United Nations S/2010/204 Distr.: General 23 April 2010 Original: English Security Council Letter dated 19 April 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 a letter dated 11 April 2010 addressed to you from Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, regarding the resolutions, Sert Declaration and the document issued by the Arab Summit held in Sert, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, on 27-28 March 2010. 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 Mahamassani Ambassador 10-46641X (E) 230410 240910 *1046641* S/2010/204 Annex to the letter dated 19 April 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] I should like to express my sincere appreciation for your participation in the proceedings of the 22nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, held at Sert, the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, on 27-28 March 2010. It is my pleasure to enclose a hard copy and disc copy of the volume containing the resolutions and statements adopted by the summit. As you know, the summit adopted a number of important resolutions dealing with key Arab positions vis-à-vis various regional and international developments, particularly in relation to the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as a number of other important resolutions in the political, economic and social spheres. I should like to draw particular attention to the fact that the summit resolved to put the settlement issue and the unlawful Israeli measures in East Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories before the General Assembly of the United Nations and to prepare for submission thereof to the International Court of Justice, the Human Rights Council and the meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions. Additionally, the summit resolved to put before the Executive Board of UNESCO the matter of the Israeli decision to add unlawfully the Tomb of Abraham in Hebron and Mosque of Bilal ibn Rabah in Bethlehem to the list of Israeli archaeological sites. Regarding the situation in Jerusalem, the summit called upon States and international and regional organisations, chief among them the United Nations and the Quartet, to continue not to recognise or have dealings with any projects or measures targeting the land and the Muslim and Christian holy places in East Jerusalem, considering these to be unlawful measures which disregard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The summit charged the Arab group in New York with calling for a special session of the General Assembly to be convened to halt the Israeli measures in Jerusalem, which violate international law and obstruct implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and to work for the adoption of a General Assembly resolution calling upon the International Court of Justice to look into halting the Israeli measures in occupied East Jerusalem. The summit called for a United Nations fact-finding mission to be set up in the light of the theft by Israeli international gangs of the organs of many Palestinians in the occupied territories and to provide Arab and international support to national committees formed to investigate these crimes. I should like to draw attention to the resolution adopted by the summit concerning the negative repercussions of the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court regarding President Umar al-Bashir of the Republic of the Sudan and the impact thereof on the efforts to bring about peace, particularly the Agreement of Goodwill and Confidence signed at Doha (17 February 2009) and other peace agreements. The summit called upon the Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities in bringing about peace and stability in the Sudan and to support 2 10-46641 S/2010/204 the efforts of regional and international organisations to achieve a political settlement between the various Sudanese parties concerned with the Darfur crisis. The summit further welcomed the other framework agreements signed at Doha between the government of the Sudan and several of the armed Darfurian movements within the context of the Arab-African initiative. The resolution commended the efforts of the governments of the Sudan and Chad to normalise their fraternal relations. The summit urged the continuation of Arab efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Darfur. Regarding the situation in Somalia, the summit supported the African Union call for the deployment of United Nations forces to replace the African forces in Somalia at the earliest opportunity and called upon the United Nations to take the necessary steps and measures to ensure the speedy deployment of these forces. The summit called upon the United Nations to convene a conference aimed at establishing, seriously and within a defined timeframe, a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East, in implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions, including those of the General Assembly of the United Nations entitled, "Establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East". The summit called upon the International Atomic Energy Agency to prepare the necessary reference documents on the basis of its experience in making preparations for such nuclear weapon-free zones elsewhere in the world. The summit adopted a resolution on ways of combating international terrorism, in which it condemned the crime of the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the United Arab Emirates on 19 January 2010 as representing a violation of UAE sovereignty and security, and supported all the investigations being carried out by the UAE to uncover the facts of the crime. The resolution called upon all States, particularly the United Kingdom and the European Union, to treat terrorist groups and supporters of terrorism seriously, to deport them and not to grant them political asylum or allow them to exploit the climate of freedom to undermine the security and stability of Arab States. The summit adopted a resolution welcoming the submission of the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Arab States on the Arab neighbourhood policy and requesting him to prepare a working paper on the proposed principles and appropriate mechanisms of the Arab neighbourhood policy with respect to the States neighbouring the Arab region in Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean basin, in preparation for submission to the extraordinary summit scheduled for October 2010 at the latest. I take this opportunity to affirm my desire to continue to consult and coordinate with you on various matters of joint interest and to express my utmost appreciation for your presiding over the proceedings of the 64th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration, (Signed) Amre Moussa Secretary-General 10-46641 3 S/2010/204 Contents Subject Resolution Page Political Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. Reports to the Summit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Report of the Presidency on the activity of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Report of the Secretary General on Joint Arab Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Development of the system of Joint Arab Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Yemeni initiative to energise Joint Arab Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The initiative of the Syrian Arab Republic to formulate a mechanism for managing inter-Arab disputes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Arab neighbourhood policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The establishment of the permanent Arab parliament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · The Arab Peace Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · The formulation of an Arab action plan to save Jerusalem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Developments in the Palestinian issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Support for the budget of the Palestinian National Authority and steadfastness of the Palestinian people. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · The occupied Syrian Arab Golan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Solidarity with and support for Lebanon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Support for Syria, Palestine and Lebanon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Developments in the situation in Iraq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Iranian occupation of the Arabian Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, belonging to the United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Addressing the losses and measures resulting from the dispute over the Lockerbie affair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rejection of the unilateral United States' sanctions on the Syrian Arab Republi . . . . . . The unjust embargo imposed on Syria and the Sudan by the United States with regard to the purchase or leasing of aircraft and spare parts and resulting threat to the safety and security of civil aviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rejection of the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court concerning H.E. President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir of the Republic of the Sudan Support for peace, development and unity in the Republic of the Sudan . . . . . . . . . . . . Support for the option of Sudanese unity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Support for the Republic of Somalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 11 11 17 17 19 21 26 26 29 32 32 36 38 38 The Palestinian issue and developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513 514 515 516 517 39 40 42 46 47 13. 14. 15. 16. 4 10-46641 S/2010/204 17. Union of the Comoros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) Support for the Union of the Comoros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (b) Follow-up of the output of the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518 519 520 49 49 51 53 54 18. 19. The tense situation on the Djibouti-Eritrean border, in the Ras Doumeira region of Djibouti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The formulation of a united Arab position on practical measures to be taken to make the Middle East a nuclear weapons-free zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (a) The collective Arab position on the issues to be put before the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (b) Arab coordination within the International Atomic Energy Agency . . . . . . . . . . . 521 522 523 524 525 54 57 58 59 60 62 62 62 64 65 65 67 68 95 96 97 98 99 99 100 100 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. Development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the Member States of the League of Arab States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Development of the uses of renewable and alternative energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ways of combating international terrorism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Statement on the terrorist crime of the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the United Arab Emirates . . . . . . . . . . . . . S/22/(10/03)/42-(0274) Arab relations with international and regional blocs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · Afro-Arab cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arab relations with international and regional blocs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring implementation of the resolutions of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monitoring implementation of the resolutions of the 21st ordinary session of the Arab summit (Doha, March 2009) on economic and social issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The project for green belts in Arab regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Arab road link scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Climate change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The inclusion of Arabic as a working language of the World Trade Organisation. . . . . . Support for the social projects of the Ministry of Social Development of the State of Palestine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Arab children's parliament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The development of Arab cooperation in the youth sphere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The promotion of scientific and technological research in the Arab States . . . . . . . . . . . The promotion of the Arabic language toward the information society . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526 527 Economic, social and cultural issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 10-46641 5 S/2010/204 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. Adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations of the initiative of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali declaring 2010 as the international year of youth . . . . . . . . . . The formulation of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The proposal to hold an Arab cultural summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The budget of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expression of gratitude and appreciation to the Great Jamahiriya for hosting the 22nd ordinary session at summit level in the city of Sert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Venue and date of the 23rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Sert Declaration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Sert Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Address of Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, to the opening session . . . Address of Mr. Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, to the opening session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . List of names of Arab leaders and heads of delegations of Arab States participating in the 22nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539 540 541 542 543 544 101 101 108 109 109 109 110 111 118 120 123 Financial and administrative issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S/22(10/03)/05-Dec(0215) S/22(10/03)/23-Doc(0255) S/22(10/03)/27-Add(0259) S/22(10/03)/10-Add(0223) S/22(10/03)/(0211) 133 6 10-46641 S/2010/204 Political issues Reports to the Summit Report of the Presidency on the activity of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, to their majesties, excellencies and highnesses, the kings, presidents and emirs of the Arab States on follow-up to the implementation of the resolutions of the 21st ordinary session (Doha, March 2009) of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level and the final report of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, Pursuant to the statutes of the Committee, Resolves 1. To express gratitude and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar and President of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, for taking charge of follow-up of implementation of the resolutions of the Doha summit (2009); To express gratitude to the Member States of the Follow-up Committee for the 2. Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments and the Secretary-General for their commendable efforts in following up implementation of the resolutions of this summit. (Summit resolution 495, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Report of the Secretary General on Joint Arab Action The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General dealing with various areas of Joint Arab Action, the annex to the follow-up report of the Secretary-General on the Status of Development and Modernization in the Arab States and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, Resolves 1. To commend the report of the Secretary General on the various areas of Joint Arab Action; 2. To take note of the contents of the follow-up report on the Status of Development and Modernization in the Arab States, express gratitude to the Secretary-General and affirm that periodic reports on this matter shall be submitted to the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level. (Summit resolution 496, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 7 S/2010/204 Development of the system of Joint Arab Action The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, Pursuant to the expressed collective desire of the Arab leaders to develop the system of Joint Arab Action in a manner consistent with the requirements of the forthcoming phase, in line with events and developments in international relations and to benefit from the experience of similar regional and international blocs, Having discussed the initiative put forward by His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen on the establishment of a union of Arab States, the proposals and ideas submitted by Member States 1 and the vision of Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, on the establishment of an Arab union, Pursuant to the proposal of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, In the light of the challenges facing the Arab States and the dangers to the region which threaten their interests, Resolves 1. To develop the system of Joint Arab Action and make available the resources to enable it to carry out its duties, assume its responsibilities, further Arab interests and move toward the establishment of a union of Arab States; To welcome the initiatives, proposals and ideas put forward by several 2. Member States in this regard; 3. To form a five-member higher committee consisting of Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh, His Excellency President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and His Excellency President Jalal Talabani, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to supervise the drafting of a document on developing the system of Joint Arab Action to be put before Member States in preparation for discussion at foreign ministerial level prior to submission to the extraordinary summit scheduled for October 2010; The five-member higher committee shall consult with Arab kings, presidents 4. and emirs on the formulation of the aforementioned draft development document. (Summit resolution 497, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) __________________ 1 The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Tunisia, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Iraq, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Republic of Yemen. 8 10-46641 S/2010/204 The Yemeni initiative to energise Joint Arab Action The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, the resolution of the second ordinary session of the Interim Arab Parliament, resumed on 7-9 November 2008, affirming the importance of the Yemeni initiative and the serious, objective ideas and proposals it has put forward to help protect pan-Arab security and strengthen interArab relations in view of the regional and international developments and changes the Arab world has witnessed, and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments (Sert, 24 March 2010), Resolves 1. To urge Member States which have not provided the Secretariat-General with their observations and suggestions on the Yemeni initiative to do so promptly; 2. To call upon the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States to form a team of legal experts, political thinkers and members of the Interim Arab Parliament to study the initiative and the suggestions of Member States thereon; To call upon the Secretariat-General to prepare the necessary report in the light 3. of the suggestions of Member States and recommendations of the team of experts and submit it to the next ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level prior to its submission, with the necessary recommendations, to the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level. (Summit resolution 498, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The initiative of the Syrian Arab Republic to formulate a mechanism for managing inter-Arab disputes The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the memorandum submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic on bolstering mechanisms for managing and settling Arab disputes and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Pursuant to the Document of the Covenant, Accord and Solidarity among the leaders of the Arab States, adopted and signed on the basis of resolution 255 (Tunis, 23 May 2004) and the document on the promotion of Arab reconciliation and solidarity, adopted and signed by the Arab leaders at the Doha summit (30 March 2009), which states in the introduction: "Aware of the grave repercussions of Arab disputes and their adverse effects on the interests of the Arab nation and issues pertaining to its future, pursuant to the call by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, which launched the process of Arab reconciliation at the Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait, and given the importance of exerting greater efforts to clear the air and build bridges to overcome differences by collective Arab action in which all Arab States are involved", 10-46641 9 S/2010/204 Having commended the outstanding efforts of His Highness Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, to achieve Arab reconciliation at the Economic, Social and Development Summit in Kuwait (2009); Having listened with appreciation to the presentation by the head of the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic on ways of furthering the management of disagreements or disputes between parts of the Arab nation within the Arab house to help reach settlements acceptable to the concerned Arab parties, in support of the stability, peace and security of the entire Arab homeland, Noting paragraph six of the document on the promotion of Arab reconciliation and solidarity, on fostering the mechanisms of Joint Arab Action to achieve higher Arab interests and ensuring conflict management to avoid complications harmful to Arab relations, Resolves 1. 2. To welcome the ideas put forward in the Syrian Arab Republic's paper; To affirm the principles of Arab conflict management practice, which include: (a) No resort to the downgrading or freezing of the various levels of bilateral relations, as all forms and aspects of inter-Arab relations are to the advantage of the Arab nation, are its sovereign right and may not be suspended or downgraded, which would only widen the rift instead of managing or resolving it, with due regard to mutual respect between the Arab States; (b) No resort to any type of targeted media campaign, the consequence of which, it has been shown, is the creation of divisive and negative factors which hinder the possibility of managing and settling disputes by restoring matters to their natural state; (c) The commitment to keeping Arab disputes within the Arab family given that discussing Arab disputes outside the Arab framework introduces negative elements that widen and deepen the disputes and prevent them from being managed positively and a possible solution being arrived at; (d) The fostering of the spirit of the Charter of the League of Arab States in relation to Joint Arab Action and, likewise, the spirit of all charters and conventions adopted by the Arabs, thereby strengthening the desire to prevent harm to the Arab States and their citizens and to safeguard their interests while confronting the threats and dangers to which they are exposed, including economic obstacles and all forms of blockade which may be imposed; (e) To secure the language of dialogue in Arab relations, whenever the temperature of disagreement rises, and make it a method and means of reaching consensus; To approve the following mechanism, proposed to ensure the success of Arab 3. initiatives on the management and settlement of Arab disputes: · That initiatives be proposed in good time before the Arab summit is convened in order to allow sufficient time for them to be studied, consulted and agreed upon; 10 10-46641 S/2010/204 · That no initiatives be proposed relating to issues concerning States without the direct approval of those States, adopting the principle of standing together and not acting in one another's stead; · That initiatives addressing contentious issues between two or more States be studied and adopted by the relevant parties before being put forward. To achieve this, a committee shall be set up consisting of representatives from the States between whom a dispute over a specific issue has arisen and three States chosen by the States party to the dispute, in addition to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. The committee shall adopt its recommendations by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached, the committee shall refer the contending views to the Presidency of the Arab summit for consideration of the measures which might be taken, such as calling for ministerial meetings of the States represented on the committee or the involvement of other Arab States which might be able to play a role in finding a solution given the nature of their relations with the concerned States, thereby ensuring the desired solution is achieved. (Summit resolution 499, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The Arab neighbourhood policy The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having discussed the situation in the Middle East region and developments affecting its security and stability, Having listened to the proposal and suggestions of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States in this regard, Resolves To welcome the submission of the Secretary-General on the Arab neighbourhood policy and to call upon the Secretary-General to prepare a working paper on the relations of the States neighbouring the Arab region in Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean basin with the Arab States, to submit a memorandum on the proposed principles of the Arab neighbourhood policy with regard to these States and ways of developing ties and coordination with them, including the possibility of forming an Arab neighbourhood league to help foster common interests, and to propose an appropriate mechanism in this regard for submission to the forthcoming session of the Council of the League of Arab States at foreign ministerial level in September, prior to submission to the extraordinary summit scheduled for October 2010 at the latest. (Summit resolution 500, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The establishment of the permanent Arab parliament The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, article 8 of the statutes of the Interim Arab Parliament and the draft statutes of the permanent Arab parliament, 10-46641 11 S/2010/204 Pursuant to the provisions of article 19 of the Charter of the League of Arab States and resolution 292 (Algiers, 23 March 2005) of the 17th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Resolves 1. To approve the establishment of a permanent Arab parliament; 2. To extend the term of the Interim Arab Parliament by two years in order to complete the legal framework and statutes of the permanent parliament; 3. To refer the annexed version of the draft statutes of the permanent Arab parliament to the institutions of the League pursuant to article 8 of the statutes of the Interim Arab Parliament for completion thereof in the light of the observations and views of Member States, and to formulate a final version in preparation for approval at the next Arab summit; To extend gratitude to the Interim Arab Parliament for its efforts in preparing 4. this draft. (Summit resolution 501, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Annex Draft Statutes of the Arab Parliament Believing in the need to develop the Joint Arab Action system, strengthen its bases, update its mechanisms and foster its progress in order to achieve the higher interests of the Arab nation, In response to the deep ambition of the Arab nation to establish an Arab system as a space for the exercise of the principles of counsel, democracy and human rights and to realise its aspiration for sustainable development, To strengthen the role of the Arab nation in the creation of human civilisation and its contribution to the formulation of its exemplary values on the basis of the principles of honouring man and full protection of human rights, Endeavouring to ensure the present and future of the Arab nation, protect its national security, confront the challenges of scientific, information technology and environmental changes in the age of globalisation and regional and economic blocs, Pursuant to the belief of the Arab nation in belonging to one civilisational and cultural sphere and its aspiration to build mechanisms of cooperation, integration, solidarity and dialogue and to strengthen the ties between its component parts in accordance with the principles of counsel and democracy in order to achieve comprehensive Arab unity, In consideration of the demands of the will of the Arab nation to be involved in taking decisions concerning its own destiny and its need for a parliamentary institution, freely adopting the approach of counsel and democracy, as a tool for dialogue and stability, a popular driving force for the Arab action system and an active partner in formulating joint Arab policy in the service of the higher interests of the Arab nation, Pursuant to the provisions of article 19 of the Charter of the League of Arab States, 12 10-46641 S/2010/204 Under the provisions of article 8 of the statutes of the Interim Arab Parliament, which entrust it with the responsibility of formulating the statutes of the Arab Parliament, Article 1 These statutes shall determine the formation, duties and scope of the Arab Parliament. Article 2 The following terms shall have the meanings assigned to each: · Parliament: the Arab Parliament; · League: the League of Arab States; · Member States: the Member States of the League of Arab States; · Council: the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level; · Ministerial councils: the councils of the League of Arab States at ministerial level; · Statutes: the Statutes of the Arab Parliament; · Speaker: the Speaker of the Arab Parliament; · Office: the Office of the Arab Parliament; · Secretary-General: the Secretary-General of the Arab Parliament; · Specialized Arab organizations: specialized Arab organizations working within the framework of the League of Arab States. Article 3 The Parliament shall consist of four members from each Member State, making provision for the representation of women. Article 4 The members of Parliament shall be elected by direct secret ballot or by their national parliaments or equivalent thereof in each Member State. Article 5 The Parliament shall exercise its competence in a manner which strengthens Joint Arab Action and brings about integration and sustainable development, leading eventually to Arab unity. In particular, it shall: (a) Work to strengthen inter-Arab relations, develop the forms and consolidate the mechanisms of Joint Arab Action, strive to ensure Arab national security and support human rights. To this end, it shall offer such recommendations and proposals as it sees fit. (b) Monitor the progress of Joint Arab Action and hold listening sessions with the chairpersons of ministerial councils, the Secretary-General of the League and the heads of specialized Arab organizations. (c) Discuss and give an opinion on issues referred to it by the Council of the League, the ministerial councils, the Secretary-General of the League or the heads 10-46641 13 S/2010/204 of specialized Arab organizations. It shall issue recommendations thereon as a basis for the adoption by the appropriate councils of the relevant resolutions. (d) Address questions in writing to the chairpersons of ministerial councils, the Secretary-General of the League and the heads of specialized Arab organizations in respect of any matter within their competence. These bodies must reply to members' questions within a period of time to be determined by the statutes. (e) Approve the drafts of unified laws and collective Arab agreements duly referred to it prior to adoption thereof by the Council of the League. (f) Examine the draft budgets and final accounts of the League and specialized Arab organizations, which must be submitted to the Parliament before approval by the competent bodies. (g) Work to harmonise and coordinate the laws in force in Member States in preparation to unifying these and strive to exchange legislative experience between Arab parliaments or equivalent thereof in each Member State. (h) Cooperate with national parliaments and international and regional parliamentary organisations in the service of the interests of the Arab nation and international peace and security. (i) (j) (k) Article 6 · The permanent seat of the Parliament shall be at Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic; · The Parliament may establish offices in any Member State; · The seat and offices of the Parliament shall enjoy the immunities and privileges stipulated in the agreements pertaining to the official seat; · The Parliament or its committees may convene in any Member State or at the headquarters of the League. Article 7 The members of the Parliament shall represent the entire Arab nation and perform their duties freely and independently. Article 8 Before commencing their duties, members of the Parliament shall swear the following oath: "I swear by God that I shall strive to achieve the goals of the Arab nation, that I shall guard its interests and that I shall carry out my duties faithfully and honestly". Article 9 No member of Parliament shall be answerable for views expressed during or because of the exercise of his duties. Approve and amend its Statutes. Approve its budget and final accounts. Approve and amend its financial and administrative rules and regulations. 14 10-46641 S/2010/204 Article 10 No criminal proceedings may be brought against a member of Parliament unless his immunity is lifted in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, except in the case of being caught in flagrante delicto. Article 11 A member of Parliament shall enjoy, during or in connection with the exercise of his duties in each Member State, the privileges accorded to the representatives of Member States under the League's charter and agreements. Article 12 National parliaments shall bear the costs of their representatives. The Parliament shall bear its members' costs during the time they are charged with their duties. Article 13 Membership of the Parliament shall cease upon the member's death, loss of legal competence, revocation of membership, the acceptance of his resignation, the termination of the legislative term of the Parliament, if he is not re-elected or if he is appointed to an executive or judicial position. Article 14 The legislative term of the Parliament shall be four years. An ordinary session of Parliament shall commence in September and end in June the following year. Parliament may meet in extraordinary session as required, in accordance with the statutes. Article 15 Parliamentary sessions shall be open to the public unless otherwise ruled. Article 16 Parliament shall elect the Speaker for a period of four years. Deputy Speakers and chairpersons of committees shall be elected every two years, in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes. Article 17 The Speaker shall represent Parliament in its relations with third parties and before the judiciary. The statutes shall determine the Speaker's powers and competencies. Article 18 The Office shall consist of the Speaker, his deputies and the chairpersons of standing committees. Article 19 Parliament may form other, temporary or sub-committees, as required, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes. 10-46641 15 S/2010/204 Article 20 Parliament shall have a secretariat-general headed by a secretary-general, carrying out administrative, financial and technical duties. The Secretary-General and assistant secretaries-general shall be appointed by decision of the Office, at the suggestion of the Speaker and with the approval of Parliament. Article 21 Parliament shall have an independent annual budget prepared by the Secretariat-General in accordance with accounting principles. It shall be reviewed by the Office prior to being referred to the competent committee for inspection and presentation to Parliament for approval. Article 22 Parliament's resources shall consist of: · Equal, annual, compulsory contributions from Member States in accordance with bases and guidelines approved and applied by the League; · Donations, gifts and legacies acceptance of which, if foreign or private, is conditional upon Parliament's approval; · Funds passing to it from the Interim Arab Parliament; · Investment returns on Parliament's funds. Article 23 The Council of the League shall determine the date of the first session of Parliament once two-thirds of members have been appointed. The Speaker of the Interim Arab Parliament shall invite the members of Parliament to attend the first session. Article 24 The Interim Arab Parliament shall continue its duties until the date of the first session of Parliament. The rights and privileges of the Interim Arab Parliament shall be transferred to the Parliament. Article 25 The provisions of these statutes may be amended by agreement of two-thirds of the members of Parliament and the approval of the Council of the League. Article 26 The statutes shall enter into force following approval by the Council of the League. Authorised [Signed] Huda Fathi Ben Amer Speaker of the Interim Arab Parliament 16 10-46641 S/2010/204 The Palestinian issue and developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict The Arab Peace Initiative The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Recalling Arab summit resolutions, in particular those of the Beirut summit (2002), Sharm el-Sheikh (2003), Tunis (2004), Algiers (2005), Khartoum (2006), Riyadh (2007), Damascus (2008) and Doha (2009), and the statements released by meetings of the ministerial committee of the Arab Peace Initiative on 12 November 2009, 2 March 2010 and 10 March 2010, Referring to the resolutions of international legitimacy on the question of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict, in particular the relevant Security Council resolutions relating to the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the process for a lasting and comprehensive peace, Affirming resolution 7153 of the 133rd ordinary session (3 March 2010), resolution 6996 of extraordinary session C2 (26 November 2008) and resolution 6998 of extraordinary session C2 (31 December 2008) of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, Mindful of the danger posed by Israel's persistent disregard of Arab and international peace efforts, defiance of the resolutions of international legitimacy and adoption of unilateral measures, Condemning the continued escalation of the brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, Affirming the importance of respect for Palestinian national legitimacy, the unanimity of Palestinian resolve and the integrity of the Palestinian territories, and affirming that Palestine is a full partner in the peace process, Resolves 1. To reaffirm that a just and comprehensive peace is the strategic option, that the peace process is a comprehensive and indivisible process, and that a just and comprehensive peace in the region is attainable only through full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967, and from the territories still occupied in the Lebanese south, and through a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative and in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 of 1948, the rejection of all forms of resettlement and the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit (2002) and reaffirmed at successive Arab summits and with the resolutions of international legitimacy and their relevant terms of reference; To condemn all unlawful Israeli measures in the occupied Palestinian 2. territories, including East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron