgets to development
• International Agreements (Agricultural, Trade and Industrial) should not run counter to the interests of developing countries, while alleviating the
restrictions imposed on these developing countries.
• To earnestly seek to establish the Islamic Common Market aimed at achieving effective economic cooperation among Islamic States.
• To facilitate the exchange of information, economic data and feasibility studies among Islamic Member States.
• To consider the possibility of coordinating customs policies among Islamic Member states.
• To invite Islamic economists and thinkers to probe and identify the principal causes behind the sluggish economic integration among Islamic
States.
• To encourage and attract Islamic capital to investment in Islamic Countries.
• To enact the necessary legislations in each country, with a view to facilitating the transit, exchange, and the free movement of commodities among Islamic countries.
• To encourage the regular organization of industrial and agricultural fairs among Islamic states.
• To formulate an economic vision that combines the notion of free market with that of ensuring equilibrium prices.
• The Union supports bilateral and regional economic partnership among Islamic States, particularly the NEPAD.

THIRD: CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States, Recalling UN General Assembly Resolution 56/6 of November 2001, Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (ICFM) Resolution No. 13/26-C of June-July 1999, OIC Summit resolution14/9 of November 2000, ICFM resolution 3/28 of June  2001 and ICFM resolution 3/30. Expressing deep conviction of the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and that Islamic parliaments represent the hearts and minds and conscience of Islamic peoples. The Conference calls on Islamic Parliaments to play a prominent and influential role in the dialogue among civilizations, and counter prejudiced Media campaigns against Islam through the following recommendations:
• To consolidate and promote dialogue among member peoples, and that Islamic dialogue be fruitful and efficient. To invite all national Parliaments to play an active role in implementing the Global Agenda on Dialogue Among Civilizations of the UN resolution 56/6(2001). To urge all Member Parliaments to strengthen cooperation and coordinate with other parliamentary organizations with a view to attaining the common objectives for consolidating peace and justice the world over.
• To take speedy action through efficient mechanisms with a view to correcting the image of Muslims in the West.
• To recommend establishing a focal point for dialogue affiliated to the Union in each Parliament so as to take the appropriate initiatives in coordination with their respective governments and other participating institutions with a view to promoting culture and the spirit of dialogue. 
• To harmonize and accommodate dialogues at both the official and popular levels, with a view to integrating the dialogue of regimes and political authorities with their peoples.
• The Union supports the initiative of Senegal to convene the World Conference on Islamic-Christian Dialogue to be held in September 2005 in Dakar.
• To condemn the Israeli occupation authorities in Palestine for destroying the heritage and cultural foundations. To also condemn the excavation
works under the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Third of Harams, so as to build the alleged Temple, while destroying the old city (Nablus) so as to obliterate its cultural heritage and artistic architecture.
• To enhance awareness among young generations as well as among all sectors of Islamic communities of the characteristics of Islam, represented by tolerance and moderation, and rejecting fanaticism, bias and terrorism.
• To coordinate between the initiatives of some Islamic countries to establish centers and institutions for dialogue among cultures and civilizations.