United Nations S/2010/144 Distr.: General 17 March 2010 Original: English Security Council Letter dated 12 March 2010 from the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council I have the honour to transmit herewith resolution 7165, adopted by the Council of the League of Arab States at its 133rd ordinary session, held at the ministerial level on 3 March 2010, in Cairo, concerning the occupation by Iran of the three Arab islands in the Arabian Gulf belonging to the United Arab Emirates: the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa (see annex). This important matter should remain on the agenda of the Security Council until Iran terminates its occupation of the three islands and the United Arab Emirates restores its complete sovereignty over the islands. Pursuant to Article 54 of the Charter of the United Nations, I should be grateful if you would arrange for the present letter and its annex to be circulated as a document of the Security Council. (Signed) Yahya Mahmassani Ambassador 10-27732 (E) 220310 240310 *1027732* S/2010/144 Annex to the letter dated 12 March 2010 from the Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council [Original: Arabic] The occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of the three Arab islands in the Arabian Gulf belonging to the United Arab Emirates: the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa The Council of the League, meeting at the ministerial level, Having considered: ˇ The note of the General Secretariat; ˇ The report on the activities of the General Secretariat between sessions; ˇ The recommendation of the Political Affairs Committee; Guided by the resolutions of the previous summit, the last of which was resolution 460 of the Doha Summit (21st ordinary session) dated 30 March 2009, concerning the occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of three Arab islands in the Arabian Gulf, namely, the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which belong to the United Arab Emirates, Reaffirming its earlier resolutions on the same matter, the most recent of which was resolution 7089 (132nd ordinary session) of 9 September 2009, Decides 1. To reaffirm without qualification the absolute sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands of the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa and to support all peaceful measures and means adopted by the United Arab Emirates to regain its sovereignty over the occupied islands; 2. To denounce the continued consolidation by the Iranian Government of its occupation of the three islands and its violation of the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates, which can only undermine security and stability in the region and pose a threat to international peace and security; 3. To condemn the building by the Iranian Government of housing facilities to settle Iranians on the three occupied Arab islands; 4. To condemn the Iranian military manoeuvres being conducted also on the three occupied islands of the United Arab Emirates, namely, the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, and in those islands' territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, which constitute an inseparable part of the United Arab Emirates; and to request that the Islamic Republic of Iran desist from such violations and acts of provocation, which constitute interference in the internal affairs of an independent, sovereign State; do not promote confidencebuilding; threaten security and stability in the region; and endanger the security and safety of regional and international navigation in the Arabian Gulf; 5. To condemn the opening by the Islamic Republic of Iran of two offices on the United Arab Emirates island of Abu Musa and request Iran to remove those 2 10-27732 S/2010/144 illegal installations and respect the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its territory; 6. To appeal once again to the Iranian Government to end its occupation of the three islands of the United Arab Emirates, refrain from trying to impose a fait accompli by force, desist from establishing any installations there for the purpose of modifying the islands' demographic structure, revoke all measures and remove all installations unilaterally executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the three Arab islands, inasmuch as such measures and claims are null and void, lack any legal effect, do not detract from the established right of the United Arab Emirates over its three islands and are acts that run counter to the provisions of international law and the Geneva Conventions of 1949; and to call upon the Iranian Government to adopt peaceful means for resolving the existing dispute over them in accordance with the principles and norms of international law, including agreement to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice; 7. To express the hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran will reconsider its position of rejecting the effort to find a peaceful solution to the issue of the three occupied islands of the United Arab Emirates either through direct, earnest negotiations or through recourse to the International Court of Justice; 8. To call upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to translate its stated desire for improved relations with the Arab countries and for dialogue and détente into tangible measures, both in word and in deed, in the form of a genuine response to the earnest appeals launched by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and by the States members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab States, international groups, friendly nations and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, calling for a solution to the dispute over the three occupied islands by peaceful means in accordance with customary practice and the covenants and rules of international law, either through direct, earnest negotiations or through recourse to the International Court of Justice, with a view to building trust and enhancing security and stability in the Arabian Gulf region; 9. To reaffirm resolution 460 of the Doha Summit (21st ordinary session) dated 30 March 2009 concerning the request to Colonel Muammar Al-Qadhafi to continue to use his good offices in order to persuade the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Arab Emirates to submit the issue to the International Court of Justice; 10. To have all Arab States undertake, in their contacts with the Islamic Republic of Iran, to raise the issue of that country's occupation of the three islands in order to stress the need to end it, based on the fact that the three islands are occupied Arab territory; 11. To inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the Security Council of the importance of maintaining the issue on the list of matters of which the Security Council is seized until the Islamic Republic of Iran ends its occupation of the three Arab islands and the United Arab Emirates regains its full sovereignty over them; 12. To request the Secretary-General to follow up this matter and report to the Council at its next ordinary session. Resolution 7165 -- 133rd ordinary session -- meeting 2-3 March 2010 10-27732 3