We, Members of delegation of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC), participating in the proceedings of the 13th Session of the PUIC Council held in Abu Dhabi, State of the United Arab Emirates on 13 Safar, 1432AH, corresponding to 18 January, 2011 AD, having discussed the developments and the challenges facing the Islamic World included in the Agenda of this Session, declare as follows:-

FIRST: THE PALESTINE ISSUE

1-    Stress that the Palestinian issue, which is the core of the Middle East conflict, should remain the main issue towards which Member States should take a unified Islamic position in international forums with a view to safeguarding the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, particularly creating an independent Palestinian State, on the soil of Palestine, with the city of Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

2-    Confirm recognition by Member States of the independent State Palestine, with the borders of territories occupied on the 4th of June, 1967, with the city of Al Quds as its capital. And request immediate application of this recognition by the OIC Member States to raise the level of relations with the Palestinian State at the embassy level. Furthermore, request the international community to recognize this independent Palestine State, as well as request the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution recognizing the independent Palestine State.

3-    Condemn aggressions committed, and still being committed, by Israeli occupation authorities in Palestine, particularly in Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of many innocent people. And demand penalizing Israeli officials for all war crimes they committed in Gaza Strip. Also condemn continuation of the isolation and siege imposed upon the Palestinian people, and the repressive Israeli measures, such as assassination, detention, demolition of houses, bulldozing of lands, constructing settlements and the separation wall and putting up roadblocks on the roads between the West Bank and Gaza cities and villages, which proves that the measures of blockading and starving the Palestinian people is a systematic operation carried out by the Israeli authorities in order to empty and disperse inhabitants of the Palestinian territories. Call for wide ranging moves to put a total end to the land, sea and air blockade. Also demands quick action to finalize rebuilding operations of Gaza Strip and remove the effects of the barbaric Israeli aggression.

4-    Stress the importance of supporting the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and their heroic struggle and determination to face the Israeli aggression so as to restore all their occupied territories and abort the idea of the alternative homeland which does not only constitute a flagrant violation of the right of the Palestine people to their homeland, Palestine, but also an infringement of the principle of the sovereignty of the States of the region. Further call upon all Palestinian factions to put an end to their rift, bring about a national reconciliation, close ranks and unify positions with a view to realizing national goals, including the right of all Palestinians to return to their homeland.

5-    Strongly denounce continued excavation and demolition works executed by Israeli occupation forces beneath and in the vicinity of Al Aqsa mosque, as this constitutes a flagrant infringement of Islamic sanctities and of the status of Al-Quds Al Sharif. Also call upon the United Nations and the international community to assume their full legal and moral responsibilities and exercise all forms of pressure on Israel to put an end to its illegitimate practices. Totally reject all Israeli measures targeting the Arab and the Islamic Identity of Al-Quds aimed at Judaizing it. Further declaring the formation of a Standing Parliamentary Committee on the issue of Palestine that seeks the best ways to thwart Israeli plans aimed at Judaizing the city in coordination with the OIC Al-Quds Committee.

6-    Also strongly denounce the Israeli expansionist settlement policy and stress the importance of discontinuing construction of settlements as well as legislative and administrative measures aimed at changing the legal and demographic status of Al-Quds in violation of principles of the international law and resolutions of international legitimacy. Request the UN Security Council to take quick action to remove Israeli settlements by virtue of the UN Security Council Resolution No. 465 and emphasize the right of Palestinians to return to their lands from which they were dispersed.

7-    Demand the quick release of all Palestinian detained and other Arabs and Muslims in Israeli prisons, including Palestinian parliamentarians, as constitutes their detention laws a flagrant violation of all international charters and conventions. And request the United Nations and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to take decisive measures to pressurize Israel to release them.

8-    Call upon the Quartet and the international community to act in order to stop settlement and seriously move to end Israeli occupation of all occupied Arab territories. Stress support to all political and media activities aimed at promoting the Palestinian cause in Member States and others.

SECOND:  SYRIAN ARAB GOLAN

9.     Reaffirm support for Syria’s right to restore the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, and praise the steadfastness of the Syrian citizens in the Golan and for upholding to their land and their Syrian Arab identity. Also stress that Israelis decision to impose its laws and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan is null and contrary to international laws.

THIRD: LEBANON

10.    Reaffirm Lebanon’s legitimate right of resistance in order to complete liberation of the occupied Lebanese territories and hail Arab and Islamic efforts being exerted to achieve national reconciliation among the Lebanese as the only way to solve complicated problems and put Lebanon on the road to stability and progress.

FOURTH:  PEACEFUL USE OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

11.    Reaffirm all countries right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including their policies relating to the nuclear fuel cycle according to NPT and express our concern over the restrictions imposed by some States on international cooperation in the fields of research and transfer of equipment, material and technology required for peaceful use of nuclear energy. Those restrictions contradict the 4th Article of the NPT. Renounce the escalation of pressures and threats mounted anywhere to deny this legitimate right and underline the need for settling differences through peaceful diplomatic channels and denounce strongly Israeli terrorist operations which targeted a number of Iranian nuclear scientists.

FIFTH:  CLEARING THE MIDDLE EAST FROM WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

12.    Express concern over the Israeli nuclear capabilities and threats and affirm the necessity of getting Israel to open its nuclear facilities and program in line with the rules applied by the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as the necessity of acceding to the NPT and clearing the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction considering this as constituting a basis for security and stability in the Middle East, enabling the avoidance of exercising double standards in international interaction.

