5 July 2010 - PUIC Desk

Under the patronage of Syrian President His Excellency Dr. Bashar Al Assad and the Chairmanship of H.E. Dr. Mahmud Al Abrash, Speaker of the People’s Assembly of Syria, the First Extraordinary PUIC Conference was held in Damascus, on 30 June 2010, under the slogan “Lifting the Unjust Blockade off Gaza”

The Conference, meeting at the level of Parliament Speakers and attended by thirty-one parliaments, adopted important resolutions.

The Conference stressed that the Palestine cause is the pivotal cause and the essence of the conflict in the Middle East, and that the Member States should adopt a unified Islamic stance in support thereof.

It condemned the unjust Israeli blockade on Gaza as well as the savage attack on the humanitarian assistance convoy. In this context the conference requested the UN Secretary General to implement the Presidential Statement which was adopted by the Security Council on 31 May 2010 about constituting an independent international commission of investigation into this crime.

The Declaration of the Conference also requested the execution of the decisions taken by the OIC Israel-Boycott Bureau, and similar regional organizations pertaining to commodities, persons and companies.

The Declaration requested the UN Security Council to form a special international tribunal for the prosecution of the Israeli leaders, perpetrators of the crime involving the humanitarian aid flotilla.

The Conference asked the Islamic states to continue sending ships which carry medical supplies and building materials, and to exercise pressure in order to open all crossings permanently for the movement of people and goods.

The Declaration emphasized that severance of diplomatic and economic relations with the Zionist entity is the most effective means for punishing it. It requested those states which have diplomatic or economic relations with Israel to reconsider them.

The Conference approved the imperative of dispatching an urgent humanitarian assistance convoy to the besieged Gaza people with the participation of the PUIC Members of Parliaments.

The Conference also approved the formation of a Committee to follow up and implement its resolutions to be chaired by the Speaker of the People’s Assembly of Syria and membership of two representatives from each geographic group.

The Conference expressed thanks and praise to the people, Assembly and government of the Syrian Arab Republic for taking the initiative to convene this extraordinary conference and paid special tribute to His Excellency President Bashar Al Assad for patronizing the Conference.