and the Gaza Strip, which are indicative of Israel's designs to torpedo any effort at negotiation and obstruct 10-46641 17 S/2010/204 achievement of a just peace and to alter radically the demographic composition and geographic shape of the occupied territories, making it difficult to establish a sovereign Palestinian State due to the imposition of facts on the ground, the most recent of these being Israel's declaration of intent not to withdraw from the Jordan valley region and to build thousands of new settlement units in East Jerusalem, and the recent decision of the Israeli government to seek to include the Tomb of Abraham in Hebron and the Mosque of Bilal ibn Rabah in Bethlehem on the list of Israeli archaeological sites. To express unequivocal rejection of the continued settlement policy practiced 3. by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories; to call upon President Obama to uphold his original, fundamental position calling for a complete halt to the policy of settlement in all the occupied territories, including natural growth and in East Jerusalem, considering settlement a major obstacle to achieving a just and comprehensive peace; to call upon the United States administration and the Quartet to reject Israeli arguments for continuing with settlement and its ongoing inroads against Jerusalem to Judaize the city; and to put pressure on Israel for a complete and immediate halt to settlement; To affirm unequivocal rejection of any proposals for partial or phased 4. solutions, including the proposal for a State with temporary borders or borders on any part of the occupied territories; To affirm commitment to the Arab position that resumption of Palestinian5. Israeli negotiations requires Israel to implement its legal obligation to put a complete halt to Israeli settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem; to reject all Israeli excuses and justifications under any name for continuing its unlawful settlement activity; and to affirm the need to keep to a defined timeframe for these negotiations, which will be resumed where they broke off on the basis of the agreed terms of reference for the peace process; To refer Israel's unlawful measures in Jerusalem and the occupied territories to 6. the International Court of Justice, the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly of the United Nations and the States Parties to the Geneva Conventions and to request the Secretary-General to set in motion the necessary measures for this; to call upon all Arab foreign ministries and Arab ambassadors in capital cities where these organisations operate to coordinate immediately with the Secretariat-General to achieve this goal; and to charge the Arab group at UNESCO with raising with UNESCO the subject of Israel's unlawful addition of the Tomb of Abraham in Hebron and Mosque of Bilal ibn Rabah in Bethlehem to the list of Israeli archaeological sites; To demand the immediate lifting of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and 7. to call upon the United States to adopt a clear position vis-à-vis this unjust and inhumane blockade; To extend gratitude to the international parties which have supported the Arab 8. Peace Initiative and to call upon them to continue their support for the Palestinian cause and Arab rights and to advance the efforts for peace; and to affirm that Israel's continued rejection of the Arab Peace Initiative, an initiative based on the principles and authority of international legitimacy, shows that Israel is not serious about peace; To affirm the importance of the role played by the ministerial committee of the 9. Arab Peace Initiative and the importance of its continued efforts under the 18 10-46641 S/2010/204 presidency of the State of Qatar at the 22nd session of the Arab summit, in accordance with a political framework based on the premise that the Arab Peace Initiative will not remain on the table for long. (Summit resolution 502, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Pursuant to its stand on the necessary conditions for a just and permanent peace in the region, the Great Jamahiriya would like to reaffirm its reservation to the references in the resolution to the Arab Peace Initiative as long as there is no explicit reference in the initiative to the right of return of the Palestinian people, their right to compensation, the removal of Israeli weapons of mass destruction and the establishment of a democratic Palestinian State on the land of Palestine. The formulation of an Arab action plan to save Jerusalem The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Affirming all its resolutions in this regard, as well as international resolutions, at the forefront of which are the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, In view of the increasingly grave dangers to the Palestinian cause from the continuation of hostile Israeli policies, particularly those aimed at altering the geographic, demographic and cultural make-up of Jerusalem, including measures to expand settlement construction, the imposition of regulations and legislation designed to expel the population, Judaize the city and erase its Arab identity, the targeting of Muslim and Christian holy places, particularly al-Aqsa Mosque, and the attempt to change the character of the Old City, as clearly shown by recent Israeli measures and practices; In the light of Israel's persistent refusal to submit to the resolutions of international legitimacy and its continued violations of international humanitarian law with regard to the Palestinians by means of such measures as the suffocating economic blockade, the policy of collective punishment, the breaking up of the contiguity of Palestinian territory and the continued assault against vital Palestinian utilities and national institutions, Affirming the firm and constant Arab position holding the Palestinian issue to be the central issue for all Arabs, of concern to the entire population of the whole Arab nation and representing the essence of the Arab-Israeli conflict, with military, political, economic and cultural dangers which threaten the destiny of the entire Arab nation, Pursuant to the Arab desire to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in their struggle to recover their rights and to provide all forms of support and assistance to confront Israeli schemes, Saluting the steadfastness and resolve of the people of Jerusalem in the face of continued Israeli aggression against them, their land and holy places with the aim of Judaizing their city, and affirming the important roles of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco (the chair of the Jerusalem Committee), the 10-46641 19 S/2010/204 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Syrian Arab Republic and other Arab and Islamic States in safeguarding the Arab identity and the Muslim and Christian holy places and supporting the steadfastness of the people of Jerusalem, Believing in the need to foster and implement Arab summit resolutions relating to the Palestinian issue, including striving to formulate practical, implementing mechanisms for these, Resolves 1. To convene the Sert summit under the banner, "Supporting the steadfastness of Jerusalem"; 2. To affirm that Israeli measures and practices designed to alter the character of Jerusalem and its geographic, human and historical status, including the appropriation of land and property and eviction of the inhabitants, are invalid under the tenets of international law and relevant Security Council resolutions and cannot be recognised; To affirm that East Jerusalem is occupied territory and all measures carried out 3. by the Israeli occupation authorities are absolutely baseless and invalid in law and governance, bringing about no change to the city's legal status as an occupied city or its political status as the capital of the State of Palestine; and to draw attention to the collective international position on the illegality of settlements on occupied territory; To call upon all States and international organisations to continue not to 4. recognise or have any dealings with projects and measures targeting the land and the Muslim and Christian holy places in East Jerusalem, considering these to be unlawful measures which disregard the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people; To formulate an Arab action plan to support the steadfastness of Jerusalem, to 5. include the measures and steps indicated in this resolution; 6. To call upon UNESCO to appoint a permanent mission in Jerusalem to submit periodic reports on Israeli outrages upon Muslim and Christian holy places in the occupied Palestinian territories so that these might be stopped, and to charge the Arab group in UNESCO with taking the necessary measures in this regard; To charge the Arab group in New York with calling for a special session of the 7. General Assembly to be convened to halt Israeli measures in Jerusalem, which are in violation of the tenets of international law, to stop Israeli obstruction of the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, to assess the possibility of a resolution being adopted by the General Assembly requesting the International Court of Justice to look into halting Israeli measures in Jerusalem and, if it proves to be impossible to bring a case directly before the court, to authorise the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to hold consultations on the subject; To call for coordination with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, in 8. particular the Jerusalem Committee, to achieve the integration necessary to bring about the intended results of this plan; To increase the additional support for al-Aqsa Fund and al-Quds Fund decided 9. at the Beirut summit (2002) to US$ 500 million to bolster the steadfastness of the 20 10-46641 S/2010/204 Palestinian people and their devotion to the land and to enable Israel's ongoing and escalating schemes in occupied Jerusalem to be thwarted; 10. To convene, within the next thee months, an international conference for the defence and protection of Jerusalem on all fronts, under the auspices of the League of Arab States and with the participation of all Arab States and concerned institutions, federations and civil society organisations, and to welcome the hosting of this conference by the State of Qatar; 11. To invite Arab and Islamic States, organisations, funds and civil society organisations to finance and execute development projects in the education, health, youth, leisure, economic and housing sectors in Jerusalem to bolster the Arab presence there; 12. To invite popular events, organisations and individuals to donate in support of the steadfastness of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem and to request the Secretariat-General to open bank accounts in Arab States for this purpose, with the proviso that the Council of the League shall determine the mechanics of employing these donations; 13. To charge Arab ministers of information with concentrating on the risks of Judaization threatening Jerusalem and to invite the Arab media to devote attention to the situation in Jerusalem, expose Israeli measures in the city and support ways of maintaining its Arab identity; 14. To call for the conference of the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) to reconvene to investigate ways of applying the Convention to the occupied Palestinian territories and provide protection to the Palestinian people under occupation, including East Jerusalem, benefiting from the positive results generated by the Goldstone Report, and to charge the Arab group in Geneva with taking the necessary measures in this regard; 15. To charge the State of Palestine, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Morocco, in coordination with the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, to investigate any additional measures or steps required to confront the schemes of the Israeli occupation authorities in Jerusalem; 16. To request the Secretary-General to monitor implementation of this resolution and submit a report on measures taken in this regard as soon as possible. (Summit resolution 503, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Developments in the Palestinian issue The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Recalling Arab summit resolutions, in particular those of the Beirut summit (2002), Sharm el-Sheikh (2003), Tunis (2004), Algiers (2005), Khartoum (2006), Riyadh (2007), Damascus (2008) and Doha (2009), 10-46641 21 S/2010/204 Resolves 1. To reaffirm that a just and comprehensive peace is the strategic option, that the peace process is a comprehensive and indivisible process, and that a just and comprehensive peace in the region is attainable only through full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, to the line of 4 June 1967, and from the territories still occupied in the Lebanese south, and through a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem on the basis of the Arab Peace Initiative and in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 of 1948, the rejection of all forms of resettlement and the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit (2002) and reaffirmed at successive Arab summits and with the resolutions of international legitimacy and their relevant terms of reference; To affirm that the Palestinian State is a full partner in the peace process and 2. that it is necessary to continue to support the Palestine Liberation Organization in demanding that Israel halt all settlement activity before resuming negotiations at the point they ended; to define a clear point of reference for the peace process; to put in place a timetable for negotiations; to make a start on the final settlement issues of the Arab-Israeli conflict, chief among these being the settlements, Jerusalem, the refugees, borders, water and withdrawal from all occupied Arab territory; to affirm that the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are a single, indivisible geographical unit for the purposes of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all the territories occupied in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital; and to reject all attempts designed to fragment the unity of the Palestinian territories and all unilateral Israeli measures; To reject the Israeli position requiring the Palestinians to recognise the Jewish 3. character of Israel, to reject all unilateral Israeli measures designed to alter the demographic and geographic status of the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, impose new facts on the ground and pre-empt the results of final status negotiations and to reject attempts to bypass the bases and terms of reference of the peace process, undermine the two-State solution and thwart opportunities to establish an independent, viable Palestinian State; To salute in admiration and esteem the heroic resistance of the Palestinian 4. people in the face of the brutal Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip; to support their steadfast resistance to this aggression; to condemn vehemently the savage Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, which killed and injured thousands of Palestinians, particularly civilians, including women and children, and devastated infrastructure and public and private institutions on a massive and comprehensive scale; to call for an end to Israeli aggression and the lifting of the unjust blockade; and to hold Israel, as the occupying power, legally and materially responsible for the war crimes it committed and its violations of international law and international humanitarian law; To call upon President Obama to uphold his original, fundamental position 5. calling for a complete halt to the policy of settlement in all the occupied territories, including natural growth and in East Jerusalem, considering settlement a major obstacle to achieving a just and comprehensive peace; to call upon the United States administration to reject Israeli arguments for continuing with settlement and its ongoing inroads against Jerusalem in order to Judaize the city; and to put pressure on Israel for a complete and immediate halt to settlement; 22 10-46641 S/2010/204 6. To affirm that continuation of Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories will lead to the failure of indirect talks, resulting in the Arab States calling for an urgent meeting of the Security Council to review the Arab-Israeli dispute in all its dimensions and requesting the United States not to use the veto, justified on the grounds of the failure of talks and deterioration of the situation in the occupied territories; To affirm the Arab identity of Jerusalem and reject all unlawful Israeli 7. measures designed to Judaize and annex the city and expel its inhabitants; to condemn the seizure of land and building of settlement units in East Jerusalem; to condemn Israeli excavations beneath and in the vicinity of al-Aqsa Mosque which are threatening its collapse; to call upon concerned international organizations and institutions, especially UNESCO, to assume their responsibilities for safeguarding the Muslim and Christian holy places; and to call on Arab States to take swift action as a matter of necessity to thwart Israeli designs; To condemn the continuation of Israel's grave violations and racist practices, 8. its ongoing seizure and destruction of buildings in Jerusalem to serve its settlement projects in the holy city, the continued removal of thousands of dunams of earth to construct the Greater Jerusalem project, with the intention of building a settlement ring to ensure the fragmentation of Palestinian geographic contiguity from the north to the south of the West Bank, the complete isolation of Jerusalem from the surrounding area and the tightening of control over and Judaization of the city; To affirm that the Tomb of Abraham in Hebron, the Mosque of Bilal ibn Rabah 9. in Bethlehem and all Muslim and Christian holy places in the West Bank are in integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel on 5 June 1967 to which international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) apply, these affirming that the occupying power may not violate them or change their character. Accordingly, the measures taken by Israel to add the Tomb of Abraham and Mosque of Bilal ibn Rabah to so-called Jewish heritage are unacceptable, invalid and unlawful and shall not be upheld under any circumstances; 10. To condemn vehemently the recent decision of the Israeli government to add the Tomb of Abraham, the Mosque of Bilal ibn Rabah in Bethlehem and the walls of Jerusalem to the list of Israeli archaeological and historical sites; to call upon UNESCO, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Islamic States and the international community to oppose these measures, which are designed to falsify and change history and impose facts on the ground and further dictates, and to take tangible and decisive steps to save the situation from descending into a new vortex of strife and bloodshed, for this represents a declaration of war against the holy places, heralding the outbreak of religious war in the region; 11. To call upon the Arab group at UNESCO, the Council of Arab Ambassadors at the United Nations, the European Union, ALECSO, ISESCO and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to continue their efforts to resist Israel's attempts to include the two sites on the Jewish heritage list and to commend the efforts of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States in this regard; 12. To respect Palestinian national legitimacy under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas, commend his efforts in the area of national reconciliation, respect the legitimate institutions of the Palestinian National Authority emanating from the Palestine Liberation Organization, including the elected Palestinian Legislative 10-46641 23 S/2010/204 Council, maintain the unity of Palestinian resolve to safeguard the gains and rights of the Palestinian people, which are at risk, and affirm that Palestinian national reconciliation constitutes the only genuine guarantee of recovering Palestinian national unity, which is the principal basis for safeguarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and preserving their territorial unity; 13. To call upon the international community to put pressure on Israel to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip, open the crossing points to and from the Gaza Strip and implement the agreement on crossing points reached on 15 November 2005, particularly after the transformation of the Gaza Strip into, effectively, a large prison, given Israel's refusal to open the crossing points, its denial of permission for the building of the port, reconstruction of the airport and creation of a safe passage between the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and its refusal to allow into the Gaza Strip building materials for the reconstruction of what was destroyed by the last Israeli war; 14. To affirm the importance of immediate Palestinian reconciliation in order to achieve the higher interests of the Palestinian people and to invite the Arab Republic of Egypt to continue its efforts to ensure that a reconciliation agreement, signed by all Palestinian parties, is reached; 15. To affirm the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which constitute a violation of international law, United Nations resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention; to affirm the need for Israel to declare a full and immediate halt to the settlement policy, implement the relevant international resolutions, in particular Security Council resolutions 465 (1980) and 497 (1981), which stress the illegality of settlement, and dismantle existing settlements under international supervision; to seek the removal of the racist separation wall and an end to all Israeli measures for the Judaization of Jerusalem, as well as an end to the economic and military blockade; to hold Israel responsible for compensating the Palestinian people for all the heavy losses incurred as a result of this blockade; and to call on Israel to remove the military roadblocks between West Bank towns and open all Gaza Strip crossing points; 16. To call upon those States and organisations which provide support for settlement to dry up its sources of supply, given that it is a breach of international law and the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy and undermines the peace process; to call upon States with investments in companies which help to finance and support settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories to disinvest; and to call upon States which have shareholdings in registered companies with investment contracts and projects linked to settlement activity to halt all such investments and projects; 17. To welcome the adoption by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly of the Goldstone Report on the grave Israeli violations of international law, international humanitarian law and the principles of human rights during the war it waged against the Gaza Strip, and to continue to prosecute Israel for the war crimes it committed in order to hold the perpetrators to account, compensate the victims and prosecute those responsible for such crimes and bring them before the international courts; 18. To prevail upon the international community to exert pressure on Israel to release all Palestinian prisoners and detainees languishing in the prisons of the occupation, including political and legislative leaders, and to demand that Israel not 24 10-46641 S/2010/204 ignore this issue, in accordance with the tenets and laws of international legitimacy, primarily international law, international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949); 19. To call upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations to make timely efforts and take all necessary measures for the prompt and unconditional release of Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israeli jails and to provide international protection for them, in implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (October 2000) and relevant United Nations resolutions, in particular resolution 48/3 (March 2004) of the 48th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; 20. To call for the convening, at the beginning of 2011, of an international conference at the League of Arab States to clarify the issue of prisoners, in coordination with the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority; 21. To call upon the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and take action to adopt the steps and mechanisms needed to resolve all aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict and achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of a two-State solution in accordance with the 1967 borders, the provisions of international law, the relevant Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative; 22. To call for the creation of a United Nations fact-finding mission to ascertain the theft by Israeli international gangs of the organs of numerous Arab citizens and to provide Arab and international support for national committees to be formed to investigate these crimes; 23. To call upon the international community to compel Israel to pay the compensation due to the Palestinian people and the Palestinian National Authority for losses resulting from continued Israeli aggression, employing the precedent of Israel's payment of compensation to the United Nations for damage to UNWRA facilities during its last assault on the Gaza Strip, and to make Israel bear legal responsibility for the damage to vital Palestinian utilities and installations; 24. To charge the Arab group at the United Nations with: · Requesting the United Nations to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the status of the property and land of Palestinian refugees in the territory of historic Palestine of 1948 and to seek to obtain complete copies of all documents and maps held by the Israel Land Administration, and requesting the Secretary-General of the United Nations to prepare a report on this matter for the necessary measures to be taken to safeguard the refugees' property; · Requesting the United Nations to assume its responsibilities and take the necessary measures, in accordance with an appropriate mechanism, to prevent the disposal of the property of Palestinian refugees in the territory of Palestine of 1948, as baseless and invalid; 25. To request the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to liaise and consult as necessary to monitor implementation of this resolution. (Summit resolution 504, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 25 S/2010/204 Support for the budget of the Palestinian National Authority and steadfastness of the Palestinian people The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Affirming the importance of Member States undertaking to pay their due contributions in support of the budget of the Palestinian National Authority, in accordance with the resolutions of Arab summits in Beirut (2002), Sharm el-Sheikh (2003), Tunis (2004), Algiers (2005), Khartoum (2006), Riyadh (2007), Damascus (2008) and Doha (2009), Resolves 1. To extend gratitude to those Arab States which have met their financial obligations in full or in part in support of the resources of al-Aqsa Fund and Intifada Al-Quds Fund in accordance with the resolutions of the extraordinary summit (Cairo, 2000) and have provided additional support to the two funds in accordance with the decisions of the 14th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level (Beirut, 2002), and to invite Arab States which have not fulfilled their commitments to additional support to do so promptly; To extend gratitude to those Arab States which have met their financial 2. obligations in support of the budget of the Palestinian National Authority, to call upon other Arab States to settle their arrears as soon as possible and to affirm the importance of continuing to support the budget of the Palestinian National Authority; To invite Arab States to support the budget of the Palestinian National 3. Authority for a further one-year period, with effect from 1 April 2010, in accordance with the mechanism adopted at the Beirut summit (2002). (Summit resolution 505, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The occupied Syrian Arab Golan The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and resolution 7161 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, Recalling the resolutions of Arab Summit conferences, most recently resolution 457 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session, Resolves 1. To affirm solid support and backing from the Arab States for Syria's just demand to recover the entire occupied Syrian Arab Golan up to the line of 4 June 1967, on the basis of the principles of the peace process and resolutions of international legitimacy and building on achievements within the framework of the Madrid peace conference (1991); 26 10-46641 S/2010/204 2. To reaffirm all its resolutions, most recently resolution 457 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session and resolution 4126 (13 February 1982) of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level and subsequent resolutions, most recently resolution 7161 (30 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session, stipulating the rejection of all measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities aimed at changing the legal, natural and demographic status of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and to consider Israeli measures designed to consolidate its control as illegal, null and void and a violation of international agreements, the Charter and resolutions of the United Nations, especially resolution 497 (1981) of the Security Council and resolution A/RES/63/99 (5 December 2008) of the 63rd session of the General Assembly, which affirm that Israel's decision of 14 December 1981 to annex the occupied Syrian Arab Golan is illegal, null and void, without legal force and constitutes a grave violation of Security Council resolution 497 (1981) and resolution A/RES/64/21 (2 December 2009) of the 64th session of the General Assembly, as well as A/RES/64/93 and A/RES/64/95 (10 December 2009) of the General Assembly on this matter; To reaffirm that the continued occupation of the Syrian Arab Golan since 1967 3. represents an ongoing threat to peace and security in the region and the world; 4. To condemn Israeli practices in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan in respect of the seizure of land and water resources, the building of a rock-fill dam near the town of Quneitra to steal water and deprive Syrian farmers of the most important source of water for the irrigation of their farms and watering of their cattle, the construction and expansion of settlements and transporting of settlers thereto, the exploitation of natural resources, construction projects, the most recent of which was the announcement of a tender for the sale of ten zones in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan to establish vineyards and wineries, and the imposition of an economic boycott on and forbidding the export of the agricultural produce of the Arab population; To affirm the Arab position of full solidarity with Syria and Lebanon, standing 5. with them to confront the continuing Israeli aggression and threats and considering any aggression against them as aggression against the Arab nation; To support the steadfastness of the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Arab 6. Golan, standing beside them in their resistance to Israeli occupation and its repressive practices, and their determination to hold on to their land and Syrian Arab identity; to affirm the need to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) to the inhabitants of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan; and to condemn, on the basis of the principles of international law and tenets of international legality, the Israeli occupation authorities for their gross violations of all the rights of the Syrian inhabitants, young and old, living under occupation in the Golan and the ensuing displacement and expulsion of thousands, the pillage of their lands, the separation of families and the consequences of this situation on the lives of the children and their education, in addition to numerous other violations of children's rights in contravention of international obligations arising from the international Convention on the Rights of the Child; To call upon the United Nations, the Security Council and the Human Rights 7. Council to ensure Israeli respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to seek to facilitate visits by the population of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan to their families and relatives in their motherland of Syria, via the Quneitra crossing, under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross; 10-46641 27 S/2010/204 8. To condemn the practices and provocations of the Israeli occupation forces against the inhabitants of the Syrian village of Ghajar in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, with the aim of partitioning it, displacing its inhabitants and constructing a separation wall between the inhabitants and their lands and livelihood; to consider Israel's forcible transfer of the civilian population to the southern part of the village a violation of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention, and "a crime against humanity"; likewise to consider any partition of the village as designed to infringe Syrian sovereignty over it; to call upon the international community to assume its responsibilities to pressure Israel to stop it from partitioning the village and put an end to the humanitarian, social and economic suffering of its inhabitants labouring under the occupation; and to support Syria in reserving its right to take whatever measures are necessary to prevent partition of the village; To call upon the United Nations Secretariat-General, the Security Council, the 9. Human Rights Council and civil society organizations operating in the area of human rights and international humanitarian law to put pressure on Israel to release all Syrian prisoners and detainees from the population of the occupied Syrian Arab Golan in Israeli jails and to call upon international humanitarian organizations to prevail upon Israel to allow representatives of the Red Cross, accompanied by medical specialists, to visit these prisoners and detainees to examine their physical and psychological health, save lives and relieve the suffering caused by repressive Israeli practices and the inhumane conditions of detention under which they live inside Israeli prisons, as well as the policy of physical and mental subjugation practised by the Israeli authorities which deprives them of their most basic human and social rights, causing their health to deteriorate and putting their lives at risk; 10. To uphold the resolutions of international legitimacy requiring the nonrecognition of any situation resulting from Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Arab lands, considering this to be illegal activity giving rise to neither right nor obligation and that the construction of settlements and housing of settlers therein represents a serious violation of the Geneva Conventions, a war crime under the First Protocol additional thereto and a violation of the principles of the peace process which require that all Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and the occupied Arab lands be terminated; 11. To urge the international community to uphold the resolutions of international legitimacy rejecting Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan by condemning the practices of the Israeli government, which announced its intention on 31 December 2003 to establish nine new settlements, expand existing ones, double the number of settlers and allocate the appropriations necessary to implement this, contrary to the peaceful Arab and international approaches aimed at achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region on the basis of the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative adopted by the Beirut Summit (2002); 12. To condemn the policy of the Israeli government which has wrecked the peace process and resulted in continued escalation of tension in the region and to call upon the international community to prevail upon Israel to apply the resolutions of the United Nations relating to full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Syrian Arab Golan and all occupied Arab territories to the line of 4 June 1967. (Summit resolution 506, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 28 10-46641 S/2010/204 Solidarity with and support for Lebanon The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, Recalling the resolutions of Arab summit conferences, most recently the Doha summit (2009), Taking note of recent domestic and international developments relating to Lebanon, Resolves 1. To affirm full Arab solidarity with Lebanon and to provide political and economic support to the country and its government to safeguard Lebanese national unity, the security and stability of the country and its sovereignty over all its territory; To salute the steadfastness of Lebanon and its heroic resistance in the face of 2. the Israeli aggression, in particular the aggression of July 2006, to ask God to have mercy of the souls of the Lebanese martyrs and to consider the solidarity and unity of the Lebanese people in the face of aggression to be a guarantee of the future security and stability of Lebanon; To commend the national role played by the Lebanese army in the south of the 3. country and all Lebanese regions, to support the army's task of extending the sovereignty of the Lebanese State over all its territory and maintaining civil peace, and to affirm the need to strengthen the capacities of the Lebanese army and security forces to enable them to perform the national tasks with which they are charged; To support the position of the Lebanese government calling for the 4. international community to apply resolution 1701 and put a final end to Israeli violations thereof, as well as to its constant threats and acts of espionage. On the basis of this resolution, the position of the Lebanese government affirms the continued demand for a permanent ceasefire and for the truce agreement to be upheld, in line with the Taif Accords, and demands that Israel compensate Lebanon for the damage caused by its persistent aggression, release the prisoners and return the bodies of the dead. To condemn Israeli air, sea and land incursions and violations of Lebanese 5. sovereignty, of which there have been approximately 6,500 since the adoption of Resolution 1701 to the present time, as these constitute a gross violation of the aforementioned resolution and all relevant United Nations resolutions, the most important being resolution 425 (March 1978); to make Israeli bear responsibility for these violations; to call upon the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and compel Israel to undertake to implement resolution 1701 in full and cease its land, sea and air violations of Lebanese sovereignty, including deployment of Israeli espionage networks; to condemn the threats against Lebanese civilian installations and infrastructure, which continue to be voiced by senior Israeli officials; to affirm the right of Lebanon to its waters in accordance with international law, in the face of Israeli ambitions; and to demand that Israel pay compensation for the losses caused and still being caused to Lebanon's water as a result of Israeli aggression and occupation; 10-46641 29 S/2010/204 6. The Council further affirms: · The need for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory, including the Sheba farms and Kafr Shuba hills, and from the Lebanese part of the village of Ghajar to behind the Blue Line, pursuant to the relevant international resolutions, in particular Security Council resolution 1701 (2006); · The right of the Lebanese people, army and