SIXTH: - IRAQ

13.    Express our satisfaction over the success of the election process that resulted in the formation of a national unity government expected to materialize the aspirations of the Iraqis ending the occupation and promoting independence, national sovereignty and establishing peace throughout Iraq. Call upon the Member States to support the Iraqi governments’ efforts to restore security and stability, achieve national reconciliation and restoring Iraq’s full sovereignty, and welcome the decisions of a number of governments of Member Parliaments to resume the functioning of their diplomatic missions in Iraq. Also call on the other of Member States to open or re-open their embassies and diplomatic missions in Baghdad.

SEVENTH: SUDAN

14.    Express our understanding of the Sudanese people’s options as expressed through the referendum, and reaffirms solid standing by the side of the Sudan against all external threats and maintains solidarity with Sudan in defending its sovereignty, security, stability and unity. Highly appreciate the efforts of the State of Qatar and the joint mediation of the United Nations, the African Union, the League of Arab States and the OIC for establishing peace in Darfur, and invite the international community to fulfill all its declared commitments to realize just and comprehensive peace in the Sudan.

EIGHTH: COMBATING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

15.    Condemn the phenomenon of terrorism and confirm that it contradicts the teachings of the Islamic Faith that call for tolerance, mercy and rejection of violence and prohibit all forms of aggression, especially killing of humans, regardless of color, religion and race and reject politically-motivated attempts to unfairly draw a link between Islam and any Muslim State, on one hand and terrorism on the other, and call for holding an international conference to define the concept of terrorism and draw up a code of conduct among countries. Reaffirm support for the initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, to establish an international center for combating terrorism.

NINTH: SOMALIA

16.    Welcome the success of the election process and call for supporting the legitimate government in order to be able to maintain Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, restoring security and stability to the country, being a basic step to restore stability to the Horn of Africa. Call for the immediate cessation of piracy activities which have become a menace to security, peace and freedom of international navigation. Appeal to the Islamic countries and all the international community to extend a helping hand to Somalia in confronting this phenomenon.

TENTH:  CYPRUS

17    Call on the governments of Parliaments of Member States to display effective solidarity with the Turkish Cypriot State and maintain close ties with this State in order to overcome the in-human isolation imposed on it and promote relations with the Turkish Cypriot State in all fields. Support the willingness show by the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey for finding a viable political settlement of the Cypriot issue.

ELEVENTH: JAMMU AND KASHMIR

18    Call for finding a peaceful settlement to the question of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions and on the same lines of the agreement reached in Simla. Support the efforts of the Pakistani Government to establish a peaceful settlement by all diplomatic means including bilateral talks with India.

TWELFTH: AZERBAIJAN

19    Demand the meticulous implementation of resolutions Nos. 822, 853, 874, and 884, adopted by the UN Security Council, the immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of Armenian forces from all occupied Azerbaijan territories. Strongly urge Armenia to respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its territorial integrity. Reaffirm solidarity and full support of the efforts exerted by the government of Azerbaijan and its people in defense of their land, and urge for extending humanitarian aid to Azeri refugees and displaced who suffer harsh living conditions as a prelude to enable them to return to their homes from which they have been displaced.

THIRTEENTH:  ECONOMIC AFFAIRS:

20    Express concern over the far reaching negative impacts of the current economic and financial crisis on the economic growth of the Member States, as well as on their plans of national development, their balance of payments, their ability to get private and public international finance, and direct foreign investment.

Underline the necessity that the Islamic World enjoys appropriate representation in all deliberations on the effects of the global financial crisis, and the need to expand the structures of economic decision making such as G20 so as to become more balanced and more responsive to the demands of the developing countries and the Islamic countries in particular

FOURTEENTH:      LEGAL AFFAIRS AND COOPERATION WITH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

21    Affirm the necessity of including the universal values of democracy and human rights in curricula in the Member States with the aim of upgrading these values to lofty levels, in implementation of Islamic teachings. Call for the promotion of cooperation and coordination with the OIC especially in the field of implementing the Ten-Year Plan of Action. Also call for pursuing contacts to get the observer status for the PUIC at the UN with the aim of promoting cooperation with the international organization to serve common objectives

FIFTEENTH: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS

22    Stress the necessity of developing education and scientific research as well as curricula in the Islamic World in a way that deepens common Islamic affiliation and response to the needs of development, modernization and overall development and entrenches the values of dialogue and innovation. Urge our governments to promote the role of Muslim women in the political, social and cultural life and in all the domains that underline their role in sustainable development.  Also urge our governments for the care of children and youth in accordance with the teachings of the tolerant Islamic Sharia. Request sustainable dialogue between the Islamic and Western parliaments with the purpose of promoting dialogue among civilizations and intensifying endeavors aimed at preventing disdain of divine religions and their symbols

SIXTEENTH:  SOLIDARITY STANDS

23    Express our support of the Tunisian people’s choice of the way of running their country and selecting their representatives. Appeal to the Tunisian forces and the factions of the Tunisian people to resort to wisdom and self-restraint in order to protect the security of their country and its achievements. Demand that all foreign countries not to interfere in the internal affairs of Tunisia.

SEVENTEENTH:  THANKS AND APPRECIATION:

24.    The Council expresses its thanks and appreciation to the Federal National Council of the State of the United Arab Emirates for hosting the proceedings of the 13th Session of the PUIC Council and appreciates the efforts exerted in order to achieve the best results, and expresses its sincere wishes to the leaders, government and people of the State of the United Arab Emirates for stability progress and prosperity.