ISTANBUL PUIC DECLARATION
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY - 17 MUHARRAM 1430H (14 JANUARY 2009)
adoted by the
OPEN ENDED EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE PUIC (Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE at the level of Speakers:
"A UNIFIED POSITION OF OIC MEMBER PARLIAMENTS IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE AGAINST AGGRESSION AND WAR CRIMES COMMITTED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA STRIP”
ISTANBUL DECLARATION
ADOPTED BY THE
OPEN ENDED EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE PUIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT THE LEVEL OF SPEAKERS OF ON " A UNIFIED POSITION OF OIC MEMBER PARLIAMENTS IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE AGAINST AGGRESSION AND WAR CRIMES COMMITTED BY ISRAEL IN GAZA STRIP”
ISTANBUL – REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
17 MUHARRAM 1430H
(14 JANUARY 2009)
The Open-ended Extraordinary Meeting of the PUIC Executive Committee at the level of Speakers of Parliaments held on 14 January 2009, corresponding to 17 Muharram 1430H in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, taking into consideration the world wide popular outcries caused by Israel's aggression and violation of the human rights in the Gaza Strip;
Recalling the principles and objectives enshrined in the Charters of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and also Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States and pursuant to the Organization’s resolutions on the Cause of Palestine and the city of Al Quds;
Referring to and taking into account the Final Communiqué of the Expanded Extraordinary Meeting of the Executive Committee of the OIC at the Level of Foreign Ministers on 3 January 2009 in Jeddah;
Having noted the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1860 of 8 January 2009, which Israel ought to implement immediately, as well as the resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 12 January, 2009,
Highly praising the resilience and determination of the Palestinian people in the face of Israeli aggression, and affirming support for their just struggle to regain their inalienable rights, including the right to return and self-determination and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine, with Al Quds as its capital,
Reaffirming that the occupied Palestinian territories, encompassing Gaza Strip and the West Bank including the city of Al Quds, constitute a single geographical unit,
Having listened to the speeches and interventions of the Honorable Speakers and Heads of Delegation and the PUIC Secretary General;
1. Strongly condemns the Israeli aggressions and war crimes against the unarmed Palestinian people in Gaza Strip, and the use of all lethally, including internationally banned, weapons, killing and injuring of thousands of peoples and caused colossal destruction of homes, civilian facilities, infrastructure and places of worship as a blatant violation of the various international laws, resolutions, conventions and agreements. It holds responsible those States which provide Israel with these weapons.
2. Demands immediate cessation of Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip and the establishment of cease fire and the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip, and calls for the lifting of the blockade, unconditionally and permanently, including the opening of crosses as well as sea and air corridors in order to facilitate the delivery of necessary assistance. It also holds Israel responsible for the rehabilitation and the reconstruction of Gaza Strip.
3. Exhorts all parliaments of the world to take the necessary steps to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and urges their respective governments to exert pressure on Israel to put an end to its aggression in Palestine. Also calls on the national parliaments of the Member States which have established parliamentary friendship committees with the Israeli Knesset to dissolve these committees.
4. Emphasizes that the safety and protection of the civilian population is imperative and of the highest priority, expresses its determination to undertake all the necessary steps to assist the Palestinian people, specially in Gaza Strip, for the flow of unimpeded assistance, and in this context mandates the PUIC Secretary General to intensify the efforts with organizations of the civil society in order to collect financial contributions from them as well as from Member Parliaments to provide urgent assistance to the people in Gaza Strip, highlights the role played by the States and regional and international organizations, and calls on them to extend more assistance in order to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people who are the rightful owners of the land.
5. Requests the international community and all relevant organizations and institutions, specially United Nations which their creditability on the stake addressing the Israeli aggression, to constitute an International Fact-finding Mission to investigate Israel’s unprecedented violations of human rights and the International Humanitarian Laws and bring the culprits as war criminals before the International Court.
6. Affirms its categorical rejection of any solutions or settlements that lead to the protection of Israel through prejudicing the sovereignty, interests or security of any State in the region, including the conspiracy of the alternative homeland and considers this a flagrant violation of the principles of the sovereignty and independence of the region and States of the entire Islamic World.
7. Calls loudly for considering the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip as a strong justification for applying the principles of international legality and its resolutions relevant to the Palestinian cause and the entire Arab Israeli conflict.
8. Appeals to the Palestinian factions to unify their ranks and achieve national consensus immediately to ensure national Palestinian Unity.
9. Warns Israel from resorting again to the use of force or threaten to use force in the Northern Front bordering Lebanon and Syria especially that Israel has carried out many war maneuvers in preparation for a possible aggression. Israel has deployed thousands of soldiers and innumerable tanks and armored cars on the southern borders of Lebanon. Furthermore Israeli warplanes constantly violate the Lebanese airspace. Israel has even intensified these violations simultaneously with the war on Gaza Strip.
10. Requests the national parliaments of the OIC Member States to urge their respective governments to coordinate their efforts in order to strengthen the means and abilities of the Palestinian people to continue their just struggle to regain their inalienable national rights.
11. Calls on the international communities to exercise pressure on Israel as the force of occupation to immediately release all the Palestinian parliamentarians in particular the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council Dr. Aziz Al Duwaik, as well as other detained Palestinian deputies.
12. Records with satisfaction the popular uprisings in all parts of the world to denounce the savage Israeli aggression, support the heroic resistance in dignified Gaza, and requests to sensitize world humanitarian conscience.
13. Forcefully hails the steadfastness of the valiant people in Gaza Strip for their confrontation of the destructive machine and their heroism, thus proving that the Ummah is able to face the challenge.
14. Decides to assign an executive group in coordination with the PUIC Secretary General to contact influential international stakeholders including the United Nations with a view to ending Israel’s aggression on Gaza Strip and resolving the attendant humanitarian crisis.
15. Mandates the Secretary General to submit a report on implementation of this Declaration to Member Parliaments every three months from the date of its adoption.
16. The PUIC expresses its thanks and appreciation to the Republic of Turkey for hosting this Extraordinary Meeting and highly praises the stand of this great, kind and hospitable country, people parliament and government in supporting the steadfast Palestinian people.