resistance to liberate or reclaim the Sheba farms, Kafr Shuba hills and the Lebanese part of the village of Ghajar, to defend Lebanon from any aggression by all available, lawful means and to affirm the commitment of the Lebanese government to Security Council resolution 1701 in full; · To demand that Israel complete the handover in full of accurate information and maps relating to the location of all unexploded ordnance, including cluster bombs dropped haphazardly on populated civilian areas during its assault against Lebanon in the summer of 2006, which has resulted in the death and injury of more than 357 persons, including 34 children and 70 juveniles; to demand that Israel hand over information relating to the date when cluster bombs were dropped during its raids and the quantity and type used; and to call upon the international community and United Nations to continue to provide financial and technical support to Lebanon to clear the cluster bombs and dispose of the mines laid by Israel during its occupation of Lebanese territory; · To support the wish of both Lebanon and Syria to promote brotherly Lebanese-Syrian relations to the level assumed by the historical ties and common interests between the two peoples and countries, on the bases of trust, equality and respect for the sovereignty and independence of both States; · To support close cooperation between the security forces and UNIFIL to reinforce security and stability in the south of Lebanon, in accordance with resolution 1701, and to value the contribution of States to UNIFIL; To make Israel bear full responsibility for the results of the aggression to 7. which Lebanon was subjected in the summer of 2006 and the intentional targeting of civilians and infrastructure, which constitutes a blatant and serious breach of international law, particularly of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions (1949); to make Israel assume responsibility, too, for compensating the Lebanese Republic and Lebanese citizens for the grievous direct and indirect losses suffered by the Lebanese people and economy as a result of Israeli aggression; to hold that Israel's aggression against Lebanon constitutes a war crime, the perpetrators of which must be prosecuted before the competent international authorities; and, with reference to United Nations General Assembly resolutions A/RES/61/194 (20 December 2006), A/RES/62/188 (19 December 2007) and A/RES/63/211 (19 December 2008) on the environmental pollution during the July 2006 aggression, to make Israel bear responsibility for the resulting damage and demand it pay immediate and sufficient compensation to Lebanon and other States affected by this pollution; To support the Lebanese government's endeavour to strengthen Lebanon's 8. Arab and international role, especially through effective participation in the United Nations, the Security Council in particular, Lebanese membership of which has 30 10-46641 S/2010/204 brought great responsibility in terms of defending its national rights, Arab issues and issues of justice and peace in the world, chief among these being the issue of Palestine and the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people to stand up to Israel's aggressive practices, continued occupation of Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian territory and violations of international law, including international humanitarian law; To support the position of the Lebanese government of adherence to the 9. constitution in terms of upholding the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and rejection of their resettlement; to appreciate and support the clear and unshakeable position of the Palestinian people and leadership rejecting the idea of the resettlement of the Palestinian refugees in the host countries, especially Lebanon, in accordance with paragraph 4 of the Arab Peace Initiative, which stipulates, "[The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level].....Assures the rejection of all forms of Palestinian patriation which conflict with the special circumstances of the Arab host countries"; to caution that failure to resolve the issue of the refugees on the basis of a return to their homes, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and principles of international law, or attempts to resettle them, will destabilize the region and hinder the achievement of a just peace; to welcome the efforts of the Lebanese government to foster LebanesePalestinian dialogue in order to address all of the vital social and economic issues of Palestinian refugees in the camps, in collaboration with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and to address outstanding security issues in accordance with the resolutions of the Lebanese National Dialogue conference, especially those pertaining to issues of Palestinian weaponry in Lebanon; and to praise the efforts of the Lebanese government in rebuilding the Nahr al-Bared camp, calling upon States and organisations to fulfill the commitments made at the Vienna International Conference for the Reconstruction of the Naher el-Bared Camp and to provide aid to that end; 10. To take note of the government's commitment to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, set up under Security Council resolution 1757, to uncover the truth about the assassination of the late Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri and his bodyguards to ensure that justice prevails and that security for the Lebanese is strengthened; 11. To support the Lebanese government's efforts to follow up the case of the disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his companions, Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoub and journalist Abbas Badreddine; 12. To support the Lebanese government's efforts to make progress in implementing and developing the economic reform policy presented by Lebanon at the Paris III conference and designed to upgrade the infrastructure of the national economy, preserve its stability and foster opportunities for growth, in addition to helping to release the remaining donations and loans pledged by donor States and organisations to Lebanon and implementing a number of infrastructure projects; 13. To affirm the condemnation of international terrorism, in the fight against which the Arab States are actively engaged, and the importance and necessity of distinguishing between terrorism and legitimate resistance to Israeli occupation, which is a right affirmed by international charters and the principles of international 10-46641 31 S/2010/204 law, and to affirm that resistance activity should not be considered a terrorist act and, consequently, resistance fighters should not be included on terrorist lists; 14. To welcome the formation of a government of national unity and to express appreciation for the important role played by His Excellency General Michel Suleiman, President of the Lebanese Republic, in sponsoring and presiding over the national dialogue sessions, fulfilling and implementing the previous outcomes thereof. The Council express its readiness to provide any assistance in this area in support of the government of national unity; 15. To commend and support the efforts of the previous summit Presidency and the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Arab States, Lebanese constitutional institutions and the various political forces, to consolidate stability and promote sustainable economic growth in Lebanon in order to safeguard its unity, security and stability. (Summit resolution 507, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Support for Syria, Palestine and Lebanon The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Appreciating greatly the enormous sacrifices made by the Arab States; Following the exhaustive discussions held by the Arab leaders on the subject of developments in the Arab-Israeli conflict and continued Israeli occupation of Arab land, In the light of Israeli intransigence and the possibility of the failure of peaceful efforts, Resolves 1. To support the efforts of the Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese people to liberate their occupied territories; 2. To undertake to halt all forms of normalisation with Israel. (Summit resolution 508, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Developments in the situation in Iraq The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Pursuant to the resolutions of Arab summit conferences, most recently resolution 459 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session, on the situation in Iraq, Welcoming the final communiqué of the Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighbouring Countries of Iraq, plus Egypt, Bahrain, the permanent members of the Security Council and the Group of Eight (G-8) (Sharm el-Sheikh, 4 May 2007), the outcome of the International Compact with Iraq conference (Sharm el-Sheikh, 3 May 2007), the communiqué released by the Second Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighbouring Countries of Iraq, plus Egypt, Bahrain, the 32 10-46641 S/2010/204 permanent members of the Security Council and the G-8 (Istanbul, 3 November 2007), the communiqué released by the Third Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighbouring Countries of Iraq, plus Egypt, Bahrain, the permanent members of the Security Council and the G-8 (Kuwait, 22 April 2008) and the declaration issued by the first annual review conference of the International Compact with Iraq (Stockholm, 29 May 2008), Recalling the recommendations of the two international conferences on Iraq (Sharm el-Sheikh, 22-23 November 2004 and Brussels, 22 June 2005), Referring to Security Council resolution 1618 (2005), which condemns all terrorist acts in Iraq, Commending the resolution on the situation in the Republic of Iraq adopted by the 34th session of the foreign ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 15-17 May 2007), Recalling the resolutions of the Security Council and Council of Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs and statements released by meetings of the neighbouring countries of Iraq regarding respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders, Having listened to the submission of the head of the Iraqi delegation, Resolves 1. To affirm that the Arab vision for a political and security solution to the challenges facing Iraq relies on the following key elements: · Respect for the unity, sovereignty, independence and Arab-Islamic identity of Iraq, rejection of calls for its partition and affirmation of noninterference in its internal affairs; · Promoting stability in Iraq and overcoming the current difficulties requires the strengthening of the democratic political process and national reconciliation to address the security and political challenges, at the forefront of which is the eradication of sectarian strife and terrorism; · Affirmation of respect for the will of all elements of the Iraqi people in determining their political future; affirmation that achieving security and stability is the responsibility of the national unity government, the constitutional institutions and the Iraqi political leadership, with support and assistance from the Arab States and neighbouring States for all efforts to combat terrorism and infiltration; praise for the promulgation of the Law of election to the Council of Representatives; welcoming the parliamentary elections held on 7 March 2010 in Iraq as a strengthening of the current political process; praise for the stance of the Iraqi people in their overwhelming endorsement of the ballot box in defiance of terrorism; and appreciation of the role of the League of Arab States in monitoring the elections by means of a high-level delegation; To affirm the importance of neighbouring States taking an active part in 2. helping Iraq to strengthen security and stability, ensure non-intervention in its internal affairs, resist terrorism and halt acts of violence threatening the unity of its territory and people, specifically through the committed and effective participation of the neighbouring States in controlling joint international borders to prevent 10-46641 33 S/2010/204 terrorist infiltration of Iraqi territory and supporting the continuing efforts of the Iraqi government to achieve national reconciliation; 3. To take note of the signing by Iraq of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 and the Strategic Framework Agreement for a Relationship of Friendship and Cooperation between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq; to take note of the withdrawal of the forces of six countries from Iraqi cities by the end of July 2009, pursuant to the signing of agreements with their commands in Iraq, and the restoration of full Iraqi sovereignty over all its territory; and to welcome Security Council resolutions 1859 (2008) and 1905 (2009), completing the withdrawal of United States combat forces from Iraqi cities, towns and villages by 30 June 2009 and their concentration in agreed facilities and areas outside towns and villages in preparation for the full withdrawal from Iraqi territory, waters and airspace scheduled for 31 December 2011; To commend the progress made in the political process in Iraq and the 4. government's role in establishing the principle of democracy, which culminated with great success in the holding of provincial elections on 31 January 2009 and parliamentary and presidential elections in the Kurdistan Region on 25 July 2009, with a delegation from the League of Arab States among the monitoring team; To follow up the outcomes of the International Compact with Iraq initiative, 5. launched at the international conference hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt (Sharm el-Sheikh, 3 May 2007); to call upon all concerned parties to fulfil their commitments as stipulated in the document of the International Compact with Iraq; to follow up the outcomes of the Expanded Ministerial Conference of the Neighbouring Countries of Iraq and the outputs of the meetings of the subsidiary working groups on fuel and energy; to assist displaced persons; security cooperation and coordination; and to affirm the importance of continuing these efforts to reinforce regional and international support to assist Iraq; To welcome Security Council resolution 1770 (2007) on expanding the role of 6. the United Nations in Iraq in respect of the provision of support and assistance, as well as positive collaboration toward progress in political dialogue and national reconciliation; to call for a strengthening of the role of the United Nations in assisting Iraq; and to affirm the importance of maintaining cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States for the success of these efforts; To undertake to implement resolution 375 (Riyadh, 29 March 2007) of the 7. 19th ordinary session, resolution 415 (Damascus, 30 March 2008) of the 20th ordinary session and resolution 459 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level; to respond promptly to Iraq's request for the reopening of Arab diplomatic missions in Iraq; to commend the initiative of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Syrian Arab Republic, the State of Kuwait and the Arab Republic of Egypt to reopen their diplomatic missions in Baghdad and raise their diplomatic missions to ambassadorial level in order to strengthen their bilateral relations with Iraq; and to commend the announcement by the Republic of Yemen of its appointment of an ambassador in Baghdad; To condemn vigorously terrorist acts which target the people and institutions 8. of Iraq, considering these as a threat to peace and security, as stated in Security Council resolution 1618 (2005) and, in particular, the latest terrorist attacks on 34 10-46641 S/2010/204 19 August 2009, 25 October 2009, 8 December 2009 and 25 January 2010 against sovereign institutions of State, including the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, justice and municipalities; to welcome the serious steps taken by the Iraqi government to implement the security plan to establish the rule of law and the positive results achieved by the plan in reducing violence, stabilising the security situation, hunting down the sources of violence, terrorism and threats to the security of citizens and arresting the armed killers of terrorist organizations, remnants of the previous regime, death squads, sectarian militias and organized crime gangs; and to support government measures to decommission illegal weapons, provide services, return émigrés to their regions and homes and implement a programme of national reconciliation; To support the efforts of the Iraqi government to rebuild its security 9. institutions on national and professional bases, particularly after the handover of responsibility for security in the whole of Iraq; to increase the scale of active Arab participation in those efforts by training, developing and modernising the Iraqi army and police force in methods and techniques to enable them to confront terrorist schemes against the Iraqi people and institutions of the national government; and to make an effective contribution to the upgrading of Iraqi staff in various fields; 10. To commend the cancellation of Iraqi debt by the United Arab Emirates, to reaffirm resolution 415 (Damascus, 30 March 2008) of the 20th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level and affirm the need for Arab States to review the Iraqi debt they hold with a view to cancelling or reducing it, following the example of the brotherly initiative of the United Arab Emirates, pursuant to paragraph 8 of resolution 375 (Riyadh, 29 March 2007) of the 19th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level; 11. To play an effective part in helping Iraq to drive forward the economic development process; to participate actively in the reconstruction and upgrading of the various sectors; to strengthen Arab investment in Iraq; to call upon the organizations and institutions of Joint Arab Action to contribute effectively to Iraq's reconstruction and development, on the basis of need and in accordance with the expertise and resources available to them; and to commend the Arab Republic of Egypt's role of strategic cooperation in investment and development and vigorous entry into Iraqi markets; 12. To condemn once more the grave violations of human rights that occurred during the occupation of the State of Kuwait and the erasing of the facts relating to Kuwaiti and other prisoners and missing persons, some of whose remains have been found in mass graves; to express deep condolences to the families of victims whose remains have been identified and concern at the ordeal of those whose whereabouts remain unknown; and to commend the cooperation of the Iraqi government and its efforts to discover the fate of all Kuwaiti and other missing persons and prisoners. Iraq expresses its gratitude to the State of Kuwait for providing US$ 1 million to the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights in support of its efforts in this regard. 13. To affirm the importance of continuing the efforts of the League of Arab States and its mission in Iraq to support and assist Iraq in a variety of areas and to call on States which have not yet paid their share of the budget for the opening and ongoing operation of the mission to do so promptly; 10-46641 35 S/2010/204 14. To support Iraq's legal position with respect to its historical and acquired rights to water and to affirm the commitment to principles of fair distribution and use of water based on international law and custom; to affirm the need to determine a just and reasonable share of water for each riparian State and the importance of concluding partnership agreements in this regard; and to call upon States and companies which are financing dam and irrigation projects to halt such financing; 15. To affirm respect for Iraq's international borders with neighbouring States, non-violation of its national sovereignty, adherence to international law, resort to diplomatic solutions through direct dialogue to resolve any problem between Iraq and its neighbours and commitment to joint action against all terrorist activities, including the stirring up of sectarian and ethnic chauvinism and issuing of fatwas inciting terrorism and domestic strife, which affect the security and stability of the States of the region and their common interests; 16. To request the Secretary-General to monitor the situation and submit a report thereon to the next ordinary session of the Council. (Summit resolution 509, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The Iranian occupation of the Arabian Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, belonging to the United Arab Emirates The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, Affirming previous resolutions in this regard, most recently resolution 460 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level on the occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran of the three Arabian Gulf islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, belonging to the United Arab Emirates, In the light of the proposal of Brother Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, on referral of the case to the International Court of Justice, Resolves 1. To affirm unreservedly the full sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over the three islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa and to support all peaceful measures and means taken by the United Arab Emirates to regain sovereignty over its occupied islands; To reject the continued consolidation by the Iranian government of its 2. occupation of the three islands and violation of the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates, which disrupts the security and stability of the region and threatens international peace and security; To condemn the construction by the Iranian government of housing facilities 3. on the three occupied Arab islands to settle Iranians; 4. To condemn Iranian military manoeuvres involving the three occupied islands of the United Arab Emirates and in the territorial waters, airspace, continental shelf and exclusive economic zone of the three islands, which are an indivisible part of 36 10-46641 S/2010/204 the United Arab Emirates, and to demand that Iran cease such violations and provocative actions, which are considered to be an interference in the internal affairs of an independent, sovereign State, do not help in building trust, threaten the region's security and stability and put the security and safety of regional and international shipping in the Arabian Gulf at risk; To condemn Iran for opening two offices on the island of Abu Musa, which 5. belongs to the United Arab Emirates, and to call upon Iran to remove these unlawful facilities and respect the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates over its territory; To call once more upon the government of Iran to end its occupation of the 6. three islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates, refrain from de facto imposition by force, halt the construction of any facility on the islands designed to alter their population and demographic composition, annul all measures and remove all facilities constructed unilaterally by Iran on the three Arab islands, given that such measures and claims are null and void, have no legal force, do not diminish the firm right of the United Arab Emirates to its three islands and are actions in violation of international law and the Geneva Convention (1949); and to demand that Iran follow peaceful means to resolve the dispute in accordance with the principles and rules of international law, including accepting referral of the case to the International Court of Justice; To express the hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran will reconsider its refusal 7. to find a peaceful solution to the issue of the three occupied islands belonging to the United Arab Emirates, either through serious and direct negotiations or by recourse to the International Court of Justice; To demand that Iran translate its declared wish for improved relations, 8. dialogue and easing of tension with the Arab States into practical and tangible measures, in word and deed, by responding genuinely to the serious and sincere calls from His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, the States of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf, the Arab States, international blocs, friendly States and the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations to resolve the dispute over the three occupied islands by peaceful means, in accordance with established practice, international charters and the tenets of international law, through serious and direct negotiations or resort to the International Court of Justice, in order to build trust and strengthen security and stability in the Arabian Gulf region; To request Brother Leader Muammar al-Qadhafi, Guide of the First of 9. September Great Revolution, to use his good offices with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Arab Emirates to ensure that they accept referral of the case to the International Court of Justice; 10. That all Arab States, in their communications with Iran, undertake to raise the issue of its occupation of the three islands in order to underline the necessity of ending it on the grounds that the three islands are occupied Arab territories; 11. To inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations and President of the Security Council of the importance of the issue remaining before the Security Council until Iran ends its occupation of the three Arab islands and the United Arab Emirates recovers full sovereignty; 10-46641 37 S/2010/204 12. To request the Secretary-General to monitor the situation and present a report to the next ordinary session of the Council. (Summit resolution 510, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Addressing the losses and measures resulting from the dispute over the Lockerbie affair The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, Affirming its relevant resolutions, most recently resolution 461 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Referring to the relevant resolutions of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, most recently resolution 7166 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session; Recalling the extensive losses suffered by the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from the sanctions imposed upon it, Resolves To affirm the legitimate right of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to seek compensation for the material and human losses caused by the sanctions imposed upon it. (Summit resolution 511, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Rejection of the unilateral United States' sanctions on the Syrian Arab Republic The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, Expressing once again surprise and concern at the passing by the United States Congress of the so-called Syria Accountability Act and the executive order signed by the US President on 11 May 2004 decreeing the unilateral imposition of sanctions outside the framework of international legitimacy, Having taken cognizance of the statements, declarations and resolutions of various international governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations expressing the international community's repudiation of any State setting its national legislation above international law with the aim of infringing the sovereignty and interests of other States and peoples, Observing that the unilateral imposition of arbitrary laws conflicts with the rules and approach of the World Trade Organization, which prohibit measures designed to obstruct the freedom of international trade and shipping, Expressing surprise at the passing of this United States law against an Arab country fundamental to the stability and security of the region at a time when the United States is seeking cooperation with the Arab States to combat international 38 10-46641 S/2010/204 terrorism and achieve the reforms necessary to create the broadest possible partnership between both sides, Upholding resolution 420 (Damascus, 30 March 2008) of the 20th ordinary session and resolution 463 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States, Resolves 1. To reject the so-called Syria Accountability Act as a breach of the principles of international law, resolutions of the United Nations and the Charter of the League of Arab States and as giving primacy to the laws of the United States over international law; To stand in full solidarity with the Syrian Arab Republic and appreciate its 2. position calling for the primacy of the language of dialogue and diplomacy as a means of mutual understanding and the resolution of disputes between States, and to call upon the United States administration to enter in good faith into constructive dialogue with Syria to find the best way of settling the issues hindering improved relations between the two countries; To request the current United States administration to reconsider and abolish 3. this Act, which is blatantly biased in favour of Israel and will result in a deterioration of the situation and squandering of opportunities to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, in addition to gravely undermining Arab interests; To affirm that the abolition of this Act by the current United States 4. administration would be a positive initiative and a move towards a policy free of double standards; To request the Secretary-General to monitor implementation of this resolution 5. and submit a report thereon to the next ordinary session of the Council. (Summit resolution 512, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The unjust embargo imposed on Syria and the Sudan by the United States with regard to the purchase or leasing of aircraft and spare parts and resulting threat to the safety and security of civil aviation The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the 36th session of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Arab Ministers of Transport (12 April 2006), Affirming resolution 351, clause 2, paragraphs 2 and 3 (Khartoum, 29 March 2006) of the 18th ordinary session and resolution 464 (Doha, 30 March 2010) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Resolves 1. To affirm the right of all Arab States to develop their air fleet in a liberal and competitive setting without the hindrance of conditions or a political embargo; 10-46641 39 S/2010/204 2. To reject the embargo imposed on Syria and the Sudan concerning the purchase or leasing of aircraft and spare parts and to regard it as a violation of the principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the Charter of the League of Arab States and a violation of human rights and international conventions on civil aviation; To call upon all Arab States to seek, with all concerned States and international 3. and regional organizations concerned with civil aviation, in particular civil aviation safety, to have this embargo on Syrian and Sudanese civil aviation and Syrian and Sudanese aviation companies lifted so that they are able to purchase and lease aircraft, spare parts and equipment to ensure the security and safety of civil aviation for all passengers of different nationalities who use Syrian and Sudanese aircraft and airports; To request the Secretariat-General to follow up this matter and submit a report 4. on the outcome of its liaison to the next session of the Council. (Summit resolution 513, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Rejection of the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court concerning H.E. President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir of the Republic of the Sudan The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, Having listened to the submission of the head of the delegation of the Republic of the Sudan, Affirming the resolution of the extraordinary session of Arab Ministers of Foreign Affairs (4 March 2009), the resolution of 133rd session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level (March 2010) and the resolutions of previous Arab summits on support for peace, development and unity in the Sudan, most recently the resolution of the Doha summit (March 2009), Taking note of the communiqués and resolutions of several regional and international organizations calling for the need to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Sudan and to support efforts for peace among its people, Cautioning that the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court will, under the guise of criminal justice, undermine the principle of the sovereignty of States and damage the current peace process in the Sudan, Noting that the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I failed to take into account the efforts of the government of the Sudan, under the leadership of President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, to extinguish the flames of war which have been raging for half a century in the south of Sudan, his efforts to establish the foundations for a comprehensive peace agreement in the south and his endeavours to establish peace in the Sudan in general and in Darfur in particular, just as it also disregarded Afro-Arab efforts to resolve the Darfur crisis, Commending the efforts of the State of Qatar in concluding the signing in Doha (23 February 2010) of the framework agreement between the Sudanese 40 10-46641 S/2010/204 government and the Justice and Equality Movement, under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, and the signing in Doha (18 March 2010) of the framework agreement and ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement, under the generous patronage of His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of the State of Qatar, Appreciating the efforts of the Arab States and the neighbouring States of the Sudan, in particular the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, to end the Darfur crisis, Resolves 1. To affirm solidarity with and support for the Sudan in opposing the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court concerning President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, which is designed to prejudice his legitimately elected leadership and the unity, security, stability and sovereignty of the Sudan, and which adversely affects the timely efforts to establish peace, particularly the Agreement of Goodwill and Confidence-building signed in Doha (17 February 2009) and other peace agreements, and to call for support for Sudanese dialogue in accordance with the Afro-Arab initiative and endeavours of the State of Qatar in this regard; To affirm that the referral by the Security Council of the situation in Darfur, 2. which is an internal dispute, to the International Criminal Court, is inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations; To step up visits by Arab leaders and officials to the Sudan as an expression of 3. solidarity; 4. To consider the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court concerning President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir as a serious precedent, targeting a head of State who continues to perform the duties of his position, and a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and the tenets of international customary law, and to reject that decision together with all effects arising therefrom; To reject the referral to the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal 5. Court by the prosecutor of Pre-Trial Chamber I of an appeal for reconsideration of the addition of the charge of genocide, holding this to be a step prejudicial to Arab and African efforts currently underway in Doha to advance the peace process in Darfur, and to reject all effects arising from this referral; To call for the measures taken by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International 6. Criminal Court to be overturned, particularly as the Sudan is not a member of this court, and to call upon the Security Council to assume its responsibilities to establish peace and stability in the Sudan; To reject attempts to politicize the principles of international justice and use 7. them to undermine the sovereignty, unity and independence of States under the guise of international criminal justice; To call for an evaluation of the Arab position toward the International Criminal 8. Court and to request all Arab States to refrain from responding to measures by the International Criminal Court with regard to President Umar Hassan Ahmad alBashir of the Republic of the Sudan; 10-46641 41 S/2010/204 9. To call upon the Security Council and international and regional organizations to support the current efforts to establish peace in Darfur and to urge the permanent Member States of the Security Council to reach a united position to protect peace and stability in the Sudan and afford the opportunity to make progress on the track of a political settlement of the Darfur crisis; 10. To devote the necessary attention to achieving peace between the Sudanese parties involved in the Darfur crisis; to support the timely efforts of the government of national unity to achieve a comprehensive peace in Darfur; to caution that the decision of the International Criminal Court will have an adverse impact on these efforts in particular, as well as on the other peace agreements; to express appreciation at the legal, legislative and judicial measures taken by the Sudan to deal with the Darfur crisis; and to affirm the need to afford the opportunity to the independent Sudanese judiciary, which is desirous and capable of achieving full justice; 11. To call upon the armed movements which have not signed the Abuja Peace Agreement to join the political process, respond to the Afro-Arab peace efforts and assume their responsibilities to strengthen the opportunities to achieve peace and stability in the Sudan; 12. To commend the steadfastness of the Sudanese people and the tenacity of its domestic front in opposing the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court; 13. To commend the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General and his aides to achieve peace in the Sudan and to call upon him to continue to coordinate positions with the African Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Group of Non-Aligned Countries to counter adverse repercussions on the stability of the Sudan and to submit a report to the next session of the Council; 14. To keep the Council in permanent session to monitor developments in the situation. (Summit resolution 514, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Support for peace, development and unity in the Republic of the Sudan The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Having listened to the submission of the head of the delegation of the Republic of the Sudan on the current efforts to bring peace to Darfur and efforts to hold general elections in the Sudan, Reaffirming respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Sudan and calling upon all States to affirm this commitment in practice and support the endeavours designed to achieve peace throughout the Sudan, Affirming the previous resolutions of Arab summits in this regard, the most recent being those of the Doha summit (2009) on support for peace, unity and 42 10-46641 S/2010/204 development in the Republic of the Sudan and rejection of the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court concerning his Excellency President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, Affirming the resolutions of the 131st and 132nd sessions on support for peace, unity and development in the Republic of the Sudan, the resolution of the 132nd session on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, the El-Fasher Declaration adopted at the meeting of the Council of the League of Arab States at delegate level (14 February 2010) and the resolution adopted at the 133rd session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level (March 2010), Taking note of reports published by international and regional organisations indicating an improvement in the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur, particularly that of the African Union summit (31 January 2010), Welcoming the communiqué issued by the meeting of the special envoys for the Sudan held in the Rwandan capital, Kigali (Saturday, 27 February 2010), which affirmed, inter alia, the positive developments and improvement in the humanitarian and security situation in Darfur, called for elections to be held on time in the Sudan and the transition to a process of reconstruction and development in Darfur, and noted the impact upon its conclusions, particularly concerning the transition to a process of reconstruction and development in Darfur, of Arab projects implemented by the Secretariat-General and the government of the Sudan on the ground in the Sudan, Commending the efforts of the Secretariat-General to convene a conference on investment and development in Southern Sudan (Juba, 23 February 2010), chaired by Salva Kiir Mayardit, First Vice-President of the Republic and President of the Government of Southern Sudan, with the presence of the Secretary-General and participation of some one hundred representatives of Joint Arab Action organisations and the private sector, and affirming the joint statement released by this conference encouraging a climate of peace, development, stability and unity in the Sudan. Resolves I. The situation in Darfur 1. To affirm solidarity with the Sudan and total rejection of any attempt to undermine its sovereignty, unity, security, stability and the symbols of its national sovereignty; To welcome the framework agreement signed in Doha (23 February 2010) 2. between the Sudanese government and the Justice and Equality Movement, under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar; to call upon the Darfurian groups to join the efforts for a final peace settlement as soon as possible in order to consolidate peace and stability in Darfur and advance the process of development and reconstruction; to commend His Highness's patronage of the efforts of the Afro-Arab ministerial committee on the settlement of the Darfur crisis; and to express gratitude and appreciation for His Highness's initiative in seeking to establish a development bank in Darfur with capital of US$ 2 billion and in partnership with those States and organisations that so wish, with the goal of rebuilding what the conflict destroyed and of driving the wheel of sustainable development in Darfur; 10-46641 43 S/2010/204 3. To welcome the framework agreement and ceasefire agreement signed in Doha (18 March 2010) by the Sudanese government and the Liberation and Justice Movement, under the generous patronage of His Highness Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of the State of Qatar; To commend the efforts of the governments of the Sudan and Chad to 4. normalise, strengthen and develop fraternal relations on all fronts; and to commend the initiative of the President of Chad, Idriss Déby, on the signing of the framework agreement between the Sudanese government and the Justice and Equality Movement; To support the efforts of the Afro-Arab ministerial committee, chaired by the 5. Prime Minister of the State of Qatar, with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in collaboration with the joint intermediary of the African Union and United Nations, to reach a comprehensive and final peace agreement in Darfur, within the framework of the current peace negotiations in Doha; To appreciate the timely patronage by the State of Qatar of these negotiations 6. and the efforts of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Arab Republic of Egypt in helping to unify the negotiating positions of the armed Darfurian insurgent movements in order to arrive at a final and comprehensive peace agreement in Darfur; and to appreciate the efforts of those Arab States which have backed the negotiations; To express appreciation for the liaison efforts undertaken by the Secretary7. General within the framework of monitoring the resolutions of the Doha summit (March 2009) on support for peace, unity and development in the Republic of the Sudan and rejection of the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Court, and to call upon the Secretary-General to continue his liaison efforts; To commend the efforts of the League of Arab States and the Secretary8. General in acting to bring about peace in the Sudan; to call upon the SecretaryGeneral to continue to coordinate positions with the African Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Group of Non-Aligned Countries to support the peace negotiations in Doha, strengthen the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur and counter any adverse repercussions on the stability of the Sudan; and to call upon him to follow up these efforts and submit a report thereon to the next session of the Council; II. The humanitarian situation in Darfur 1. To welcome the visit of the Council of the League of Arab States to the three states of Darfur, the opening of the voluntary return village projects being implemented by the League and the historic meeting of the Council of the League at delegate level in Darfur in implementation of resolution 7093 (9 September 2009) of the 132nd ordinary session of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, and to commend the Sudanese government for bearing the administrative costs of the voluntary return village projects implemented by the Arab League in Darfur; To commend the growing, direct Arab developmental role in Darfur; to 2. commend the bilateral efforts, whether at Arab League level or in respect of fulfilling the pledges of the Arab conference on humanitarian support for Darfur, 44 10-46641 S/2010/204 between the Sudan, the Arab States and Arab funds; to express appreciation to those States which have fulfilled their pledges in this respect; and to call upon Member States to continue their efforts to support the humanitarian situation in Darfur; To appreciate the efforts of the joint mechanism of the League of Arab States 3. and the Sudanese government; to call upon it to continue implementing the voluntary return projects and projects to support and strengthen the humanitarian situation, including the dispatch of mobile clinics to the three states of Darfur; and to affirm the importance of this mechanism continuing to support the initiative of the League of Arab States to equip the villages of Darfur with basic services, alongside the provision of direct humanitarian assistance, to encourage voluntary return; To welcome the steady improvement in the security and humanitarian situation 4. in most parts of Darfur and to appreciate the timely efforts in this regard of the Sudanese government, in collaboration with the Arab States, the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States and international and regional bodies; To support the efforts of the Sudanese government to improve the 5. humanitarian situation in Darfur and to support the projects for the voluntary return of displaced persons to their original villages; To thank those Arab States which have paid their contributions to the fund to 6. support the African Union forces which, by resolution of the Damascus summit, has been diverted to supporting the humanitarian situation, with the result that the voluntary return villages which have been opened have been equipped with essential services; and to call upon those States which have not fulfilled their obligations to do so promptly to enable the voluntary return projects to continue; To extend gratitude to all Arab States which have fulfilled their obligations in 7. implementation of the Doha summit resolution to provide monthly support to alleviate the situation of the victims in Darfur, and to urge the remaining Arab States to pay their contributions to financial support of US$ 8 million per month for one year, as resolved by the Doha summit (2009); To extend gratitude to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States for 8. his effective and unprecedented efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Darfur, to call upon the Secretariat-General to continue its efforts on this front and to submit a report thereon to the next session of the Council; III. Elections in the Sudan 1. To call upon the Secretariat-General to continue its efforts with the Sudanese government to support implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including its call for the need to make unity an attractive option, and to counter any difficulties in implementation, and to affirm the need to support the current efforts to ensure that general elections are held as scheduled in April 2010; To support the efforts of the Sudanese government to hold general elections in 2. April 2010 and secure the pillars of stability in the Sudan; 3. To welcome the participation of a technical mission from the SecretariatGeneral of the League of Arab States to monitor the elections in the Sudan; 10-46641 45 S/2010/204 IV. Southern Sudan 1. To call upon the partners for peace in the Sudan and all Sudanese political forces to work to make Sudanese unity an attractive option, pursuant to the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement; To welcome the political will of the Sudanese partners for peace to implement 2. the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the current, timely efforts to hold general elections in the country in April 2010; To welcome the outcome of the Arab conference on investment and 3. development in Southern Sudan (Juba, 23 February 2010), to extend gratitude to the Joint Arab Action organisations and Arab investors and businessmen who took part in the conference, and to call upon the joint mechanism of the Sudanese government, the government of Southern Sudan and the Secretariat-General to follow up implementation of conference recommendations; To welcome the outcome of the IGAD conference (Nairobi 9 March 2010) to 4. foster the peace agreement in the Sudan, which affirmed monitoring of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the referendum to determine the future of the South and the holding of general elections; To call upon Arab civil society organisations and the sport and culture sectors 5. to establish literary, cultural and sporting activities and events in Southern Sudan to further the efforts for stability and peace throughout Sudan; To request the Secretariat-General to call upon Member States, the Arab 6. Monetary Fund and relevant Arab finance funds to hold a meeting to investigate the treatment of Sudanese debt to support the peace process and stimulate development and reconstruction efforts in all parts of the Sudan. (Summit resolution 515, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Support for the option of Sudanese unity The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having listened to the contribution of His Excellency Umar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of the Sudan, in closed session, Standing in solidarity with the Sudan and rejecting any attempt to undermine its sovereignty, unity, security and stability, Resolves 1. To affirm the importance of intensifying Arab efforts to make Sudanese unity an attractive option, pursuant to the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement; 2. To provide financial support to the unity support fund, which implements economic and service projects in Southern Sudan and whose work is devoted to driving the wheel of development in the South in order to strengthen the links between the North and South and promote social and cultural contact; To call upon the Arab States to make efforts to support the option of Sudanese 3. unity and to offer support for the unity option, especially with Western nations and African States, to make clear the danger of separation for the Sudan and the entire 46 10-46641 S/2010/204 Horn of Africa, as well as its adverse effects on the unity and stability of the African continent. (Summit resolution 516, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Support for the Republic of Somalia The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Affirming its previous resolutions in this regard, Resolves 1. To welcome the moves of the President of the Republic of Somalia and the new Somali government to foster national reconciliation with all elements of Somali society, inside the country and abroad, pursuant to the Djibouti Agreement and other relevant agreements, and to urge all Somali parties of whatever persuasion to support this agreement and all national reconciliation programmes; To welcome the agreement signed between the Somali government and the 2. Ahlu Sunna Waljama a group (Addis Ababa, 13 February 2010); 3. To condemn all operations aimed at obstructing the course of reconciliation and to call on the parties which have not joined the reconciliation process to review their position and relinquish violence in order to achieve national accord and spread security and stability throughout Somalia, with the Secretariat-General continuing to provide financial and humanitarian support to the Somali reconciliation process; To support the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the joint 4. forces, to condemn any military operations aimed at harming African Union forces in Somalia, to call upon African States to contribute troops in order to complete the deployment of the African forces, to call upon Member States to continue providing financial and logistical support for such deployment and to urge States which have not paid their contribution to the Somalia support fund to do so promptly; To support the African Union request for the deployment of United Nations 5. forces to replace African forces as soon as possible and to request the United Nations to take the necessary measures and steps to ensure speedy deployment of these forces; To call upon member States to support the positive developments in Somalia 6. and provide the various forms of support needed to enable the constitutional institutions proceeding from the Djibouti peace agreement to build State institutions and establish security, stability and comprehensive national reconciliation, and to provide support for the creation of the Somali forces stipulated in the Djibouti peace agreements, enabling them to assume the task of maintaining security and stability in the country to ensure the continuity of existing Somali institutions; To reject any attempts to internationalize the Red Sea area and to strengthen 7. Arab cooperation to achieve security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, bearing in 10-46641 47 S/2010/204 mind that it is the responsibility of Arab States with Red Sea coastlines to safeguard their shores; 8. To call upon Member States to provide all means of financial and material support to the new Somali government to enable it to operate the institutions of State, implement its security, stability and reconciliation programmes and provide public services to the Somali people; To call upon Member States to implement Doha summit resolution 467 on the 9. provision of immediate financial support of US$ 3 million per month for six months in support of the budget of the Somali government, and to extend gratitude to those States which have fulfilled their obligations regarding implementation of this resolution; 10. To call upon Member States, Arab organizations, Arab funds, the competent ministerial councils and Arab non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian support to the Somali people to help alleviate their suffering; 11. To request the Secretariat-General to pursue its efforts with the new Somali government and World Health Organization to re-equip seven hospitals in various regions of Somalia and to dispatch medical convoys to all parts of Somalia to support the health sector and supply hospitals with the necessary medicines; 12. To welcome the efforts of the Secretariat-General, in coordination with the Somali government and the United Nations Development Programme, to implement a programme to disarm the militias and a project for development of the Somali livestock sector, and to call upon Arab States to take the necessary measures to lift the ban on Somalia's livestock exports; 13. To call upon Member States to contribute to the costs of Somali diplomatic and consular missions accredited to their countries and to request councils of Arab ambassadors to help in shouldering the costs of Somali diplomatic missions and missions accredited to international and regional organizations overseas; 14. To request the ministerial committee on Somalia to continue its efforts to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation and efforts to reconstruct and rebuild Somalia; 15. To task the Secretariat-General with making thorough preparations for the convening, in 2010, of a conference on the reconstruction of Somalia, in coordination with the African Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations, at which the Somali government will present its development plan and the necessary feasibility studies and in which Member States and Arab finance and investment funds will participate; 16. To extend gratitude to the Secretary-General for his efforts to achieve Somali reconciliation and for the endeavours of the Secretariat-General in that context, to request the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to monitor implementation of this resolution and submit a report thereon to the next session of the Council. (Summit resolution 517, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 48 10-46641 S/2010/204 Union of the Comoros Support for the Union of the Comoros The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, memorandum 17/10 (16 March 2010) of the Permanent Representative of the Union of the Comoros to the League of Arab States and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Affirming its previous resolutions in this regard, Resolves 1. To affirm its consummate wish for the national unity, territorial integrity and regional sovereignty of the Union of the Comoros; 2. To appreciate the joint efforts of the League of Arab States, the African Union, the United Nations and the neighbouring States, particularly in relation to continued implementation of the national reconciliation agreement, and to call upon the Secretariat-General and regional and international organisations and States concerned with the situation in the Union of the Comoros to continue their efforts in this regard; To welcome the results of the legislative elections held in the Union of the 3. Comoros in December 2009, which were conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, and the positive impact thereof on the building of Comorian State institutions; and to appreciate the participation of the Secretariat-General in monitoring and funding the elections, in coordination with the African Union; To welcome the establishment of the Comoros Congress, composed of deputies 4. of the Assembly of the Union and the islands' representatives, with the power to decide on the date to schedule the elections for the President of the Union and Presidents of the Islands, in accordance with the constitution; to applaud the launch of the inter-Comorian dialogue on 3-7 March 2009, supported and sponsored by the international community in partnership with the League of Arab States, with the goal of bringing together the concerned Comorian parties to review the constitution and amend certain of its articles in order to improve the performance of Comorian institutions, effect a proper division of powers between the central authorities and the autonomous islands' authorities and reduce the burden of multiple elections and the country's complex institutional and administrative infrastructure; and to welcome, too, the promulgation of a presidential decree (26 February 2010) convening the said Congress, which commenced proceedings on 1 March 2010 and resolved, at its first session, to hold elections for the President of the Union and Presidents of the Islands on 27 November 2011; To call upon Member States to implement resolution 468 (2009) of the Doha 5. summit on the provision of immediate financial support of US$ 2 million per month for one year to the Comorian government, and to extend gratitude to those States which have fulfilled their obligations regarding implementation of this resolution; To affirm the Comorian identity of the island of Mayotte, reject the French 6. occupation thereof and call on France to pursue dialogue with the Comorian 10-46641 49 S/2010/204 government to arrive at a solution guaranteeing the return of the island of Mayotte to Comorian sovereignty; 7. To affirm non-recognition of the results of the referendum held by France on 29 March 2009 on annexing the Comoros island of Mayotte and turning it into a French département and to consider the measures taken by France pursuant to the results of this referendum to be unlawful and invalid, giving rise to no rights and establishing no obligations; To back the action plan adopted by the extraordinary summit of the African 8. Union (Tripoli, 30-31 August 2009) on the investigation and settlement of disputes in Africa, which affirmed the desire for the unity and integrity of Comorian territory in accordance with the resolutions of the African Union relating to the Comorian island of Mayotte; to call for the re-activation of the Committee of Seven on the Question of the Comorian Island of Mayotte and the need for a meeting of this group on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the United Nations; and to affirm that, in law, the territorial integrity of the African continent may not be infringed by referenda organised by foreign powers on African soil; To welcome the steps taken and efforts made by the State of Qatar and the 9. Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, resulting in the success of the conference on development and investment in the Union of the Comoros (Doha, 9-10 March 2010), where pledges reached US$ 540 million; to express gratitude to Member States and charitable and humanitarian organisations and associations for their effective participation in the proceedings of the said conference; and to call upon donor States to fulfil their pledges swiftly to enable the Comorian government to implement the proposed projects; 10. To call upon Member States which have not paid their financial contributions to the Comoros support account to do so, in implementation of the Doha summit resolution (2009); 11. To call upon Member States and Arab financial institutions to contribute to the provision of US$ 10.7 million to help the Union of the Comoros benefit from the programme in the wake of the political and constitutional crisis currently being negotiated by the Comoros government and the International Monetary Fund; 12. To extend gratitude to those Member States which have provided additional financial and development support, to call on the remaining States to increase their financial support for the Union of the Comoros and to appeal to Arab financial and investment funds, in particular the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development (AFESD), to provide development support for the Union of the Comoros in various fields, in particular for Walida National University; 13. To call upon Member States and Arab financial institutions and parties to address Comorian debt, as a contribution to the path of peace and development in the country; 14. To request the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to provide all possible assistance to promote Arabic language education in the Union of the Comoros; 15. To extend gratitude to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for its initiative in opening an embassy in the capital of the Union of the Comoros, Moroni, and to the Secretariat-General for opening a mission in the Union of the 50 10-46641 S/2010/204 Comoros and to call upon member States to open diplomatic missions in the country; 16. To appeal to Member States to contribute to the costs of Comorian diplomatic missions and to urge the councils of Arab ambassadors to contribute to the cost of Comorian diplomatic missions and missions accredited to international and regional organizations overseas; 17. To express appreciation at the efforts of the Secretary-General in implementing development projects in the Union of the Comoros and cooperating with regional and international organizations to achieve Comorian reconciliation, and to request the Secretary-General to continue providing development aid to the Union of the Comoros in the light of the sums received by the Arab League's Comoros support fund and to submit a report thereon to the next ordinary session of the Council at summit level. (Summit resolution 518, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Follow-up of the output of the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Welcoming the final communiqué on the outcome of the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros (Doha, 9-10 March 2010) and the pledges declared at this conference by Arab, Islamic and Western States, the Arab private sector and Arab and Islamic civil society organisations and associations, in the light of the development plans and feasibility studies presented to participants, Welcoming the steps taken by the Union of Comoros, the State of Qatar and the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States to prepare thoroughly for the successful convening of the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros, in implementation of the relevant Arab summit resolutions, In response to the proposal of His Excellency Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, President of the Union of the Comoros, for the creation of a practical mechanism to enable the Comorian economy to develop its autonomous capacities and take advantage of the pledges announced by international donors, Affirming its previous resolutions in this regard, Resolves 1. To form a higher committee to include the major donors and the League of Arab States to monitor fulfillment of donors' pledges, the management of development projects in the Comoros Islands and the management of the special Union of the Comoros development and investment fund; a technical coordination committee, with its seat of operations in the Comorian capital, Moroni, shall be attached to the higher committee; 10-46641 51 S/2010/204 2. To create a mechanism in the form of a multi-party trust fund, to be called "Fund for development and investment in the Comoros Islands", the resources of which shall consist of the voluntary contributions of governments, the private sector and civil society announced at the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros, or subsequently; the Fund is designed to support development in the Comoros Islands; To benefit from the technical expertise of the Islamic Development Bank in 3. respect of fund management and technical and financial oversight; 4. To adopt fund statutes and operating mechanisms in accordance with the attached document. (Summit resolution 519, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Annex Statutes and operating mechanisms of the Fund The institutional arrangements for the management of the Fund for development and investment in the Comoros Islands shall be as follows: I. An executive committee, the term of which shall be five years, shall function as the board of directors of the Fund for development and investment in the Comoros Islands. It shall meet twice a year or as required. (a) Duties: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Scrutiny of accounts; Approval of the budget and yearly action programmes; Approval of projects; Approval of general policy; Submission of reports on its business to the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, preceding the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in March; Representatives of the four largest donors at the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros which are, currently, the State of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the State of Kuwait; meetings shall be held at ministry of finance undersecretary level; Representative of the government of the Union of the Comoros; Representative of the League of Arab States; Representative of the Islamic Development Bank; Representative of civil society organisations; Representative of the business sector; (b) The committee shall consist of: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. II. The technical coordination committee shall have its headquarters at the office of partnership (the office of the League of Arab States in the Comorian capital, 52 10-46641 S/2010/204 Moroni), until such time as separate, properly equipped office space is provided, which shall also house the work requirements of the private sector and civil society representatives; (a) Duties: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (b) General programme planning for Fund-financed projects; Scrutiny of files prepared by the technical secretariat (to be formed in consultation with the government of the Union of the Comoros); Presentation of files to the executive committee for decisions to be taken; Review of financial documentation; Preparation of periodic reports on activity; Constitution of the committee: The committee shall be constituted at its first meeting, following consultations between the relevant agencies of the Comorian government, the League of Arab States, the Islamic Development Bank and the State of Qatar (sponsor of the conference in support of development and investment in the Union of the Comoros, representing donors), in close collaboration with the office of the United Nations Development Programme in the Union of the Comoros and other relevant United Nations agencies. The tense situation on the Djibouti-Eritrean border, in the Ras Doumeira region of Djibouti The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and resolution 7172 (3 March 2010) of 133rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, Resolves 1. To reaffirm the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial unity and integrity of the Republic of Djibouti and to reject aggression against Djiboutian territory; To call once again for respect for the principles of good-neighbourliness and 2. non-violation of the border between the two countries as on the eve of independence; To welcome Security Council resolution 1862 (14 January 2009), which calls 3. upon Eritrea to withdraw its forces immediately and no later than five weeks after adoption of the resolution; To demand that Eritrea implement all clauses of resolution 1862 (2009) in 4. order to end by peaceful means the state of tension arising from the border dispute between Djibouti and Eritrea and restore the situation to as it was prior to 4 February 2008; 10-46641 53 S/2010/204 5. To call upon Eritrea to hand over prisoners and missing persons to the International Committee of the Red Cross, as Djibouti has done, as a gesture of goodwill; To welcome the decision of the Republic of Djibouti to withdraw its forces to 6. their earlier positions in response to the Security Council resolution; 7. To welcome Security Council resolution 1907 (23 December 2009) on the imposition of sanctions on Eritrea; 8. To request the Secretary-General and the Arab Peace and Security Council to continue their efforts to address the issue in order to safeguard the rights of Djibouti, and to submit a report on these efforts to the Council of the League of Arab States when it next convenes; To task the Secretariat-General with conducting the necessary liaison to 9. address the situation, end the tension and stop the confrontation on the DjiboutiEritrean border; 10. To extend gratitude to the Secretary-General for his efforts in monitoring this matter and his timely dispatch of a fact-finding mission to the Ras Doumeira region on 9-11 May 2008. (Summit resolution 520, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The formulation of a united Arab position on practical measures to be taken to make the Middle East a nuclear weapon-free zone The collective Arab position on the issues to be put before the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the report and recommendations of the conference of senior Arab foreign ministry officials to prepare for the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Resolves 1. To affirm that the continued possession and development of nuclear weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security and conflicts with the goals which the NPT seeks to achieve and that the maintenance of security and defence policies based on the possession and use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States for deterrent purposes diminishes the credibility and legitimacy of the nuclear weapon non-proliferation system; To welcome initiatives and ideas calling for the world to be made free of 2. nuclear weapons and to call upon the 2010 Review Conference to translate these initiatives into practical plans and programme with a defined timeframe requiring nuclear States to disarm unconditionally in implementation of their commitments under the provisions of article 6 of the NPT and in execution of the practical steps contained in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference; 54 10-46641 S/2010/204 3. To call upon the 2010 NPT Review Conference to adopt a resolution banning the development and production of any new nuclear weapons, as a prelude to making the world free of these weapons; To affirm that the NPT is a fundamental pillar of the nuclear non-proliferation 4. system and to demand that States Parties act promptly to make it universal and make progress toward nuclear disarmament, given the direct impact thereof on strengthening nuclear non-proliferation efforts; To affirm the importance of full compliance with all commitments and the 5. maintenance of all rights on the basis of which States acceded to the NPT and to reject any attempts to reinterpret the articles of the NPT; To affirm the importance of respecting the inalienable right of States Parties to 6. the NPT to develop and produce nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and of the NPT's refusal to restrict the rights of States Parties under any pretext; To affirm that support for the NPT requires implementation of commitments 7. previously made within the framework of the NPT and at previous review conferences, particularly commitments relating to nuclear disarmament, and implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference, before considering the addition of new commitments for non-nuclear States Parties to the NPT; To affirm the need for the 2010 Review Conference to arrive at a practical plan 8. to make the NPT universal by the immediate accession thereto of non-States Parties as non-nuclear States, without qualification or condition, placing all their nuclear facilities and programmes under the system of comprehensive safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); To call upon the 2010 NPT Review Conference to adopt a resolution banning 9. the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear States Parties to the NPT and adopting effective arrangements to give non-nuclear States unconditional security guarantees against the use and threatened use of nuclear weapons; 10. To affirm that the IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement represents a legal commitment under the NPT and to affirm the optional character of the model additional protocol, the lack of agreement on converting it to a compulsory instrument and the impermissibility of considering it a criterion on the basis of which States will receive nuclear technology for peaceful purposes; 11. To affirm the sovereign right of States to withdraw from the NPT, in accordance with article 10 and to reject any attempt to amend or reinterpret the provisions of article 10 or restrict them with new measures; 12. Implementation of the resolution on the Middle East (1995) and the creation of a Middle East free of nuclear weapons: (a) To recall the agreement of States Parties to the NPT at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference on the importance of striving to make the NPT universal across the Middle East and make all nuclear facilities and nuclear programmes in the region subject to IAEA comprehensive safeguards, and to recall the demand of the Final Document of the 2000 NPT Review Conference to consider the Middle East resolution a part of the review process until such time as it is implemented; 10-46641 55 S/2010/204 (b) To call upon States Parties to the NPT, particularly nuclear States which adopted the Middle East resolution (1995), to affirm their full commitment to the substance and goals of the resolution as an integral part of the compact to extend the NPT indefinitely, adopted at the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference to give the NPT credibility; (c) The need for the 2010 Review Conference to demand that Israel, in implementation of its adoption of the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference, accede to the NPT without qualification or condition as a non-nuclear State and subject all its nuclear facilities to the IAEA comprehensive safeguards, and to consider this to be an essential step toward making the Middle East a nuclear weapon-free zone; (d) For the Arab States to affirm that the success of the 2010 Review Conference is dependent upon making progress toward implementation of the Middle East resolution adopted by the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference; (e) To call upon the 2010 Review Conference to investigate and adopt practical mechanisms to implement the Middle East resolution and to adopt the practical measures put forward by the Arab group in the working paper submitted to the conference; To call upon the United Nations to convene a conference seriously (f) designed to make the Middle East a nuclear weapon-free zone, within a defined timeframe, in implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions, including the General Assembly resolutions entitled, "Establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East", and to call upon the IAEA to prepare the necessary reference documents on the basis of its experience in making preparations for other such nuclear weapons-free zones in the world; (g) To create a standing committee composed of members of the Office of the 2010 NPT Review Conference with a mandate to monitor implementation of the resolution (1995) relating to the Middle East and the stipulation of the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference demanding that Israel accede immediately to the NPT and subject all its nuclear facilities to the IAEA system of comprehensive safeguards; and to take charge of monitoring implementation of resolutions to be adopted by the 2010 Review Conference and submit a comprehensive report thereon to the 2015 Review Conference and its preparatory committees, informing them of progress achieved; (h) To call upon the nuclear States at the 2010 Review Conference to affirm their full commitment to article 1 of the NPT and undertake not to provide Israel directly or indirectly with any form of assistance helping to strengthen its capacities to manufacture, purchase, acquire or gain control over nuclear weapons or explosive nuclear devices in any form and under any circumstances and however defined, given the threat this represents to regional and international peace and security and the enormous risk to which it exposes the entire non-proliferation system; To call upon the Director General of IAEA to monitor the resolution (i) (September 2009) on Israeli nuclear capabilities (GC(53)/RES/17) and submit interim reports on the implementation thereof to the Board of Governors of the IAEA; 56 10-46641 S/2010/204 (j) To call upon the IAEA to halt the technical programmes it offers Israel and suspend its nuclear cooperation with Israel until Israel accedes to the NPT as not possessing nuclear weapons and subjects all its nuclear facilities to the IAEA system of comprehensive safeguards as a necessary precondition for promoting the universality, credibility and effectiveness of the NPT; (k) To affirm that the establishment of a nuclear weapon-free Middle East will help to build confidence and contribute to peace in the region; and to affirm, until such time as a nuclear weapon-free Middle East becomes a reality, the need to ensure that no State in the Middle East region possesses or permits the deployment of nuclear weapons or explosive nuclear devices on its territory or territory under its rule or control and that all States refrain from any act inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the NPT and other international resolutions and instruments relating to the establishment of a nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East; 13. To approve the following Arab working papers prepared by the conference of senior Arab foreign ministry officials and submit them promptly to the 2010 Review Conference on behalf of the Arab group: · Implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference and the outputs of the 2000 conference on the Middle East; · Disarmament; · Peaceful uses of nuclear energy; 14. To approve the reports, recommendations and action plan submitted by the conference of senior Arab foreign ministry officials to prepare for the 2010 NPT Review Conference and to request the full commitment of the Arab States thereto at the 2010 NPT Review conference; 15. To affirm resolution 6810 (5 September 2007) of the 128th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level calling upon the Council of League at ministerial level to review the different Arab positions on issues of nuclear disarmament and the removal of other weapons of mass destruction in the light of the outputs of the 2010 NPT Review Conference and its impact on Arab interests. (Summit resolution 521, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Arab coordination within the International Atomic Energy Agency The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary General on Joint Arab Action and the report and recommendations of the 27th meeting of the committee for the follow-up of Israeli nuclear activity in contravention of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held at the headquarters of the League of Arab States (25-27 January 2009), Affirming resolution 7172 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the League of Arab States at ministerial level on this matter, 10-46641 57 S/2010/204 Resolves 1. To welcome the resolution of the 53rd session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) entitled "Israeli nuclear capabilities" and to request Arab States and the Secretariat-General to monitor implementation of the resolution with the Director General of IAEA; To affirm that the Arab States and the Secretariat-General of the League of 2. Arab States will continue to press for the adoption of an Arab resolution on Israeli nuclear capabilities to highlight the dangers to the security and safety of the Middle East of such nuclear capabilities not being subject to the IAEA comprehensive safeguards system; To affirm to the Arab States participating in the 54th session of the General 3. Conference of IAEA the importance of full commitment to resolution 7172 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, and decision 5 annexed thereto, and of exerting the utmost efforts to mobilise support for this resolution with geographic and political blocs within the framework of IAEA; To request the Secretary-General to follow-up his outstanding efforts to 4. mobilise support for the Arab resolution on Israeli nuclear capabilities scheduled for submission to the 54th session of the General Conference of IAEA and to submit a report on his efforts and the results achieved to the next session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level. (Summit resolution 522, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the Member States of the League of Arab States The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and resolution 7157 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, Recalling the appeal by Arab leaders at the 18th ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level (Khartoum, 29 March 2006) concerning the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the Arab States, Affirming resolution 383 (Riyadh, 29 March 2007) of the 19th ordinary session, resolution 425 (Damascus, 30 March 2008) of the 20th ordinary session and resolution 471 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level entitled, "Development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the Member States of the League of Arab States", Affirming resolution 384 (Riyadh, 29 March 2007) of the 19th ordinary session, resolution 426 (Damascus, 30 March 2008) of the 20th ordinary session and resolution 472 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level entitled, "Formulation of a common Arab programme for the peaceful use of nuclear energy", 58 10-46641 S/2010/204 Resolves 1. To request the Arab States to follow up implementation of the resolutions of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, taking into account the diverse needs of the different Arab States, and to inform the Secretariat-General of progress achieved in the matter; To reaffirm the inalienable right of States Parties to the NPT, to which all 2. Member States of the League of Arab States have acceded, to possess and develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, to affirm their entitlement to the necessary international support, especially from IAEA, to develop peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to reject any restriction of these rights under any pretext; To welcome the announcement by several Arab States of the elaboration of 3. national programmes for the peaceful use of nuclear technologies in all areas serving sustainable development, particularly electricity generation and desalination; To call upon those Arab States concerned with the use of nuclear energy for 4. electricity generation to convene at the earliest opportunity a meeting at ministerial level to investigate areas of cooperation and the coordination of Arab positions in this area; To request the Secretariat-General and the Arab Atomic Energy Agency 5. (AAEA), in coordination with the Arab States, to continue efforts to strengthen the infrastructure of the Arab States to develop their programmes for the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including human resources, capacity building, assistance in establishing legislative and monitoring frameworks, the convening of specialised meetings and conferences and formulation of an Arab position on nuclear safety and security in coordination with the Arab States; To urge Arab States which have not yet joined AAEA to do so as soon as 6. possible in order to support Arab technical cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; To request the Secretary-General to follow up this matter and submit a report 7. thereon to the next session of the Council of the League at summit level. (Summit resolution 523, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Development of the uses of renewable and alternative energy The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the memorandum of the United Arab Emirates, Resolves 1. To affirm once more the need for the Arab States prompt accession to and ratification of the statutes of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which has its headquarters in the city of Abu Dhabi; To call upon Arab States to exchange expertise and research in the uses of 2. renewable and alternative energy and to benefit by putting this into practice. (Summit resolution 524, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 59 S/2010/204 Ways of combating international terrorism The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the circumstances of the crime committed against the Palestinian martyr, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, Resolves 1. To approve the report and recommendations of the eighth meeting (16-18 February 2010) of the Arab expert group on counter-terrorism; 2. To reaffirm condemnation of all forms and manifestations of terrorism, regardless of motive and justification; to affirm the need to distinguish between terrorism and legitimate resistance to occupation and that resistance should not be considered a terrorist act, taking into account that neither religious law nor international charters condone the killing of innocents; and to reject the confusion of terrorism with the noble religion of Islam, which promotes the values of tolerance and repudiates terrorism and extremism; To strive to address the roots of terrorism and remove the factors which feed it, 3. particularly by eliminating sources of tension and double standards in the application of international law and by putting an end to foreign occupation, injustice and the violation of human rights and dignity; To call upon all the countries of the world, in particular the United Kingdom 4. and the States of the European Union, to treat terrorist groups and supporters of terrorism seriously, deport them and not grant them political asylum or allow them to exploit the climate of freedom to undermine the security and stability of Arab States; To condemn the crime of the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, 5. committed in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, on 19 January 2010, which constitutes a violation of UAE sovereignty and security; to support all the investigations being carried out by the UAE to uncover the facts of the crime; and to call upon all States to cooperate with the investigations of the relevant agencies to apprehend the criminals and bring them to justice; To call upon those Arab States which have not ratified the Arab Convention on 6. the Suppression of Terrorism to do so; 7. To call upon Arab States which have not done so to ratify the amendment to paragraph 3 of the Arab Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, approved by the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice under resolution 648 ­ d22 (29 November 2006) and by the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior under resolution 529 ­ d25 (2008); To take note of the measures taken by the secretariat of the Council of Arab 8. Ministers of Justice and secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior to convene a joint meeting of the two councils to investigate ways of fostering the Arab Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, strengthening cooperation between the councils and considering draft joint agreements; To activate the implementing mechanism for the Arab Convention on the 9. Suppression of Terrorism and urge the relevant bodies in Arab States which have not sent their responses to the questionnaire on follow-up to implementation of the 60 10-46641 S/2010/204 Convention to send them to the Arab Criminal Police Bureau for submission to the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice and Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior; 10. To take note of the efforts of the Arab group at the United Nations and to call upon it to continue to coordinate with regional blocs to convene a special session of the General Assembly or an international conference organised by the United Nations to expedite the drafting of a comprehensive United Nations convention on terrorism containing a precise, internationally agreed definition of terrorism, taking into account that neither religious law nor international charters condone the killing of innocent civilians and distinguishing between terrorism and the legitimate right of peoples to resist occupation and aggression; 11. To continue the efforts and endeavours in support of Arab activity at the United Nations to have the General Assembly adopt a resolution forming a working group to study ways of implementing the recommendations of the Riyadh Declaration issued by the International Conference on Counter-Terrorism (Riyadh, February 2005), and the proposal of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to create an international counter-terrorism centre to strengthen international cooperation in this important area; 12. To welcome the initiative of His Excellency President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of the Republic of Tunisia calling for an international forum on counter-terrorism to be convened under the auspices of the United Nations to address the causes of terrorism and adopt a code of conduct to combat this phenomenon to which all parties shall commit, in line with the final communiqué of the International Conference on Terrorism: Dimensions, Threats and Countermeasures (Tunis, 15-17 November 2007), organized by the government of Tunisia in partnership with the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO); 13. To take note of the report and recommendations of the workshop on combating terrorist use of the internet (Cairo, 18-19 October 2009) and to charge the Secretariat-General with monitoring the efforts of Arab States in this area; 14. To call upon the Arab States to enact and develop the legislation necessary to ban and combat the use of internet sites for terrorist purposes, making use of the Arab guiding law on combating information technology crimes or equivalent thereof (United Arab Emirates document); 15. To take note of the report and recommendations of the workshop on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destructions or their components (Cairo, 20-21 October 2009) and to charge the Secretariat-General with monitoring the efforts of Arab States to implement Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in this regard; 16. To strengthen existing cooperation between the League of Arab States and international and regional organizations in the area of counter-terrorism, particularly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Terrorism Prevention Branch), and to continue cooperation and dialogue with the counter-terrorism committees formed under Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004); 10-46641 61 S/2010/204 17. To criminalise the payment of ransom to terrorist individuals, groups, enterprises or organisations in accordance with Security Council resolution 1904 (17 December 2009) and the resolution of the 27th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Interior (Tunis, 16 March 2010). (Summit resolution 525, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) S/22/(10/03)/42-(0274) Council of the League of Arab States Department of Council Affairs Statement released by the 22nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level on the terrorist crime of the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the United Arab Emirates Sert, 27-28 March 2010 The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level condemns the crime of the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 19 January 2010, which constitutes a violation of the sovereignty and security of the United Arab Emirates and of international norms and law. The Council further condemns the abuse of consular privileges granted to citizens of the States whose passports were used in the assassination operation. The Council supports all the efforts of the United Arab Emirates to bring the criminals to justice. The Council is of the view that such a criminal, terrorist act requires the cooperation of all concerned States with the security agencies of the United Arab Emirates to track down and prosecute this criminal gang and bring it to account within the framework of international conventions and international law, which must apply to all States. Arab relations with international and regional blocs Afro-Arab cooperation The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Affirming its previous resolutions in this regard, Resolves 1. To affirm the importance of continuing the efforts to remove obstacles to the fostering and development of Afro-Arab cooperation, to organize meetings of its agencies in the light of resolutions of the Council of the League and to request the Secretary-General to follow up contacts in this regard to arrive at a stage of genuine and fruitful joint cooperation on the basis of interlinked political, economic, commercial and cultural interests, which will consolidate the bases for sustaining Afro-Arab relations and averting risks; To welcome the convening of the second Afro-Arab summit in the last quarter 2. of this year and to express appreciation to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for hosting it; 62 10-46641 S/2010/204 3. To affirm the importance of broad Arab participation in this summit, at the highest levels; 4. To request the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States to continue to coordinate with the African Union Commission to put in place the conditions for the convening of the summit on time and to achieve the desired ends; To welcome the forthcoming meeting of the 15th session at the headquarters of 5. the League of Arab States in June 2010 and to appeal to Member States to take part in the proceedings of the next committee at ministerial level; To call upon the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, the African 6. Union Commission and the Arab Organisation for Agricultural Development (AOAD) to prepare a detailed proposal on the structure and authority of the facilitation unit for submission to the second Afro-Arab summit, scheduled to be held in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at the end of 2010; To call upon the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, the African 7. Union Commission, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID) and AOAD to prepare a proposal on the means and mechanics of financing the joint action plan on economic development and food security in Africa and the Arab region, to be submitted for discussion by the second Afro-Arab summit, scheduled to be held in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at the end of 2010; To affirm the importance of bilateral cooperation projects between Arab and 8. African nations and the importance of the role these projects play in the continent's development and in helping it to employ its natural and human resources for the benefit of Africans; To welcome the hosting by the Republic of the Sudan of the first session of the 9. Afro-Arab Development Forum under the heading, "Toward an Afro-Arab strategy", in the last quarter of 2011, and to affirm the importance of thorough preparations for this; 10. To welcome the conversion of the Afro-Arab Cultural Institute into the Afro-Arab Institute for Culture and Strategic Studies and to reaffirm that the Institute's annual budget will be US$ 1 million, covered on a 50:50 basis by the League of Arab States and the African Union; 11. To request the Afro-Arab Institute for Culture and Strategic Studies to establish an Afro-Arab film festival, in cooperation with existing film festivals; 12. To call for the active economic and commercial participation of Member States in the seventh Afro-Arab Trade Fair, to be hosted by the Republic of Djibouti in 2010 in collaboration with the League of Arab States, the African Union and BADEA, and to call for the speedy convening of the preparatory meeting for the trade fair; 13. To call for implementation of the conclusions of the Joint Afro-Arab Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Development and Food Security (Sharm el-Sheikh, 14-16 February 2010), including the joint action plan for agricultural development and food security in the African and Arab regions and the creation of a facilitation unit in AOAD to monitor implementation of the action plan, and to 10-46641 63 S/2010/204 request the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States, the African Union Commission and AOAD to prepare a detailed proposal on the structure and authority of the facilitation unit for submission to the second Afro-Arab summit, scheduled to be held in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at the end of 2010; 14. To call for meetings of the Joint Afro-Arab Ministerial Meeting on Agricultural Development and Food Security to be held regularly every two years alternately in Africa and the Arab region to review progress in implementing the joint action plan; 15. To express appreciation at the position of the African Union in support of the Arab stance vis-à-vis the Palestinian question and in support of the Arab Peace Initiative, as exemplified by the special resolution on the Palestinian issue regularly adopted by the African Union summit; 16. To extend gratitude to the Secretariat-General for continuing its efforts to establish cooperative relations between the agencies and departments of the League of Arab States and their counterparts in the African Union, particularly between the Arab Peace and Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council and the African Parliament and the Arab Parliament, and strengthening economic and commercial contacts between the two organizations, as well as in the field of human rights; 17. To coordinate Arab and African Union positions on issues of joint concern to further Afro-Arab cooperation. The Arab Fund for Technical Assistance to African Countries (AFTAAC) To affirm the important role of AFTAAC in providing technical aid to African countries, to take the necessary action to support it with the goal of increasing and developing its activities in order to strengthen Afro-Arab relations, and to call for its reform before the 134th ordinary session of the Ministerial Council by a committee formed for this purpose by the Secretariat-General and those Arab States with reservations about the performance of the Fund. (Summit resolution 526, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Arab relations with international and regional blocs The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments, held at Sert on 24 March 2010, Resolves 1. To express appreciation for the efforts of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States in deepening Arab relations with regional and international blocs, particularly as regards Arab-European cooperation, the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership 2, Arab-Russian cooperation, Arab-Turkish cooperation, Arab __________________ 2 The Great Jamahiriya entered a reservation to the reference in the resolution to the EuroMediterranean Partnership on the basis of its position that relations of this kind must be collective ones between the Member States of the League of Arab States and the Member States of the European Union; relations of this kind may thus divide the Arabs and not serve their interests. 64 10-46641 S/2010/204 cooperation with the People's Republic of China, Arab-Indian cooperation, ArabJapanese cooperation and cooperation with the States of South America; 2. To affirm the need for thoroug preparation for all cooperation forums in order to foster and develop relations with these blocs in all areas; 3. To welcome the selection of Lima, capital of the Republic of Peru, as the venue for the third summit of Arab and South American countries, in February 2011. (Summit resolution 527, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Economic, social and cultural issues Monitoring implementation of the resolutions of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009) The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, Taking note of the report prepared by the Secretariat-General on monitoring implementation of the outputs and resolutions of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009) and of progress made in implementing these outputs and resolutions in the following areas: · The initiative of His Highness Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait to provide the financial resources necessary to support and fund small and medium-size private sector enterprises in the Arab world; · The global financial crisis and its repercussions on Arab economies; · Arab electricity grid projects; · The Arab rail link scheme; · The role of the private sector in support of Joint Arab Action; · The Emergency Programme for Arab Food Security; · The Arab Customs Union; · Arab water security; · The health situation of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip; · The integrated programme to boost employment and reduce unemployment in the Arab countries; · The Arab programme to eliminate poverty in the Arab States; · The Arab programme to implement the Millennium Development Goals; · Developing education in the Arab world; · Improving the level of health care; · Fostering the role of Arab civil society organisations, Taking note of the contributions of Arab States to the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait to provide the 10-46641 65 S/2010/204 financial resources necessary to support and fund small and medium-size private sector enterprises in the Arab world (the Republic of Tunisia, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Iraq, Sultanate of Oman, the State of Kuwait, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Yemen), Thanking those Arab States which have contributed to the initiative and those which have expressed their willingness to contribute thereto (the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Djibouti, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania), Thanking the Arab States for their efforts in implementing the resolutions of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit, Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, And in the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To call upon AFESD to complete and announce the necessary measures for the launch of the initiative of His Highness Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait to provide the financial resources necessary to support and fund small and medium-size private sector enterprises in the Arab world; To call upon the Arab Monetary Fund to provide the Secretariat-General with a 2. comprehensive report on the repercussions of the global financial crisis on the Arab countries and measures taken to counter it; To support the collaboration between the Arab Ministerial Council for 3. Electricity and AFESD to conduct a study on the comprehensive Arab electricity grid and evaluation of the use of natural gas to generate electricity, and to call upon both to expedite the study; To appreciate the efforts of the Council of Arab Ministers of Transport to 4. facilitate implementation of the Arab rail link scheme, particularly as regards identifying public and private sector partnership mechanisms and systems for financing infrastructure projects, with the goal of providing the requirements necessary for Arab States to benefit from such mechanisms and systems; To call upon Member States to satisfy the remaining requirements of the 5. Greater Arab Free Trade Area; 6. To call upon the Arab States to expedite completion of the necessary requirements for the establishment of the Arab Customs Union, in implementation of Arab summit resolutions in this regard, and to take the necessary legal measures to harmonise commercial law, legislation and policy; To call upon the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs to continue to 7. coordinate with Arab and international organisations to implement the Arab programme to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the Arab programme to eliminate poverty; To call upon Member States to provide material and technical support to less 8. developed Arab States; 66 10-46641 S/2010/204 9. To call upon the Council of Arab Ministers of Health to continue its efforts to improve the level of health care in Arab countries, particularly the less developed ones; 10. To request Member States to support the efforts of the Arab Labour Organisation to implement the integrated programme to boost employment and reduce unemployment in the Arab countries; 11. To request Member States to support the efforts of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to develop education in the Arab world. (Summit resolution 528, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Monitoring implementation of the resolutions of the 21st ordinary session of the Arab summit (Doha, March 2009) on economic and social issues The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, Taking note of progress achieved in implementing the resolutions of the 21st ordinary session of the Arab summit (Doha, March 2009) on the following economic and social issues: · The initiative of His Highness Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait to provide the financial resources necessary to support and fund small and medium-size private sector enterprises in the Arab world; · The liberalisation of air transport between the Arab States (open skies); · The project for an Arab earth-monitoring satellite system; · The project for the promotion of Arabic for the knowledge society; · The formulation of an Arab plan for strengthening the culture of human rights; · The first Arab conference of humanitarian and development organisations in the Member States of the League of Arab States; · The initiative of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of the Republic of Tunisia on declaring 2010 as the international year of youth, Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, And in the light of discussions, Resolves To take note of the report on follow-up to the resolutions of the 21st ordinary session of the Arab summit (Doha, March 2009) on economic and social issues. (Summit resolution 529, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 67 S/2010/204 The green belts project in Arab regions The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, resolution 1809 of the Social and Economic Council, resolution 23 of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment and the document on the project for green belts in Arab regions prepared by the Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) and the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Thanking the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and ACSAD for preparing the document on the project for green belts in Arab regions, Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, And in the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To approve in principle the document on the project for green belts in Arab regions in the annexed version; 2. To charge ACSAD with preparing a detailed implementation programme, including financial costs, for the first phase of the project, in coordination with relevant bodies in the Arab States and to re-submit the project to the February 2011 session of the Social and Economic Council. (Summit resolution 530, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 68 10-46641 S/2010/204 Annex League of Arab States Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Arab Project for Green Belts in Arab Regions 1. 2. 3. 4. The States of the Arab West (Maghreb) The States of the central region The States of the Arab East (Mashreq) The States of the Arabian Peninsula A proposal prepared by The Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) January 2010 Contents Page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Background and rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Issues to be addressed by the project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 General goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Immediate goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 71 75 77 78 78 79 79 79 79 6. Project components and activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 Defining the green belt path, formulating project implementation plans and conducting social and economic studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1.1 Defining and profiling the green belt path and selecting pilot project sites . . . . . . 6.1.2 Formulating detailed project implementation plan documents (general and annual), including the detailed budget for implementation of works in each participating State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1.3 Conducting social and economic studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 Developing plant cover at pilot project sites on the green belt path, supporting and fostering the capacities of national institutions and developing the communities living in affected areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2.1 Implementing pilot projects to develop plant cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · · · Pilot forestation projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pilot projects to rehabilitate pastureland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pilot projects to counter sand drift and stabilise sand dunes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 10-46641 69 S/2010/204 6.2.2 Supporting and fostering the capacities of national institutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · · · · · · · · Development of national institutions working in the field of desertification . . Implementation of pan-Arab training courses and workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Implementation of specialised, national training courses and workshops . . . . . On the job training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Creation of a project object network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Raising the awareness of the local population of desertification and conservation of natural resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Improving the standard of living of the local population and raising their capacity to adapt to the environment in which they live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Widening the base of participation in the implementation of project activities (the participatory approach). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 81 81 82 82 82 82 82 83 83 83 83 83 84 85 86 87 87 87 89 90 6.2.3 Developing the communities living in affected areas on the green belt path . . . . . 6.3 Technology transfer and the monitoring and evaluation of works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.1 Disseminating techniques and methodologies successfully tested in the project to environmentally similar regions on the green belt path. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.3.2 Monitoring works and supervising ongoing implementation on the green belt path 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Implementation mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anticipated results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beneficiaries from the project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project term . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Participating bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project organisation and management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oversight, control and evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proposed project budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 10-46641 S/2010/204 1. Introduction Desertification is defined as the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas as a result of human activity and climatic variation. Land degradation is defined as the result of the reduced productivity of agricultural land, pastureland and forests or the loss of biodiversity. A brief glance at the facts of land degradation and desertification in the Arab world shows that aridity and limited natural resources, including water, soil and plant cover, are characteristic of the Arab region. Water scarcity levels are among the highest in the world and average rainfall is low and irregular. As such, the region experiences recurrent conditions of drought, which accelerates the degradation of soil, natural plant covering (pasture and forest) and biodiversity, affecting crop and livestock production in the Arab States and threatening food security, as well as having a potentially adverse social, economic and environmental impact. Studies carried out by the Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) indicate that desertification is a serious problem threatening the Arab world. The results of a recent study by ACSAD which analysed the archive of SPOT images (1999-2007) of areas of the Arab world with variable plant cover shows that some 47% of the area of the Arab world consists of regions of varying degrees of degradation. The region most affected is the Arab West (the Maghreb) and the countries most affected by desertification are Egypt, Mauritania, Algeria, the Great Jamahiriya, Syria, Morocco and the Sudan, respectively. The Arab States least affected during the last 21 years are Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman. Eighty million Arabs live in these degraded regions. The data on the relative distribution of desert areas and areas threatened by desertification in the Arab world indicate that most of these areas may be classified as intermediate and extreme desert, needing immediate, effective measures to counter desertification. Precise analysis of the causes of desertification in the Arab world indicates the spread of multiple forms of desertification in different environments. Some of these are the result of mismanagement of natural resources, although aridity plays a major part in the spread of desertification. The main forms of desertification in the Arab world may be listed as: degradation of plant cover (forest and natural pasture), wind erosion, sand drift, water erosion, heavy rains and salinity. The fight against desertification is a part of the integrated activities for sustainable development and includes various measures and a range of means, including creating green belts and increasing the green space in desert regions and regions at risk of desertification. 2. Background and rationale Despite the vastness of the Arab region, its possession of many natural resources and the rapid economic growth of several Arab countries, it can be said that Arab food security faces a very real challenge and that the future of the Arab nation depends on the extent of its success in achieving food security. To illustrate the gravity of the situation, it is sufficient to note that the annual rate of growth in the irrigated agricultural production of grain, principally wheat, does not exceed 2.5% and that of vegetables and fruit ranges from 0.4% to 1.7%, while food 10-46641 71 S/2010/204 consumption is growing at 5% annually. Statistics show that the average per capita share of agricultural production is in constant decline, decreasing from an average of around US$ 263 per capita in the period 1990-1994 to around US$ 216 in 20002004 (AOA, 2007). The Arab States import at least 50% of the food they consume (FAO, 2008) and forecasts indicate that this will rise to 64% in the next two decades (IFAD, 2009). Studies also indicate that overgrazing and poor management of pastoral resources in most Arab countries have caused degradation of the edible pasture cover, with large areas removed from the sphere of production and becoming inadequate to meet the need for animal fodder. In addition, there is a predominance of several species of thorny or poisonous plants unsuitable as pasture and species with low productivity. This has led to the degradation and imbalance of pastoral ecosystems and the collapse of traditional systems of animal husbandry. Up-to-date statistics show that the area of natural pastureland in the Arab world declined from 510 million hectares in 1986 to 312 million hectares in 2007. Consequently, the rehabilitation of degraded natural pastureland by cultivating plants which are suitable in terms of productivity, edibility and high fodder value is a key issue in stopping the ongoing degradation of such fragile ecosystems. The misuse and exhaustion of forests in the Arab world has resulted in the retreat and disappearance of many wooded areas, adversely affecting the environment and biodiversity of these areas and contributing to the destruction of the habitats of many plant and animal species, aggravating the process of wind and water erosion and adversely affecting the level of rural development because of the scarcity of these resources, which represent the basic source of income. Accordingly, it is essential to achieve the sustainable development of these ecosystems and preserve the remaining woodland cover. Up-to-date statistics show that forested areas have also declined, from 93 million hectares in the 1970s to 61 million hectares at present. The rehabilitation of degraded areas by planting with species of indigenous, fruit-bearing and income-producing trees and bushes appropriate to regional environmental conditions will help these areas to recover their vitality and play an effective economic and environmental role. Since the beginning of the 1970s, the food crisis and the Arab food deficit have become a matter of concern to Arab leaders, researchers and planners. However, despite numerous studies and all sorts of development projects to improve agriculture and increase food production, the results achieved have fallen short of expectations. Space does not permit mention of the reasons and obstacles but suffice it to say that serious degradation has occurred in recent decades due to the unsound and unbalanced use of agricultural resources and ecosystems, resulting in the productive and qualitative degradation of large areas, paving the way for unfavourable climate changes and an increase in the scale and pace of desertification. The immediate results have been the degradation of most of the natural resources existing within fragile ecosystems in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Arab world. The process of degradation has reached the point where measures urgently need to be taken to counter and limit it, taking into consideration that desertification is a danger which has threatened and continues to threaten human societies across the world in general and in Africa in particular with starvation and destitution. However, it is the four regions of the Arab world that are held to be the most at risk. 72 10-46641 S/2010/204 Although the international community has devoted considerable attention to controlling and combating desertification, adopting the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which most countries have agreed to implement through national action plans and regional and sub-regional programmes designed to monitor and assess desertification and take appropriate measures to combat it, the projects which have actually been implemented on the ground in the most affected States are still inadequate. The general secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment has called for all national and Arab efforts to be stepped up to check the causes of degradation, conserve land and rehabilitate degraded land in order to achieve the optimum linkage between the demands of sustainable development, the fight against poverty and emigration and the demands of environmental conservation. In recent decades, the Arab States have implemented country-based and regional measures and policies to combat desertification. There is not space here to list these for each country separately but the progress achieved by the Arab States can be summarised as follows: · · Ratification of UNCCD by the majority of Arab States; The formulation of national action programmes to implement UNCCD in accordance with its guiding principles and the resolutions of the Conference of the Parties to UNCCD; The incorporation of measures to combat desertification in the national development plans of Arab States; The establishment of institutions and commissions to combat desertification and ensure environmental conservation and well-being through cooperation between ministries of the environment and coordination with relevant ministries; The enactment of legislation to implement measures and activities designed to halt the degradation of resources; The securing by a large number of Arab States of a substantial portion of the funding for projects to halt desertification at national level; The implementation of a large number of rehabilitation projects and projects to improve living standards in Arab States; The implementation of a number of capacity-building programmes and programmes to increase awareness of issues of desertification at all levels in the Arab States; The sponsorship of a number of initiatives in support of national efforts to combat desertification in Arab countries. · · · · · · · Several Arab States have endeavoured, alone or in collaboration with neighbouring Arab States in the same region, to fight against desertification and desert drift by creating green belts. Perhaps the most important of these are: the agreement by the Maghreb States to create the North African Green Belt, the Syrian green belt and the green belt in the Sudan to protect the Gezira scheme from sand drift. Despite the launch of these projects and the implementation of several of their activities, they have not been sustained due to certain technical and administrative obstacles working against unbroken continuity of implementation. The most significant of these obstacles are failure to complete the scientific and technical 10-46641 73 S/2010/204 studies, paucity of financial resources and lack of coordination between the relevant agencies. These projects must be put in order and revitalised and measures must be taken to help set them on the right course and overcome the obstacles, taking into account changed circumstances and the scientific and technical developments which will serve project implementation. Measures will include: · · · · · Restructuring and reorganising project management and supporting it with scientific capabilities; Defining planning and executive responsibilities; Forming regional committees and national work groups; Securing financial resources; Employing modern technologies, integrated with traditional skills. In this way, the goals of these projects ­ the development of woodland, pastoral and raw plant resources, the conservation of woodland and scrubland pockets, halting the degradation of land and safeguarding hereditary assets ­ will be achieved. It is worth pointing out that there is a series of challenges and obstacles from which the Arab States still suffer and which can be summed up as follows: · Population growth (the demographic explosion): the population has increased from 77 million in the 1950s to 350 million in 2007 (a rate of 2.3%), which has had an impact on: o Changing the social system; o Changing systems of employment and production; o Food security and intensive agricultural; o Housing expansion; o Industry and pollution; o Services and infrastructure; · · Poor exchange of information and expertise among Arab States; Poor coordination between national institutions within the one State and between national institutions and regional and international organisations operating in related fields; As most existing legislation in Arab States lacks effective mechanisms necessary for implementation, it is either inadequate or unenforceable; Absence of peace and security: the last decade witnessed a number of wars and political disputes, which hindered the development process in the Arab region; The level of services in the Arab States remains generally modest; The campaigns during implementation of various activities at local level to spread awareness of and provide information on problems and obstacles facing the implementation of methods to combat desertification, especially among the local population, have been inadequate; · · · · 74 10-46641 S/2010/204 · The adoption of the participatory approach to implementing projects to combat desertification (where local inhabitants participate in planning, implementing and evaluating the impact of various activities) is either inapplicable or inadequate. In spite of the considerable efforts exerted by the States of the region to check land degradation and combat desertification at national level, the problem of ongoing land degradation and desertification still represents a major threat to human life in the Arab region. Furthermore, these problems have serious environmental, economic and social repercussions, which may have an adverse impact on social and political stability in the region. It is clear from the above that there is a pressing need to maximise efforts to remove restrictions and overcome the obstacles facing the implementation by the Arab countries of programmes to combat desertification. The issue of desertification has both local and regional dimensions. Adopting an integrated approach to overcoming local problems will inevitably help to improve living conditions at regional level. It will also help to conserve the distinctive ecosystems of the Arab region. There is a pressing need to build the capacities of national and regional institutions by transferring and developing nationally appropriate technologies suited to the region's environments and putting in place effective measures to halt land degradation and combat desertification. After being commissioned by the general secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment to monitor implementation of UNCCD in the Arab States, ACSAD collected as much data as it could on desertification and ways of combating it in the Arab States. ACSAD also implemented numerous activities in several Arab countries in the areas of desertification control, rehabilitation of degraded regions, the fight against sand drift and the stabilisation of sand dunes, relying on the integration of traditional skills with modern technology. These activities achieved positive results and produced success stories which can be made use of during project implementation. 3. 3.1 Issues to be addressed by the project Desertification and land degradation It is clear that the issues of land degradation and desertification have regional and international dimensions. International organisations are agreed that, as environmental issues, they are a cause of concern to many of the communities living in affected areas, particularly arid and semi-arid areas. There is international agreement that the issue needs to be addressed at national, sub-regional and regional levels but, despite the efforts of all concerned, more resources need to be employed and cooperation improved to halt desertification and rehabilitate degraded land. There is no doubt that the green belts project will make a significant and positive contribution to addressing this issue by stopping desert drift and soil erosion, stabilising sand dunes and increasing the green space in various regions of the Arab world. 3.2 Climate change If desertification and biodiversity have been the issues of the decades up to now, climate change is the issue of the immediate present and distant future and will leave its mark on the Arab region for the next 50 years in the form of low rates of 10-46641 75 S/2010/204 rainfall and rising temperatures, as well as recurring drought. There is no doubt that implementation of a project designed to give rise to millions of trees, bushes and perennial grasses and increase the green space in arid and semi-arid regions will play a positive role in addressing issues of climate change by moderating the climate, promoting rainfall, mitigating the effects of drought and increasing the water harvest, as well as by awareness-raising and educational activities for local communities living in pilot project areas to boost their capacity to adapt and adjust to climate change and mitigate the impact of the waves of drought which will befall the Arab region. 3.3 Arab food security The issue of Arab food security in its political, economic and social dimensions is a key issue and one which receives widespread attention at all Arab levels. At the start of the third millennium, it is at the forefront of the concerns of Arab leaders, in view of its pivotal role in the interaction with international developments, requiring Arab energies and resources to be mobilised to increase production, close the food gap and raise the Arabs to the ranks of their peers in the other countries of the world. The positive results achieved by ACSAD prove that projects to combat desertification and increase and improve the quality of plant cover help to improve production and increase productivity. The green belts project is one which will drive agricultural development forward and help to achieve food security, its environmental impact being accompanied by an economic impact in the form of increased production of fodder, wood, honey and animal products such as meat, milk, wool and hair. Additionally, the project will provide job opportunities for the local population. All of this will help to achieve development goals and contribute to providing food and bringing economic prosperity to the Arab citizen. 3.4 Arab water security It should be pointed out that the project will also contribute to Arab water security, if not directly then indirectly by regulating the use of water resources and providing effective tools for the proper, integrated management of this resource in areas of project operation, taking into account a holistic view of the integration of water resources with other natural resources and formulating appropriate scenarios for this purpose, thus making it easier for decision makers to predict the future and elaborate plans for the integrated development of water resources. 3.5 Development of local communities If development is the bringing about of planned change for the better to advance local communities, the concept of the spatial development of desert peoples and nomads is one of the most important elements of the green belts project. Involving the integration of environmental, economic and social activities and the provision of integrated services to enable the local population to make optimum use of available natural and livestock resources, it will, in turn, help to eliminate poverty by increasing income and generating additional sources thereof. 3.6 Preservation of the infrastructure Most Arab States suffer from problems of sand drift and have been working for decades to address this problem. However, given continued land degradation and accelerating desertification, the movement of sand and sand dunes is expected to 76 10-46641 S/2010/204 increase. The green belts project will make an effective contribution to halting sand movement, stabilising sand dunes and limiting damage to the environment and infrastructure. It will transform desert areas into green zones and public parks and help to take advantage of the potential energy in sandy environments. 3.7 Utilisation and ecotourism The Johannesburg Declaration on sustainable development drew attention to the importance of ensuring the well-being of future generations by eradicating poverty, halting environmental degradation and endeavouring to meet the need for the formulation of a practical and clear plan for human development. This will be done by developing the use made of different ecosystems, including those in arid and semi-arid regions, which cover about 41.3% of the earth's land mass and are inhabited by some 2 billion people. These include the arid, semi-arid and desert regions of the Arab world, where it is proposed to create a green belt to preserve the ecosystems. This will pave the way to achieving the sustainable development goals declared at Johannesburg by providing a range of opportunities for different types of exploitation, which might be summarised as follows: · · · · · The utilisation of natural pastureland and development of its produce; The utilisation of all types of plant resources; The expansion of cattle breeding and meat and cheese production; The spread of apiculture and production of honey; Encouraging the exploitation of undiscovered mineral resources beneath the desert. Perhaps the most significant type of exploitation anticipated once the project has been established is that of ecotourism, given that the elements of the project guarantee the basic conditions for the success of this type of tourism, which has become increasingly popular among tourists, and especially as the Arabian deserts are natural, open-air museums with a rich legacy and their own unique environment, beauty, heritage, history and cultural values. 4. Project description The idea of establishing an Arab project to control and combat desertification emerged from discussions and consultations held in recent years with national experts from Arab countries at meetings of the Arab team monitoring international charters on the environment and from the recommendations of several conferences and workshops held on the sidelines of those meetings in 2008 and 2009. 3 As a result, the general secretariat of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment and the Permanent Delegate of the Great Jamahiriya to the League of Arab States called for the Project for Green Belts in Arab Regions to be revived. Prepared by ACSAD in 1996 but not seeing the light of day, the project had become out of date, unsuitable in its current form and needing updating in line with progress made in the Arab States and the modern know-how accumulated by ACSAD since the project was first prepared. __________________ 3 Workshop on national points of contact for UNCCD (11-12 October 2008); workshop on combating desertification, sand drift and sand dune drift in the Arab region (13-15 October 2009). 10-46641 77 S/2010/204 It is worth mentioning that a project such as the one it is proposed to revive falls within the sub-regional action programmes (SRAPs) and regional action programmes (RAPs) on the implementation of which UNCCD encourages regional and sub-regional States Parties to consult and collaborate, as appropriate, in order to complement and increase the capacities of national action programmes (NAPs). As full implementation of a regional project like this needs time and substantial funding, the present project has been designed with the same essential focus, namely to support the efforts of Arab States in three key aspects of the fight against desertification: developing plant cover in selected, as yet to be defined, locations on the green belt path; supporting and fostering the capacities of national institutions in Arab States operating in this field; and developing the communities living in areas on the green belt path. This will be done by strengthening the knowledge base and providing universal access to information and acquired expertise in this field. Subsequently, successfully tested technologies and methods will be transferred year by year to environmentally similar areas on the green belt path in the four Arab regions by the relevant national institutions under the supervision of the project board. The sustainability of the project will be ensured by project planning and implementation, as follows: · The green belt path in each country and each region will be defined on scientific bases, with modern, practical techniques which are workable on the ground; Local experts from national institutions will participate actively in formulating detailed action plans; Project implementation will be integrated with State-implemented development projects; A nucleus of national, technical staff will be developed to continue the work after conclusion of the project; The participation of policy makers and decision makers in the steering committee will provide financial and moral support for the project; The base of participation will be widened and the participatory approach adopted. · · · · · 5. 5.1 Project goals General goals · · · · · To develop plant cover and increase the green space in Arab States; To contribute to achieving food security by rehabilitating degraded land and increasing its productivity; To improve the living condition of the local population by means of social and economic development programmes; To preserve the environmental balance to ensure the processes of degradation are halted; To promote and coordinate cooperation with other national points of reference for United Nations environment conventions, particularly those on biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development. 78 10-46641 S/2010/204 5.2 Immediate goals · · To support implementation of national action plans and programmes to combat desertification and rehabilitate degraded land in the Arab States; To formulate a comprehensive strategy to combat desertification on the green belt path in the Arab States, based on appropriate solutions and technologies developed to address and manage clearly defined degraded areas (pilot areas), in a collaboration between ACSAD and relevant national institutions in the Arab States and with the involvement of the local population; To support national institutions working in the fields of combating desertification, soil conservation, rehabilitation of plant covering, halting sand drift and stabilising sand dunes; To train and qualify national staff capable of implementing activities pertaining to controlling and combating desertification, improving the condition of natural pastureland, increasing the area of artificially forested land and the use of suitable techniques; To strengthen cooperation between the government sector, private organisations (NGOs) and local communities; To develop the communities living in affected areas on the green belt path; To raise awareness among the local population of the risks of erroneous practices in the exploitation of natural resources and the dangers of desertification; To call upon regional and international organisations, donor bodies and the secretariat of UNCCD to make a greater contribution to the provision of the aid, expertise and grants necessary to combat desertification in Arab States; · · · · · · 6. Project components and activities The project has been designed to be implemented in three phases, in accordance with the following components and activities: 6.1 The components and activities of phase 1: defining the green belt path, formulating project implementation plans and conducting social and economic studies, including: Defining and profiling the green belt path and selecting pilot project sites Activities: · Monitoring and assessing land degradation in the Arab region (at regional or national level) using remote sensing technologies and geographic information systems (ACSAD methodologies); Selecting a green belt path by a combination of remote sensing and field work; Field profiling of the path by means of studies of the soil, land use, land degradation, plant covering and water resources; Selection of pilot project sites on the green belt path and the detailed study of natural resources at these sites, taking existing projects into consideration; 6.1.1 · · · 10-46641 79 S/2010/204 6.1.2 Formulating detailed project implementation plan documents (general and annual), including the detailed budget for implementation of works in each participating State, in collaboration with national coordinators Conducting social and economic studies Activities: · · · · · · Study of the population and its demographic characteristics; Study of available resources and production factors; Evaluation of family economic level; Study of the economic and social characteristics of local communities; Study of the situation of services and ownership; Study of the environmental impact on local communities before and after project implementation; 6.1.3 6.2 The components and activities of phase 2: developing plant cover at pilot project sites on the green belt path, supporting and fostering the capacities of national institutions and developing the communities living in affected areas Implementing pilot projects to develop plant cover o Pilot forestation projects Activities: · · · · · · · o Establishing nurseries for forest trees and nurseries for fruit-bearing trees or developing existing nurseries at work sites; Evaluating the species of forest plants growing in the area and selecting those which are suitable; Developing woodland species suitable for the environment in areas of operation; Introducing species of fruit-bearing trees suitable for the environment in areas of operation; Implementing works in preparation for forestation; Organising joint forestation campaigns in partnership with the local population and governmental and non-governmental organisations; Ensuring secure sources of irrigation for plants; 6.2.1 Pilot projects to rehabilitate pastureland Activities: · · · · Surveying pastoral resources in pilot areas; Establishing or developing pasture nurseries in project areas; Putting protection measures into practice, reviving the concept of sanctuary and creating fenced areas; Applying methods of water harvesting appropriate to each area; 80 10-46641 S/2010/204 · · · · · o Artificial seeding and the planting of pastoral seedlings; Improving plant species and type; Improving methods of pasture management; Distribution of drinking water points; Preventing cultivation of pasturelands; Pilot projects to counter sand drift and stabilise sand dunes Activities: · Determining the areas and direction of sand drift on the green belt path affecting economic facilities (buildings, roads, railways, agricultural projects etc.); Studying the environmental milieu of sand dunes; Determining the factors affecting the movement of sand and formation of sand dunes; Choosing indigenous environments; and introduced plants suitable for sandy · · · · 6.2.2 Applying mechanical and biological stabilisation procedures to sand dunes and sand drift; Supporting and fostering the capacities of national institutions, to include: (a) Development of national institutions working in the field of desertification · Supporting concerned national institutions in developing action plans to control and combat desertification and developing plant, pasture, forest and fruit-bearing cover; Assisting national staff to improve knowledge on controlling and combating desertification and developing pasturelands and forests; Assisting national institutions to build databases on the green belts, analyse data, implement monitoring and evaluation operations and exchange information; Endeavouring to integrate modern methods and traditional knowledge; Activities: · · · (b) Implementation of pan-Arab training courses and workshops · · · · Implementation of workshop on the forms of desertification and ways and means of halting it; Implementation of training course on the monitoring of desertification and preparation of land degradation maps; Implementation of training course on the rehabilitation of degraded land; Implementation of training course on the development and improved management of pastureland; Activities: 10-46641 81 S/2010/204 · · · (c) Implementation of training course on artificial forestation and the planting of fruit-bearing trees; Implementation of training course on plants suitable for arid and sandy environments and how to propagate them; Implementation of training course on the management of nurseries and rehabilitation projects; Implementation of specialised, national training courses and workshops · · · Implementation of training course on the rehabilitation of degraded land; Implementation of advanced training course on the development of pastureland and methods of cultivating pastoral plants; Implementation of training course on the planting of forest and fruitbearing trees; Activities: (d) On the job training · · · · Field training on the evaluation of degraded land; Field training on soil maintenance, water harvesting and cultivation processes; Field training on the stabilisation of sand dunes and drifting sand; Field training on the gathering of social and economic information on local communities; Activities: (e) Creation of a project object network · · · · · Listing relevant regional networks; Updating and activating the Arab Network for Desertification Monitoring and Assessment (ADMAnet); Linking regional networks to ADMAnet; Linking ADMAnet to similar global networks; Continuing to update ADMAnet data in the light of project results; Activities: 6.2.3 Developing the communities living in affected areas on the green belt path, to include: (a) Raising awareness of desertification and the conservation of natural resources among the local population · · Organising awareness campaigns by governmental and non-governmental organisations; Organising field instruction days; Activities: 82 10-46641 S/2010/204 · · (b) Arranging exchange visits between the States of one region and other regions; Preparing and distributing printed materials and documentary films; Improving the standard of living of the local population and raising their capacity to adapt to the environment in which they live · · · · · · Rehabilitating and improving the management of oases; Implementing income-generating activities and events and encouraging rural and traditional industries; Ensuring sources of alternative energy, drinking water and animal watering; Ensuring veterinary services; Introducing new plant species; Supporting infrastructure improvement activities; Activities: (c) Widening the base of participation in the implementation of project activities (participatory approach) · · · Organising workshops in partnership with different sections of the community; Fostering local participation in project activities; Forming specific-purpose cooperative societies to deal with project issues; Activities: 6.3 6.3.1 The components and activities of phase 3: technology transfer and the monitoring and evaluation of works, to include: Disseminating techniques and methodologies successfully tested in the project to environmentally similar regions on the green belt path Activities: · · · Determining the appropriate environmental specifications for dissemination; Coordinating with national institutions to select suitable sites for these techniques and methodologies; Applying land rehabilitation measures consistent with the nature of the sites; 6.3.2 Monitoring works and supervising ongoing implementation on the green belt path Activities: · · Monitoring works and conducting regular supervision and evaluation of rehabilitated sites; Implementing workshops to review project results and exchange information among Member States, in partnership with regional and international organisations and donor bodies; 10-46641 83 S/2010/204 7. Implementation mechanism The project will be implemented through country-based and regional activities to monitor and combat desertification, improve the condition of natural pasture and increase the area of artificially forested land in a manner appropriate to the needs of Arab States and in line with national action plans in the four Arab regions, namely: · · · · The Arab West (Maghreb), including the Great Jamahiriya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania; The central region, including Egypt, the Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti and the Comoros Islands; The Arab East (Mashreq), including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq; The Arabian Peninsula, including Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman. The project will be implemented in three main phases, in accordance with the aforementioned components and activities, as follows: 7.1 Phase 1 Phase 1 will be carried out by ACSAD over a two-year period as follows: · A full project study will be undertaken to determine the green belt path and sites of the different-purpose pilot projects, to be projected geographically onto special maps, in collaboration with local experts appointed by the government of each State involved with the project; Project implementation plans (general and annual) will be prepared in each participating State and each region, in full and active collaboration and coordination with local experts, by means of field visits to all the Arab States participating in the project. Each State shall have a choice of the studies and activities it wishes to implement within the project framework, in accordance with its priorities, the principle of distinctiveness and the expertise it enjoys in the proposed activities; The cost of all works necessary to implement the activities of the components of phase 2 (three years) and phase 3 (five years) in each participating Arab State will be estimated; · · 7.2 Phase 2 In phase 2, after the detailed project implementation plans have been formulated in each participating State, each State in the four regions shall be required to direct its national efforts and autonomous financing to implementing its own pilot projects on its national territory, in accordance with the green belt plan produced by phase 1 and employing coordination procedures to be agreed upon in the course of the project. In phase 2, ACSAD shall be responsible for the following: · Supervising the implementation of different-purpose pilot projects on the green belt path, involving the transfer of suitable techniques and methodologies and the training of local workers at various levels; Conducting economic and social studies with the goal of developing the communities living in affected areas on the green belt path and raising · 84 10-46641 S/2010/204 their awareness of the dangers of erroneous practices in the exploitation of natural resources and the dangers of desertification; · · 7.3 Phase 3 In phase 3, States shall strive to disseminate techniques and methodologies, which have been successfully tested in the project, in environmentally similar regions on the green belt path. Each State in the four regions shall be required to direct its national efforts and autonomous financing to continuing to implement its own green belt plans on its national territory, employing coordination procedures to be agreed upon in the course of the project. ACSAD shall be responsible for the following: · · · Monitoring and supervising implementation of works on the green belt path; Implementing specialised pan-Arab workshops to exchange expertise among Arab States; Evaluating the project and publicising results during the later stages of the life of the project; Implementing specialised national and pan-Arab training courses and workshops to raise Arab operating capacities in this field; Providing technical consultancy services as required. The costs of ACSAD project commitments shall be covered in accordance with the budget proposed in this document (paragraph 14). 8. Anticipated results The green belts project is a project designed to protect and improve environmental conditions, as well as a sustainable development project. It will have direct results and indirect repercussions, the most important of which will perhaps be improvement of the local climate and protection against soil erosion, particularly if implemented at regional level. It will put in place suitable conditions for the exchange of information on activities designed to combat desertification and improve natural resource management in arid and semi-arid regions. Broadly, the anticipated results of the project may be summarised as follows: · Promoting and helping to achieve sustainable development, such as the development of natural resource management and meeting the needs of the concerned population, geographically, in green belt zones; Putting in place appropriate conditions for the exchange of information, techniques and expertise on combating desertification and the rehabilitation of forests, pastureland and sand dune areas, thereby strengthening collaboration between national institutions and Arab League organisations; Alleviating the adverse impact of climate change, checking the movement of sand dunes and sand storms, thereby minimising soil loss and increasing the green space in arid and semi-arid regions of the Arab world, and coordinating collaborative efforts with the international community to · · 10-46641 85 S/2010/204 implement regional desertification; · and sub-regional programmes to combat Protecting agricultural lands, industrial plant, populated areas and public utilities close to the sites of pilot projects from desert drift and the encroachment of sand dunes; Generating sources of income, increasing production, supporting population stability, improving the surrounding environment and, in consequence, improving public health and the standard of living of local communities; Restoring tree, bush and perennial grass cover in pilot areas, preserving biodiversity, developing nature reserves and safeguarding inherited assets; Directing the exploitation of rehabilitated areas for purposes of pasture, ecotourism, apiculture and wildlife resource husbandry using sound scientific methods; Ensuring the provision of trained and qualified Arab staff capable of transferring practical techniques to environmentally similar locations within the green belt. · · · · 9. Beneficiaries from the project The main beneficiary groups from the project will be: 1. The local population in areas adjacent to green belt areas, particularly areas exposed to sand drift, dust storms and flooding, helping to stabilise their existence and provide them with better living conditions; Agricultural labourers engaged in project implementation and, 2. subsequently, in gathering raw plant materials, apiculture and wildlife resource husbandry in project areas; Scientific research centres in the Arab world and academic and applied 3. researchers at Arab universities interested in the development of all forms of agricultural resources, particularly pasture and woodland resources, the development of wildlife and the conservation of biodiversity; Workers in rural agricultural industries and consumers of products of 4. these industries, such as dates, meat, honey, wood products and firewood; 5. Shepherds and herders who will benefit from properly managed pastures in pastoral or woodland areas; 6. The social class wishing to pursue ecotourism and open-air sports, as pilot areas will make available suitable sites and environments for camping, running, walking and strolling; Perhaps the main beneficiary from this project will be future 7. generations, who will inherit productive and environmentally clean natural resources and bountiful land, contributing to stability and ensuring optimum living conditions. 86 10-46641 S/2010/204 10. Project term The project shall be implemented in three phases over ten years, the term of each phase being as follows: · · · Phase 1: two years; Phase 2: three years; Phase 3: five years. Phase 1 of the project will focus on defining the green belt path in participating Arab States and within each region, formulating general and annual project implementation plans and estimating the costs of implementing all the work necessary to execute the component activities of phases 2 and 3 in each participating Arab State. Phase 2 will focus on implementing multi-purpose trial projects, raising the level of autonomous implementation capacities and carrying out economic and social feasibility studies designed to improve the living conditions of the affected population. Phase 3 will continue the implementation by participating Arab States of their green belt plans on their own national territory, employing coordination procedures to be agreed upon in the course of the project. The focus will be on the transfer and dissemination of techniques and methodologies successfully tested in the four Arab regions to environmentally similar regions on the green belt path. 11. Participating bodies ACSAD shall work as a consultancy, supervisory and coordinating body for the project, in partnership with the national institutions in Arab States responsible for implementation and with funding organisations and institutions, if any Arab States needs financial support for implementation. 12. Project organisation and management Given its experience of managing many similar projects to the one proposed, ACSAD possesses the capability to take on the job of project management in a largely self-sufficient manner. The project will be implemented by: · A nucleus of technical and administrative staff appointed by ACSAD, to be financed from the project budget, and to include the general project coordinator, two regional coordinators, experts, an accountant and a secretary; Arab consultants contracted as needed to assist in specific areas, to be financed from the project budget; Core national staff from participating States, the numbers and responsibilities of whom will be determined by agreement between ACSAD and participating States, to be financed by participating States; National working groups with specialisation in the project's field of operation, to be financed by participating States; · · · 12.1 General project coordinator ACSAD shall appoint a general project coordinator with high-level expertise and administrative competence, to be based at ACSAD and having the following duties: 10-46641 87 S/2010/204 · To propose the general and annual project action plan in each participating State and submit this to the steering committee for approval and adoption by the responsible body in the State; To coordinate project activities and follow up implementation with the regional coordinators; To determine operational requirements in coordination with the regional coordinators; To arrange expert consultancy; To prepare training courses, pan-Arab scientific seminars and the annual meeting of the steering committee and technical committee; To prepare annual technical progress reports on project operations for submission to the steering committee; To prepare annual financial reports on the project for submission to the steering committee. · · · · · · 12.2 Regional project coordinator ACSAD shall appoint four regional project coordinators with high-level expertise and administrative competence, each to be based in one of the States of each region and having the following duties: · To propose the general and annual project action plan in each participating State in the region, in coordination with the national project coordinator, for submission to the general project coordinator; To coordinate project activities and follow up implementation with the national coordinators; To determine operational requirements in coordination with the national coordinators; To organize visits of experts to the States of the region; To prepare national training courses in the States of the region; To organise field days and national awareness campaigns in the States of the region; To prepare half-yearly technical progress reports on project operations in the States of the region for submission to the general project coordinator; To prepare annual financial reports on the project in the region for submission to the general project coordinator. · · · · · · · 12.3 National programme coordinator Each participating State shall appoint a national coordinator with high-level expertise and administrative competence, preferably the head of a national institution engaged in implementing anti-desertification projects, and having the following duties: · · To cooperate actively with the regional coordinator to formulate the general and annual project action plan in his country; To appoint national working groups to implement project operations; 88 10-46641 S/2010/204 · · · · · · To direct and monitor the national working groups in accordance with the defined action plan; To coordinate project activities among the national working groups; To determine operational requirements in coordination with the national working groups and ensure the timely supply thereof; To organize and facilitate visits of experts to the project; To collaborate with the regional coordinator in organising training courses, field days and national awareness campaigns; To prepare half-yearly technical progress reports on project operations for submission to the regional project coordinator. 12.4 National working groups National working groups shall be formed in each participating State, consisting of groups of specialists in the relevant fields and tasked with the following duties: · · · To cooperate with the national coordinator and regional coordinator to prepare the annual project plan; To determine the needs and requirements for the implementation of programme operations and ensure the timely supply thereof; To prepare quarterly technical progress reports for submission to the national coordinator. 12.5 Project technical committee This committee shall be chaired by the general project coordinator and be composed of the regional coordinators, national coordinators and relevant experts. The technical committee shall meet annually to discuss and adopt the annual report on the project, exchange experience and successes and review useful studies, in addition to facilitating the dissemination of techniques successfully tested in one Arab country to environmentally similar areas in other Arab countries. From this meeting, it will be possible to discover the relative advantages of each Arab State and identify the front runners in different areas to plan further exchange visits between experts from different States, thereby strengthening regional cooperation. 12.6 The project steering committee This committee shall be headed by the Director-General of ACSAD and consist of high-level representatives from the Arab States and the general project coordinator (as rapporteur). The steering committee will meet at the end of the annual technical meeting to review and approve the annual report on the project, discuss key issues facing the project and adopt the next year's action plan and budget. 13. Oversight, control and evaluation ACSAD shall oversee, monitor and evaluate the project through the regional coordinators and field visits by project experts to each participating Arab State in 10-46641 89 S/2010/204 order to ascertain proper implementation and progress of work and to conduct an annual evaluation thereof in terms of the achievement of project goals. 14. Proposed project budget The general budget of the project shall be US$ 21,230,000 (twenty-one million, two hundred and thirty thousand dollars) distributed over the components and activities stated in annex 1. The budget will be funded by Arab States and Arab and regional funding institutions. A special project account will be opened and operated by ACSAD and audited by the audit bureaux in accordance with the unified financial and accounting system of the League of Arab States. 90 10-46641 S/2010/204 League of Arab States Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya The Arab Project for Green Belts in Arab Regions Annex 1 Project budget Prepared by The Arab Center for the Study of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) January 2010 Project budget The general budget of the project shall be US$ 21,230,000 (twenty-one million, two hundred and thirty thousand), distributed over ten years as follows: · · · · Phase 1 (two years): Phase 2 (three years): Phase 3 (five years): Total: US$ 4,180,000 US$ 12,210,000 US$ 4,840,000 US$ 21,230,000 The following schedules show the budget proposed for implementing the components and activities of the three phases of the project: 10-46641 91 S/2010/204 1. Budget proposed for implementing the components and activities of phase 1 of the project: defining the green belt path, formulating project implementation plans and conducting social and economic studies (US$ thousand) Name of sub-component Activities Year 1 Year 2 Total for Total for 22 one State Arab States Defining the green belt path and profile and selecting pilot projects Monitoring and evaluating land degradation in the Arab region (regional and national level) by use of remote sensing technologies and geographic information systems (ACSAD methodologies) Selecting the green belt path by a combination of remote sensing and field work; field profiling of the path by means of studies of soil, land use, land degradation, plant covering and water resources Selection of pilot project sites on the green belt path and detailed study of the natural resources of these sites, taking existing projects into consideration 30 - 30 660 50 - 50 1100 - 20 20 440 Formulating detailed Field visits to participating States project implementation plan Preparation of implementation plans documents (general and annual), incl. detailed budget for implementation of works in each participating State Conducting social and economic studies Study of the population and its demographic characteristics; study of available resources and production factors; study of the economic and social characteristics of local communities and of the situation of services and ownership; study of the environmental impact on local communities before and after project implementation 20 - 20 20 440 440 20 - 50 50 1 100 Total 100 90 190 4 180 92 10-46641 S/2010/204 2. Budget proposed for implementing the components and activities of phase 2 of the project: developing plant cover at pilot project sites on the path of green belts, supporting and fostering the capacities of national institutions and developing the communities which inhabit affected areas (US$ thousand) Total for one State Total for 22 Arab States Name of sub-component Activities Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Implementation of pilot projects to develop plant cover Pilot forestation projects Pilot projects to rehabilitate pastureland Pilot projects to counter sand drift and stabilise sand dunes 25 25 25 10 80 10 10 25 25 25 10 80 10 25 25 25 80 10 75 75 75 20 240 10 30 1 650 1 650 1 650 440 5280 220 660 Supporting and fostering Development of national institutions the capacities of national working in the project field institutions Implementation of pan-Arab and national training courses and workshops Creation of a project object network Developing the communities living in affected areas on the green belt path Raising the awareness of the local population of desertification and natural resource conservation; application of the participatory approach Improving the living standard of the local population and raising their capacity to adapt to the environment in which they live Total 10 10 10 30 660 195 185 175 555 12 210 10-46641 93 S/2010/204 3. Budget proposed for implementing the components and activities of phase 3 of the project: technology transfer and monitoring and evaluation of works (US$ thousand) Total for Total for 22 Year 9 Year 10 one State Arab States Name of sub-component Activities Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Disseminating techniques and methodologies successfully tested in the project to environmentally similar regions in new pilot projects on the green belt path Determining environmental specifications suitable for disseminating these techniques and methodologies Coordinating with national institutions to select suitable sites to apply land rehabilitation measures in a manner consistent with the nature of the new locations 20 - - - - 20 440 20 - - - - 20 440 Monitoring works and Monitoring of works and conducting regular supervision and evaluation of supervising ongoing project implementation rehabilitated sites on the green belt path Implementation of workshops to review project results and exchange expertise among Arab States Total 20 20 20 20 20 100 2 200 - 40 - 40 - 80 1 760 60 60 20 60 20 220 4 840 94 10-46641 S/2010/204 The Arab road link scheme The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action and the study on Arab road axes commissioned from Dar al-Handasah by the Secretariat-General and funded by the Binladen Group, In view of the importance of road transport to inter-Arab commerce, Taking into consideration resolution 5 of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, January 2009) on the planned Arab rail link, Believing in the importance of an integrated inter-Arab transport network and of making parallel efforts through different means of transport to develop and strengthen the Arab land link in order to facilitate the movement of Arab trade and raise the competitiveness of Arab goods on the markets, Commensurate with the obligations of several Arab States under the Agreement on International Roads in the Arab Mashreq concluded within the framework of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and the projects and schemes of the land link between the countries of the Arab Maghreb Union. In the light of the resolution of the extraordinary session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Transport on this matter (24 February 2010), Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, In the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To approve the proposed axes of the Arab road link scheme and the unified technical specifications stated in the study on Arab road axes; 2. To call upon the Arab States to: (a) (b) Expedite implementation of the scheme's projects, observing the timescale stipulated in the said study; Encourage the private sector to invest in the implementation and operation of the scheme's projects; 3. To call upon Arab and regional finance institutions and funds to give priority to helping to finance projects of the Arab road link scheme; 4. To develop performance at Arab States' points of entry by simplifying, unifying and automating entry and transit procedures, paying attention to developing and raising the level of professional performance of staff working at those points, thereby facilitating the flow of goods and passage of travellers between Arab States; To charge the Council of Arab Ministers of Transport with monitoring 5. implementation of the projects of the Arab road link scheme and to submit regular progress reports thereon to the Economic and Social Council for submission to the summit. (Summit resolution 531, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 95 S/2010/204 Climate change The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General; the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action; the Arab Ministerial Declaration on Climate Change issued by the 19th ordinary session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment under resolution 275 (6 December 2007); the Arab Ministerial Statement on Climate Change Negotiations issued by the 21st ordinary session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment under resolution 331 (11 November 2009); resolution 320, paragraph 2 (23) (11 November 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment on continuing the work of the Arab negotiating group on climate change, consisting of the Member States of the Executive Office of the Council; resolution 7195 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level on support and backing for the State of Qatar's bid to host the 18th Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18, 2012); and resolution 301 (headquarters of the League of Arab States, 16 March 2010) of the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment on Arab action during the forthcoming phase of climate change negotiations, Commending the efforts of the Republic of the Sudan during its chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China in 2009 and the efforts of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria as chair of the African group at ministerial level in 2009, In the light of discussions, Resolves I. That Arab action during the forthcoming phase of climate change negotiations be as follows: 1. To undertake to continue to apply the Arab Ministerial Statement on Climate Change Negotiations issued by the 21st ordinary session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment under resolution 331 (11 November 2009), as the unified Arab position on climate change negotiations; 2. To consider the principles and provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be the sole legal umbrella for climate change negotiations; 3. To affirm the principle of transparency and the involvement of all States Parties in the negotiations from now until the forthcoming conference of States Parties in Mexico and to reject the principle of negotiating in small groups outside the framework of the convention; 4. To undertake to negotiate on the two main tracks of the convention (the additional commitments of Annex 1 countries under the Kyoto Protocol and longterm cooperation in accordance with the Bali Action Plan) and achieve balanced progress in each to ensure balanced results and to reject the creation of an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol or its incorporation within a new convention; 96 10-46641 S/2010/204 5. The Copenhagen Declaration is not an official document of the conference of States Parties and is not legally binding. Each State may define its own position vis-à-vis the Copenhagen Declaration as it wishes and developments in this regard will be monitored. 6. To continue to support the Arab negotiating team in respect of follow-up and coordination during the next phase of negotiations; 7. To coordinate and consult with other regional blocs, in particular the Group of 77 and China, including the African group, as well as emerging economy States and island States; 8. To call upon the Arab States to support and assist the Republic of Yemen in its chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China. II. To call upon the Arab States to: 1. Include policies addressing issues of climate change in all spheres within national and regional sustainable development policies; 2. Adopt national and regional action plans to address issues of climate change, which governments shall have a pivotal role in implementing in coordination and collaboration with all concerned parties; 3. Complete the preparation of an Arab framework action plan to address issues of climate change; 4. Expedite ratification of the statutes of the Arab Center for Earthquakes and Natural Disasters (ACEND) to enable the center to carry out the duties with which it is tasked; III. 1. To support and back the State of Qatar's bid to host the 18th Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as a Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in 2012; 2. To call upon the Arab States to coordinate properly with other regional blocs to mobilise the necessary backing for the State of Qatar's bid at the forthcoming conference scheduled to be held in Mexico (2010). IV. To charge the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States with notifying the summit on a regular basis of developments concerning follow-up to implementation of this resolution. (Summit resolution 532, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The inclusion of Arabic as a working language of the World Trade Organisation The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action and resolution 1816 of the Economic and Social Council, the conception of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States on including Arabic as a working language of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), 10-46641 97 S/2010/204 Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, In the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To affirm the importance of including Arabic as a working language of the World Trade Organisation (WTO); 2. That the heads of the Arab permanent missions in Geneva, in coordination with other States, continue their efforts at the WTO to place Arabic on an equal footing with the other working languages. (Summit resolution 533, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Support for the social projects of the Ministry of Social Development of the State of Palestine The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, the memorandum of the Permanent Delegate of the State of Palestine, the memorandum of the Ministry of Social Affairs of the State of Palestine and resolutions 583 and 595 of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs, Affirming the directives of Arab leaders on solidarity and support for the Palestinian people contained in the statements released by Arab summits, most recently the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009) and the Doha summit (March 2009), Reaffirming the resolutions of Arab summits on support for the State of Palestine and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, In the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To call upon the Arab States to support the programme of monetary assistance, boys' and girls' social centres and centres for persons with disabilities belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs of the State of Palestine; To call upon Arab, regional and international bodies, institutions and 2. organisations, particularly United Nations bodies working within the same framework, to provide the necessary support for the projects stated in paragraph 1, above; To charge the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs with monitoring 3. implementation of the resolution, in coordination with Member States and the Ministry of Social Affairs of the State of Palestine, and to submit a progress report thereon to the next Arab summit. (Summit resolution 534, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 98 10-46641 S/2010/204 The Arab children's parliament The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, the memorandum of the Permanent Delegate of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, resolutions 1670, 1726, 1803 and 1826 of the Economic and Social Council and resolutions 554 and 612 of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs, Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, In the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To welcome the creation of the Arab children's parliament; 2. To charge the Secretariat-General with taking the necessary measures to organise the proceedings of the Arab children's parliament in accordance with the provisions of its approved statutes. (Summit resolution 535, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The development of Arab cooperation in the youth sphere The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action, the memorandum of the Permanent Delegate of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, resolutions 223, 432, 650, 651 and 693 of the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sport, Affirming the statement of the Khartoum summit (2006) on the empowerment of youth, Affirming the directives of Arab leaders in the communiqué and action programme of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009), Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, In the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To welcome the initiative of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria on developing Arab cooperation in the youth sphere; 2. To call upon the Secretariat-General to coordinate with the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to formulate a concept for those elements of the initiative it believes can be implemented, for submission to the Economic and Social Council in preparation to submission to the next session of the Arab summit. (Summit resolution 536, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 99 S/2010/204 The promotion of scientific and technical research in the Arab States The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on joint Arab economic and social action and the report of the Secretary-General on the promotion of scientific and technical research in the Arab States, Recalling previous Arab summit resolutions 355 (Khartoum, 2006), 394 (Riyadh, 2007) and 443 (Damascus, 2008) and resolution 12 (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009) of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit; Reaffirming the need to accord greater importance to the development of scientific and technical research in the Arab States, Having listened to the clarifications of the Secretariat-General, In the light of discussions, Resolves 1. To commend the report of the Secretary-General on the promotion of scientific and technical research in the Arab States and the efforts of the specialist Arab organisations which participated in the preparation of the report; To charge the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States with 2. coordinating with the relevant specialist Arab organisations to take the necessary measures to formulate a strategy for scientific and technical research in the Arab States for submission to the extraordinary meeting of ministers of higher education and scientific research, or equivalent thereof, and the Economic and Social Council prior to submission to the next Arab summit. (Summit resolution 537, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The promotion of the Arabic language for the information society The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action and the periodic report submitted by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) Resolves 1. To adopt the periodic report issued by ALECSO on the project for the promotion of the Arabic language for the information society; 2. To request Member States to create specialist national committees to implement the project in the light of the ALECSO periodic report; 3. To charge ALECSO, in coordination with the Secretariat-General and concerned ministries and institutions in Member States, with monitoring implementation of the resolution and preparing a periodic report on project developments for submission to the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level. (Summit resolution 538, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 100 10-46641 S/2010/204 Adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations of the initiative of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali declaring 2010 as the international year of youth The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General; the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action; the memorandum of the Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Tunisia; resolution 489 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level concerning support for and appreciation of the initiative of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali declaring 2010 as the international year of youth; resolution A/RES/64/134 of the General Assembly of the United Nations entitled, "Proclamation of 2010 as International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding"; and the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments (Sert, 24 March 2010), Resolves 1. To express its utmost satisfaction at and to welcome the adoption by the 64th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations of the initiative of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of the Republic of Tunisia calling for the declaration of 2010 as international year of youth; To call upon Member States to maintain support for this initiative through active 2. participation in the consultations to be held by the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations on ways of organising the international youth conference; To urge Arab States to take part in the celebration of the international year of 3. youth by organising national activities and participating actively in the international youth conference to be held under the auspices of the United Nations; To call upon the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sport to elaborate a 4. range of programmes and activities to open up opportunities for Arab youth for consultation, dialogue and creativity within the framework of reviving the international year of youth and highlighting its theme of dialogue and mutual understanding. (Summit resolution 539, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) The formulation of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, the report of the Secretary-General on Joint Arab Action, resolution 7125 (9 September 2009) of the 132nd ordinary session and resolution 7202 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, Pursuant to resolution 486 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Resolves To approve the Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights, in the version annexed. (Summit resolution 540, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 10-46641 101 S/2010/204 Annex The Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights Preamble The concern with human rights has become one of the distinguishing features of the present age, given form by a series of international, regional and national initiatives to make the practice of human rights values a reality in daily life. Within this context, the Arab plan represents a joint Arab foundation for fostering the culture of human rights in Arab countries, in line with a comprehensive strategy of several ways of strengthening this culture in order to help social classes, individuals, groups and institutions. The plan has been drafted to give effect to the proposal of the Kingdom of Morocco calling for the adoption of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights and in implementation of the resolution of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level. The advisory plan was drawn up on the basis of the participatory approach, bringing together a number of Arab experts and representatives of Member Arab States at a scholarly workshop held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, on 16-17 December 2009, under the auspices of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States (Department of Human Rights) and Kingdom of Morocco (Ministry of Justice) and with technical support from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The plan includes six key elements: the general frame of reference, vision and goals, general principles, scope, working methodology and implementation programme. The plan is not an alternative to national plans or intended to take their place but represents, together with them, a unified framework and set of guidelines for common themes and goals, which complements, reinforces and furthers the various Arab efforts. 1. General frame of reference of the plan The general frame of reference of the plan is provided by resolution 486 (30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level. This welcomed the Moroccan proposal on the formulation of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights and charged the SecretariatGeneral, in coordination with Member States and Arab organisations and institutions involved with human rights issues, principally the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights, with preparing a draft Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights, defining its principles, goals and mechanisms and submitting the final version, after endorsement by the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights, to the Council of the League at ministerial level prior to submission to the forthcoming 22nd ordinary session the Council of the League at summit level. Resolution 7125 (9 September 2009) of the 132nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States adopted the recommendations of the 27th session of the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights (29 June-2 July 2009), of which item 17, on the formulation of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights, 102 10-46641 S/2010/204 stipulated that the Department of Human Rights, in collaboration with the Kingdom of Morocco and those Arab States wishing to participate, shall take charge of preparing the plan, calling upon the assistance of several Arab specialists in this field, and submit it to the next meeting of the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights (January 2010). Pursuant to approved regional declarations and recommendations: 1. 2. 3. The Arab Charter on Human Rights; The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights; The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (1990); 4. The Rabat Declaration on an Arab Strategy for Human Rights Education (1999); 5. 6. 1. General guidelines for human rights education in Arab States (2006); The Arab Plan for Human Rights Education, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); and ratified international declarations and conventions on human rights: 2. The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965); 3. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); 4. 5. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966); The four Geneva Conventions (1949); 6. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979); 7. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984); 8. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the two additional protocols thereto (2000); 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Basic conventions on employment and freedom of union organisation; The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (1993); The Declaration on the Right to Development (1984); The Millennium Development Goals; 14. The recommendation concerning education for international understanding, cooperation and peace and education relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms adopted by the 18th session of the General Conference of UNESCO (1974); 15. Declaration on education for peace, human rights and democracy approved by the international conference on education and adopted by the 28th session of the General Conference of UNESCO (1995); 10-46641 103 S/2010/204 16. Resolution A/RES/49/184 of the General Assembly of the United Nations declaring the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education 1995-2004; 17. 2. The World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-2007). Vision and goals To strengthen the culture of human rights in the Arab world and ensure the enjoyment thereof by all individuals, groups and classes. The following goals proceed from this vision: To develop awareness of human rights among the members of society 1. and strive to provide them with and to defend these rights; 2. To provide information on regulations and measures which protect human rights; 3. To foster human rights in all areas of employment; 4. To inform employees in all areas of employment of their duties vis-à-vis the human rights of all members of society and to provide them with human rights training; To foster elements of judicial statutes, penal measures and regulations 5. relating to human rights; 6. To provide training in ways and means of helping to protect human rights; 7. To plant the values and principles of human rights in the minds of children and young people; 8. To foster Arab efforts to strengthen and protect human rights to stand up to the violations endured by their brother Arabs in the occupied Arab territories; To elaborate indicators to determine Joint Arab Action priorities in 9. respect of human rights; 10. To strengthen positive commitment to international and regional human rights standards and strive to spread awareness and understanding of human rights at all levels, in collaboration with Member States; 11. To strive to address common challenges, such as poverty, hunger, illiteracy, unemployment, international and internal armed conflict and debt, which prevent full and genuine enjoyment of human rights and basic freedoms by individuals, groups and classes in Arab countries. 3. General principles · The tolerant message of Islam, the values on which the revealed religions are based and the values of Arab civilisation; · The system of fundamental values and principles of human rights (liberty, justice, equality and non-discrimination); · The fundamentals of democracy, consultation and national participation; 104 10-46641 S/2010/204 · Sound governance; · Human rights-based development; · The fundamentals of national terms of reference. 4. Scope 1. To establish and support structures and frameworks to foster the culture of human rights; 2. To harmonise national legislation with international human rights standards and the Arab Charter on Human Rights; 3. To spread and further the culture of human rights through the following five approaches: · Human rights education; · Human rights training; · Human rights awareness; · Communication and the media in human rights; · Concern with the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities. 5. a. Working methodology Definition of priorities, in accordance with the following bases and rules: 1. Human rights to be considered as an indivisible whole, with each having the same degree of importance; Priority to be accorded to rights bearing on the broadest cross-section of 2. people, with due regard to persons with disabilities; 3. 4. Restrictions on recognised rights to be removed; Human rights to be accorded the priority they deserve in all State endeavours; 5. Rules of responsibility to be adopted in evaluating the performance of those in charge of plan implementation ; b. Mode of working 1. Adoption of clear and effective institutional frameworks to implement the plan at national and pan-Arab levels; 2. 3. 4. Attracting national talent capable of achieving the desired goals; Allocation of adequate funding; Distribution of roles among partners; Formulation of special, detailed implementation programmes for all plan 5. activities; 6. Generalising successful experiments and applications to other sectors in the country; Adoption of quantitative and qualitative indicators to measure the extent of 7. achievement of goals. 10-46641 105 S/2010/204 6. Implementation programme The implementation programme will be based on six elements, to be implemented in three phases: · Time-frame Implementation of the plan will begin in 2011 and continue until the end of 2015; · Roles The plan shall be implemented with a broad spectrum of partners and backers whose goals are in harmony with the goals of the plan. It shall include partnerships, alliances and financial, technical and specialist support from the following bodies: 1. Member States of the League of Arab States; 2. The Secretariat-General, ministerial councils and specialist committees of the League of Arab States; 3. Friendly States; 4. National, regional and international federations, organisations and alliances; 5. All bodies, programmes and agencies of the United Nations system; 6. National and international non-governmental organisations working in the fields of development and human rights; 7. National committees and institutions working to strengthen and protect human rights; 8. 9. 10. 11. · Arab and international funds and agencies; Consultancy firms and research and development centres; The Arab private sector; Able and willing bodies from target groups; Activities The plan will seek to achieve its goals by means of carefully studied activities over the three phases, including: · Preparation phase 1. Adoption of detailed action plans to achieve the goals of the plan; Training in and raising awareness of the human rights-based approach to 2. development; Drawing up a code of conduct manual for staff in Arab States (persons 3. charged with applying the law) to observe human rights requirements in their work; 4. Strengthening regional ties in the field of human rights; Preparing and launching an Arab programme in support of 5. non-governmental organisations working in human rights, and cooperating with existing programmes; 106 10-46641 S/2010/204 6. Encouraging the establishment and strengthening of national institutions and committees concerned with fostering and protecting human rights; 7. Preparing draft, model laws on priority human rights topics; 8. Supporting the preparation and adoption of national plans to foster human rights; 9. Adopting guidelines for the formulation of a national human rights plan; 10. Fostering and promoting the roles of Arab committees and bodies concerned with the occupied Arab territories; · Implementation and follow-up phase 1. Creation of mechanisms and adoption of standards for the drafting and submission of reports to treaty bodies; 2. Preparation of studies covering human rights in Islam; 3. Strengthening regional human rights action ties to complement the Arab action framework; 4. Making use of relevant international and regional occasions (days, years, decades etc.) to provide information on and publicise human rights; 5. Creating permanent forms of action and coordination between Arab national institutions concerned with the strengthening and protection of human rights; Monitoring human rights violations in the occupied Arab territories and 6. addressing these in accordance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law; Fostering Arab corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the protection 7. and fostering of human rights; · Evaluation phase States shall prepare periodic reports measuring progress in applying the plan and submit these to the Arab Standing Committee on Human Rights. · Tools 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. National legislation; International conventions; Inter-Arab conventions; Model laws; Workshops and training courses; Training manuals; National plans; Bulletins and printed materials; Studies and surveys; Institution-building; 10-46641 107 S/2010/204 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. · The media; Funding; Competitions, prizes and awards; Monitoring and control mechanisms and teams; National and international reports; Funding The sources of plan funding shall be diversified, in line with the estimated need of each State, and shall include: 1. 2. Allocations set aside in the general budget of the State; Support from international and regional organisations; 3. Support from the national private sector on the basis of corporate social responsibility; 4. 5. · Returns on environment and human rights-related investments; Donations and aid from individuals; Indicators measuring the achievement of goals These are quantitative and qualitative indicators such as: 1. Indicator of accession to various international and regional human rights conventions; 2. Indicator of commitment to submitting reports to Arab and international bodies; 3. 4. Indicator of the number of beneficiaries from plan activities; Indicator of the extent of achievement of plan goals. The proposal to hold an Arab cultural summit The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General and the initiative of the Arab Thought Foundation, Resolves 1. To approve in principle the convening of an Arab cultural summit at a suitable time to allow preparations to be made; 2. That the Secretariat-General call upon the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to hold an extraordinary meeting of Arab ministers of culture to prepare for this summit. (Summit resolution 541, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 108 10-46641 S/2010/204 The budget of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Having studied the memorandum of the Secretariat-General, resolution 492 (Doha, 30 March 2009) of the 21st ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, resolution 7133 (9 September 2009) of the 132nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level and resolution 7213 (3 March 2010) of the 133rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level, Pursuant to the recommendations of the second ministerial meeting of the Follow-up Committee for the Implementation of Resolutions and Commitments (Sert, 24 March 2010), Pursuant to the deliberations of the Arab leaders in closed working session (28 March 2010), Resolves 1. To approve an annual budget for the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States of US$ 61,295,221 instead of US$ 51,295,221 (an increase of US$ 10 million), with effect from the 2011 budget; To request the standing committee on administrative and financial affairs to 2. review as a matter of urgency Member States' shares of the budget of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States; To call upon States to undertake to pay their shares of the budget of the 3. Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations; To call upon those States which are can, to assume the contributions of States 4. which are unable to pay. (Summit resolution 542, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Expression of gratitude and appreciation to the Great Jamahiriya for hosting the 22nd ordinary session at summit level in the city of Sert The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, In appreciation of the generosity of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in hosting the proceedings of the 22 nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level and its estimable efforts in preparing and organizing the proceedings of this session, Resolves 1. To extend gratitude and the utmost appreciation to Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, for his efforts in bringing about the success of the conference and his judicious management of its proceedings, and to affirm complete confidence in his leadership at the helm of Joint Arab Action, guiding the development of its future course and horizons and consolidating Arab solidarity in the interests of the Arab nation; To express gratitude to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 2. and the fraternal Libyan people for the warm reception, generous hosting and 10-46641 109 S/2010/204 judicious organisation of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level and the preparatory councils prior thereto and for providing all the necessary resources and making all the necessary arrangements for the success of the conference under optimum conditions. (Summit resolution 543, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) Venue and date of the 23rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level The Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, Pursuant to the annex to the Charter on the mechanism for the regular ordinary convening of the Presidency of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, In implementation of article 4, paragraph (a) of the annex on the regular convening of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level, which stipulates that ordinary sessions of the Council at summit level shall be convened at League headquarters in Cairo but that the State which holds the summit presidency may move to host it, if it so wishes, On the basis of the submission of the government of the Republic of Iraq, Resolves To convene the 23rd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in and under the presidency of the Republic of Iraq, in March 2011. (Summit resolution 544, 22nd ordinary session ­ 28 March 2010) 110 10-46641 S/2010/204 S/22(10/03)/05-Dec(0215) The Sert Declaration We, the leaders of the Arab States, assembled at the 22nd session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in the city of Sert in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, on 27-28 March 2010, Pursuant to our commitment to the principles and goals of the Charter of the League of Arab States, believing in the need to strive to achieve its goals and aims and upholding the cultural and historical foundations of the Arab identity in the face of the threats and dangers surrounding the Arab region and threatening to destabilize its security and undermine its stability, Conscious of the importance of arousing the spirit of Arab solidarity and developing and modernizing the mechanisms of Arab action to ensure that an effective Arab partnership is built to achieve prosperity and stability for our peoples and to protect collective Arab security, Having studied thoroughly and discussed in depth, in a positive atmosphere, the current Arab situation and attendant circumstances, the challenges facing the nation and the dangers threatening pan-Arab security, Pursuant to our pan-Arab responsibility to develop the wider horizons and strengthen the bonds of Arab relations to achieve the higher interests and aspirations of the nation and protect its dignity and honour, Gathering today at the "Summit in support of the steadfastness of Jerusalem" to confront Israeli practices and violations of Jerusalem, our Muslim and Christian holy places and the rights of our kinfolk standing defiantly against the attempts to Judaize the city, Declare the following: I. Our commitment to Arab solidarity in practice and approach, the endeavour to end any Arab disputes and the establishment of the language of dialogue between Arab States as a method of eliminating the causes of dispute and division, confronting foreign interference in internal Arab affairs and achieving growth and development for the Arab peoples, thereby ensuring Arab national security and enabling the Arab States to defend themselves, protect their sovereignty and develop their relations with the neighbouring States of the region in achievement of joint Arab interests. Our commitment to continuing the efforts aimed at developing and modernising the League of Arab States and its institutions, to supporting the League as the principal tool of Joint Arab Action and to fostering its mechanisms in a way that safeguards joint Arab interests and keeps pace with developments in the Arab and international arenas. We discussed the initiative presented by His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen on the establishment of a union of Arab States, the proposals and ideas submitted by Member States and the vision of Brother Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, of the establishment of an Arab union. We resolved to adopt a clearly defined mechanism to follow up the various dimensions of this issue in the form of a five-member 10-46641 111 S/2010/204 higher committee consisting of Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh, His Excellency President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and His Excellency President Jalal Talabani, with the participation of the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Arab States, to oversee the drafting of a document on development of the system of Joint Arab Action to be put before Member States in preparation for discussion at foreign ministerial level, prior to submission to the extraordinary summit scheduled for October 2010, at the latest. The committee shall consult with the Arab kings, presidents and emirs on the wording of the aforementioned draft development document. We agreed to study the proposal of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on convening the Arab summit every six months, by turns at SecretariatGeneral headquarters and the State holding the Presidency, at the extraordinary summit scheduled for October 2010. We shall develop the Arab Peace and Security Council and its operating mechanisms to enable it to perform its duties in the optimum way. We have adopted a method of addressing Arab disputes in line with the proposal submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic. We express appreciation at efforts to strengthen collective Arab relations with regional and international blocs and applaud the activities and achievements in Afro-Arab relations, Arab- European relations and relations with the countries of South American, as well as Arab cooperation forums with China, India, Japan, Turkey and Russia. Within the context of follow-up to the submission of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States on the Arab neighbourhood policy, we have asked the Secretary-General to prepare a working paper on the proposed principles of an Arab neighbourhood policy and the appropriate mechanism to ensure the development of ties and coordination within the framework of an Arab neighbourhood league. This paper will be submitted to the forthcoming ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at ministerial level in September, prior to submission to the extraordinary summit scheduled for October 2010 at the latest. II. We extend admiration and esteem to the Palestinian people in their heroic struggle of resistance to the continuing Israeli aggression against them, their land, holy places and heritage. We support their steadfastness until an independent and contiguous Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital is established. We strongly condemn the continued and escalating Israeli violations against the Palestinian people and occupied Palestinian territories, and the continuation of Israel's settlement activities despite international condemnation of these unlawful practices and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights charters. We express full support for the people of Jerusalem, standing fast in defence of their land in the face of continuing Israeli aggression against them and their holy places, especially the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque. We announce an action plan containing political and legal measures to counter attempts to Judaize Jerusalem and the incessant outrages against its holy places. We affirm that East Jerusalem is an integral part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 and that all the measures taken by the Israeli occupation 112 10-46641 S/2010/204 authorities there are baseless and invalid in law and in governance, bringing about no change to the city's legal status as an occupied city or its political status as the capital of the State of Palestine. We shall convene an international conference this year under the auspices of the League of Arab States, with the participation of all Arab States, and concerned institutions, trade unions and civil society bodies to defend and protect Jerusalem on all fronts. We support all Arab efforts aimed at achieving Palestinian national reconciliation and call upon the Arab Republic of Egypt to continue its efforts to secure a reconciliation agreement signed by all the Palestinian parties. We caution against the continuation of Palestinian divisions, which constitute a real danger to the future and cause of the Palestinian people and we call upon all Palestinian factions to take the necessary steps to heal the rift and respond to Arab endeavours to ensure that the desired national reconciliation is achieved and guarantee the geographic and political unity of the Palestinian territories. We demand the immediate lifting of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and call upon the international community, headed by the United Nations Security Council, to adopt a clear stance vis-à-vis this unjust and inhuman blockade. III. We reaffirm that a just and lasting peace in the Middle East can only be achieved by complete Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, and the occupied areas in south Lebanon. We condemn Israel's grave violations and ongoing aggression against Arab States and affirm that the Israeli attack against the military site under construction at Deir ez-Zor represents a violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic, with Israel using fabricated and false pretexts to commit aggression against a Member State of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We call on the international community to condemn such aggression and take firm measures to prevent repetition. IV. We welcome the holding of parliamentary elections in Iraq, the commitment demonstrated by Iraqis to the democratic political process, the progress toward consolidation of security, political stability and comprehensive national reconciliation, ensuring the effective participation of all elements of the Iraqi people in determining their political future, and the drive of the Iraqi people to recover full sovereignty over all their territories and preserve their unity, independence and Arab and Islamic identity. We call upon all Iraqi leaders of all sectarian, ethnic and party-political affiliations to put the national interest above all other considerations and to speed up the formation of a national unity government that preserves the unity of the people and land of Iraq as soon as the Constitutional Court ratifies the final results of the elections, in order to help strengthen security and stability in Iraq. V. To safeguard fraternal Arab-Iranian relations, we renew our call to the Iranian Government to withdraw from the three Arab islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa and return them to the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates. We laud the stance of the UAE calling for the adoption of peaceful measures and means 10-46641 113 S/2010/204 to recover the islands. We call upon Brother Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, to continue use his good offices with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Arab Emirates to ensure that referral of the case to the International Court of Justice is acceptable. VI. We affirm our solidarity with the Sudan in the face of any attempts to interfere in its internal affairs and any attempt to violate its sovereignty, unity, security and stability, and we reject the decision of the International Criminal Court regarding His Excellency President Umar Hassan al-Bashir. We welcome the steps taken to settle the crisis in Darfur between the Sudanese government and the armed opposition factions and call upon all parties to adopt dialogue as a means of achieving security and stability throughout the Sudan. We appreciate the timely efforts of the State of Qatar in sponsoring the Darfur peace negotiations and the efforts of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Arab Republic of Egypt in helping to unify the negotiation positions of the armed opposition movements in Darfur with the goal of reaching a comprehensive and final peace agreement in Darfur, and we appreciate the efforts of the Arab States in support of these negotiations. We commend the efforts of the governments of the Sudan and Chad to normalize, consolidate, and strengthen their relations on all fronts. We call upon the partners for peace and all Sudanese forces to strive to make Sudanese unity an attractive option, pursuant to the provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. VII. We affirm full support for the Union of the Comoros and our desire for its national unity, territorial integrity and regional sovereignty. We further affirm the Comorian identity of the island of Mayotte and call for the opening of Arab diplomatic missions in the Union of the Comoros, following the example of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. We express our satisfaction with the results of the conference on development and investment in the Union of the Comoros (Doha, 9-10 March 2010) and call for the pledges announced at this conference to be honoured. VIII. We welcome the moves of the Somali government to foster national reconciliation with all elements of Somali society. We urge all Somali parties to relinquish violence and strife, adopt the path of dialogue and support the national reconciliation programs. We affirm the need to combine efforts to provide full support to the Republic of Somalia, in cooperation with its legitimate government. IX. We affirm that the Arab States, all of which have acceded to the NPT, call upon the international community to strive as a matter of urgency to make the world free of nuclear weapons. The Arab States affirm the need to translate international initiatives calling for the world to be made free of nuclear weapons into practical plans with specific and binding timetables, affirming that progress toward achieving this goal requires universality of the NPT as a first step. We affirm the importance of respecting the inalienable rights of States Parties to the NPT to possess and develop nuclear technology for peaceful uses and we reject the limitation of these rights under any pretext. 114 10-46641 S/2010/204 We call upon the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to adopt clear resolutions and take practical steps to make the Middle East a region free of nuclear weapons. We caution that the persistent Israeli refusal to accede to the NPT and subject its nuclear facilities to the comprehensive safeguards system of the IAEA will result in further disturbance to the security and stability of the region and plunge the region into an arms race with disastrous consequences. X. We affirm the importance of Afro-Arab cooperation. We call for the second Afro-Arab summit, scheduled to be held in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya at the end of 2010, to be a new beginning for effective Afro-Arab cooperation, achieving the aspirations of the Arab and African peoples. We have instructed that efforts between the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States and the African Union Commission be stepped up to ensure thorough preparations for the success of this summit. XI. We express solidarity with those Arab States concerned about the measures taken recently by some Western States to tighten entry procedures to their territories. We affirm the discriminatory nature of these measures, which focus selectively on a group of countries, eight of which are Member States of the League of Arab States, and call upon the States which have taken these measures to revoke them in order to safeguard the joint interests of all parties. We affirm Arab solidarity with the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in the face of the measures taken against its citizens by Switzerland and the States of the European Union. We affirm that dangers arise from States applying such measures, which threaten reciprocal action by the Arab States. XII. We affirm the importance of combining Arab efforts to bring about a comprehensive and radical reform of the United Nations in response to the demands and aspirations of the Arab peoples, to enable the international organization to deal effectively with the new global challenges of the 21st century and to make it a more democratic institution, more capable of achieving justice, security, peace and development in the world. We call for the permanent membership of the Security Council to be expanded to allow the different geographical regions and cultures of the world to participate in managing the international order. We affirm the rightful demand of the Arab bloc to a permanent seat at the Security Council given the bloc's weight on the regional and international scene and the importance and impact of events that take place in the Arab world on the future of international peace and security. Within this context, we applaud the ideas put forward by Brother Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi at the opening session of the 64th ordinary session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. XIII. We declare our condemnation of all forms and manifestations of terrorism and hold the crimes committed by the terrorist groups to be grave violations of basic human rights and a continuing threat to the national safety, security and stability of States. We call for an international conference to be convened under the sponsorship of the United Nations to formulate a definition of terrorism, affirm that there is no link between Islam and terrorism and to distinguish between terrorism and the right of peoples to resist occupation. XIV. We stress our commitment to the culture of dialogue and alliance between civilizations and religions to enshrine security and peace among peoples, striving to 10-46641 115 S/2010/204 entrench the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence and working with governments and international organizations to consolidate the mechanisms of dealing with and respecting the culture of the other. We affirm the need for cooperation, dialogue and mutual respect among peoples and cultures to build a world in which openness and tolerance prevail. We note that respect for religious sanctuaries and beliefs is a decisive factor in building trust and bridges of friendship between nations. We express outright rejection and categorical condemnation of the insult, abuse and violation of religions, religious symbols and spiritual values. We express great concern at the arbitrary measures which have had an adverse impact on the situation of Muslim communities in some Western States and reject the Swiss ban on the building of minarets, which is incompatible with freedom of belief and human rights conventions, including the European Convention on Human Rights. We have given instructions to prepare for the convening of an Arab cultural summit to formulate a vision of the cultural future of the Arab States and have directed that full support for Arab cultural institutions, innovators and writers be made available to raise the level of Arab creativity in all fields. XV. We affirm the need to adopt effective policies to deal with the issues of climate change and environmental conservation in all national and regional areas of sustainable development and to assume a unified position at the climate change negotiations to ensure the rights of our peoples to safeguard our national resources and capacity to achieve development, thereby protecting our planet and human life upon it. XVI. We applaud the leaps in development rates achieved by many Arab States and reaffirm our determination to continue to coordinate efforts and step up cooperation to rectify development trajectories and approaches, making them more focused on the Arab man and more aligned with poor, young people and children in such a way as to achieve prosperity for the Arab citizen and fulfill the Millennium Development Goals of the Arab States. We affirm the importance of cooperation and coordination in all fields of development, particularly in respect of the Arab road link, Arab electricity grid, uses of renewable energy, the green belt project and other projects in which the Arab States have made progress and which require building on achievements. XVII. We affirm our continuing endeavour to implement the resolutions of the Arab Economic, Development and Social Summit (Kuwait, 19-20 January 2009) in the service of joint Arab economic and social action, to help to eliminate poverty and unemployment and achieve sustainable growth. XVII. We call for empowering youth to participate effectively in society by contributing to economic, social, cultural, and political development. We welcome the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations of the initiative by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of the Republic of Tunisia, declaring 2010 as international year of youth and affirm our support for this initiative by organising national activities and active engagement in the world youth conference to be held under the auspices of the United Nations. We further welcome the initiative of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to develop Arab cooperation in the youth 116 10-46641 S/2010/204 sphere and we express our determination to give priority to youth issues within Joint Arab Action. XIX. We express our satisfaction at the formulation of an Arab plan to foster the culture of human rights. We affirm our determination to foster and develop awareness of the culture of human rights among the members of society in Arab countries, to consolidate a culture of openness and acceptance of the other and to support the principles of brotherliness, tolerance and respect for human values which affirm human rights, extol human dignity and protect human liberty. XX. We affirm the importance of continuing to develop education and raise the standards of educational institutions, qualifying them to perform their mission effectively, efficiently, and professionally. We further affirm the importance of continuing to implement the plan to develop education in the Arab world and accord attention to consolidating the Arabic language as the vehicle for Arab thought and culture and the incubator of heritage, culture, and identity. We express our determination to increase spending on scientific and technical research, establish a national presence in the field of modern technology, encourage and sponsor researchers and scientists, develop Arab scientific and technological capabilities and raise the standards of scientific research institutions. XXI. We reaffirm the importance of empowering women, improving their economic, social, and legal status, providing employment for them and affording wider opportunities for women's economic, social, and political engagement. We affirm the continuation of efforts to put an end to discrimination against women, to launch initiatives to ensure their rights and foster their role and to enact the necessary legislation to protect women and safeguard their position in society. XXII. We extend sincere gratitude and the utmost appreciation to Brother Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, for his efforts in making the summit a success and his capable and attentive management of its proceedings. We are fully confident that his presidency of Joint Arab Action will witness further achievements in collective Arab action and the strengthening of Arab solidarity, achieving the interests of the Arab nation through his well-known wisdom, perseverance and drive. XXII. We express our gratitude to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and the Libyan people for the warm reception, generous hosting and judicious organisation of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level and all the meetings of the preparatory councils prior thereto. We greatly appreciate the intensive consultations conducted with the Arab States to ensure a successful summit, convened under the best and most favourable conditions. 10-46641 117 S/2010/204 S/22(10/03)/23-Doc(0255) The Sert Document We, the leaders of the Arab States, assembled at the 22nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in the city of Sert in the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Pursuant to the goals and principles of the Charter of the League of Arab States and in response to the changes the world has witnessed and which have cast their shadow across the Arab region, Conscious of the gravity of the current international and regional situation and the impact of the global economic crisis, the effects of which have extended to the Arab world, making it essential to coordinate and foster Joint Arab Action, develop its mechanisms, enhance the performance of the League of Arab States as the foundation for this action and formulate a unified position to confront the dangers which surround the Arab region, Pursuant to our assessment of the course of Joint Arab Action and the obstacles it faces, we affirm the need to make progress in developing its mechanisms, modes of operation and substance to enable us to realise the hopes and aspirations of our peoples, Expressing our satisfaction at Arab efforts since it was resolved to convene the Arab summit on a regular basis and at the resolutions adopted pursuant to the Oman summit (2001) to develop the mechanisms of joint action, we commend the submissions of Brother Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi at the sessions of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level in Oman, Algiers and Doha on essential issues affecting the present and future of the Arab nation, Recalling the projects and initiatives submitted by leaders of the Arab States to reform the system of Joint Arab Action, Affirming the declarations issued by Arab summits, most recently the Doha Declaration calling for the continuation of efforts to develop and modernise the system of Joint Arab Action, foster its mechanisms and enhance its performance to enable us to create effective policies to restructure the integrated Arab system in a manner commensurate with current challenges and to keep pace with developments at regional and international level, We affirm our determination and resolve to make progress on this track to realise the aspirations, hopes and national interests of the Arab peoples and we affirm that the Sert summit represents a new beginning on the path of Joint Arab Action, Having discussed the initiative put forward by His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen on the establishment of a union of Arab States, the proposals and ideas submitted by Member States and the vision of Brother Leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, of establishing an Arab union, Pursuant to the collective desire of the Arab leaders to develop the system of Joint Arab Action in line with the demands of the forthcoming phase to keep pace with events and developments in international relations and to take advantage of the experience of similar regional and international blocs, 118 10-46641 S/2010/204 In the light of the challenges facing the Arab States and the dangers to which the region is exposed which threaten Arab interests, Having studied the proposals of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, the leaders of the Arab States have agreed as follows: To develop the system of Joint Arab Action and make available the 1. resources to allow it to undertake its duties, assume its responsibilities, achieve Arab interests and move toward the establishment of the union of Arab States; To welcome the initiatives, proposals and ideas put forward by several 2. Member States in this regard; 3. To form a five-member higher committee consisting of Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh, His Excellency President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and His Excellency President Jalal Talabani, with the participation of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to oversee the drafting of a document on developing the system of Joint Arab Action to be put before Member States in preparation for discussion at foreign ministerial level, prior to submission to the extraordinary summit scheduled to held in October 2010, at the latest; The five-member higher committee shall consult with the Arab kings, 4. presidents and emirs on the wording of the aforementioned draft development document. Sert, 28 March 2010 10-46641 119 S/2010/204 S/22(10/03)//27-Add(0259) Address of Brother Leader Muammar al-Gaddafi, Guide of the First of September Great Revolution, to the opening session On behalf of all Libyan men and women, I welcome you warmly as brothers and friends to this historic city, situated at the heart of the Arab world. The city of Sert is greatly honoured by your presence. This city lies equidistant between the Arab East and Arab West and is situated at the very heart of the Arab world. It was built by our Phoenician ancestors and has a glorious historic heritage. The border conflict between the Phoenician and Greek Empires, between Carthage and Cyrene, took place in the region of Sert. To settle the conflict, it was suggested that runners set out from Carthage and Cyrene and the point at which they met would be the frontier between the two empires. They met at Sert but the Greeks protested that the Carthaginian runners had left ahead of time, thus grabbing a large area for Carthage. Unable to agree, the arbitrator said, "If the Carthaginians want this place to be the frontier of their empire, let their runners be buried alive here". The Carthaginian runners were the two Philaeni brothers and they declared that they accepted to be buried alive. And it was here that they were actually buried, becoming an everlasting symbol of the historic conflict between the Phoenician and Greek empires. There are bronze statues of the brothers in the Libyan Museum. This is the story of the Philaeni brothers, which happened at the ancient, Phoenician-built town of Sultan, in the eastern part of Sert. To the west of the city lies the palace of Hassan ibn Numan al-Azdi alGhassani, the great conqueror of North Africa who fought and was defeated by the apostate Kahina. After Uqba ibn Nafi was killed, he retreated from what is now Algeria in the Arab West to Sert, where he encamped for four years, supplied from Damascus by the Umayyad Caliph, Abdulmalik ibn Marwan, I believe. The Caliph provided him with 40,000 soldiers, with whom he marched against the Maghreb, conquering it completely, whereupon the nomadic Berbers joined forces with the Muslim Arabs. It is evident that, in those days, the Berbers (or Amazigh) were pure-bred Arabs and, when they joined forces with their brother Arabs in the time of Hassan ibn Numan, he was finally able to defeat Kahina and drive out Roman imperialism from North Africa. May my dear friend [Silvio] Berlusconi forgive me! This is oldstyle imperialism and the tale is an ancient one! When the Berber Arabs joined forces with the Muslim Arabs in one front, Hassan was able to drive out the Roman garrisons from North Africa, which was finally conquered. The city of Sert also bears the memory of the famous Battle of al-Qardabiya, on 29 April 1915. The Italian commander, Miani, whom my friend [Silvio] Berlusconi now denounces, as he denounces the invasion.....Modern Italy is a friend and denounces imperialism, condemning the aggression against Libya and considering, along with us, that the colonial project was unjust and, indeed, a failure. Today, it has been replaced by friendship and cooperation between two peoples which used to have the relationship of colonizer and colonized. 120 10-46641 S/2010/204 The Battle of al-Qardabiya was decisive. grandfather fell at it. My father fought at it and my As you know, the city of Sert in my birthplace, so it is said. Welcome to this historic city, of whose history I have told you a little. In your name, brother Arab leaders, I welcome our guests of honour, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, Prime Minister of Turkey, my friend Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy, Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, who is also from Turkey, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations and Dr Ali Abdussalam Treki, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, who is now our guest. As always at each gathering of the summit, we salute the Secretary-General because he is the one who remains in the field, working from one summit conference to the next, and it is on his shoulders that the entire burden of managing the Council and Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States falls. We extend our gratitude and appreciation to Secretary-General Amre Moussa. Regarding my dear brother Hamad, I have nothing to call him to account for or hold him responsible for. We did not give him the authority, so cannot ask him what he did in the year he was President. If we did not give him the authority, we have no right to question him on what he did during the year. In any event, he filled the gap between one conference and the next. My position will be pretty much the same. Brother Hamad, I extend gratitude and appreciate to you and commend the speech with which you honoured us. For my part, I vouch for what you said and support the proposals you made in your speech. As regards this conference, the Arabs are waiting, expecting action.....Excuse me, I have just been told that the Foreign Minister of Spain has arrived. We greet him, too. I mean that the Arab street, the Arab citizen, the Arab masses, the Arab peoples have all had their fill of talk. They have heard too many speeches. Personally, I have been speaking for 40 years about everything! I believe that they are looking for action not words or speeches from us, the Arab leaders. Accordingly, after the Secretary-General, Amre Moussa, introduces the guests, we shall proceed to the sessions, beginning with closed sessions today and tomorrow to discuss and approve the agenda. What I notice is that whatever resolutions we adopt, we cannot expect the Arab citizen to accept. Furthermore, nothing we do (if we do anything at all) will satisfy the Arab citizen. Perhaps there was a time when, if we adopted a resolution, it would play with the Arab citizen but now he has left us behind and the official order has begun to face increasing, popular challenges. And these challenges will not retreat before achieving their goal. We, the leaders, should not expect to impose anything on the Arab citizen or adopt a resolution and expect him to accept it. We should not expect that. 10-46641 121 S/2010/204 Nowadays, the Arab citizen is defiant, waiting for us to do something. If we adopt a resolution and act to meet his demands, he will go along with us. But if he believes that what we say or decide are insufficient, he will not be bound by it. Citizens make their own resolutions and the masses decide for themselves. From now on, we cannot take refuge behind maces and symbols of authority. These have become untenable against the march of the masses, the anger of the masses and individual and collective defiance. From now on, we cannot take refuge behind regional borders for these are not respected but trampled on by the rebellious and insubordinate with their religious or nationalist ideologies. Leaders generally, facing unprecedented challenges, are in an unenviable position. As such, we try to do what the masses want or adopt the resolutions they expect of us. If we decide something which does not satisfy the masses, it will not be respected or destined for success and the masses will carry on along the path of challenge to the official order. I am sorry but this is something I wanted to say. One last point: from now on, we are no longer bound by consensus. If a group of Arab States agrees on something, it can proceed with it, as long as it is on the right lines and meets the demands of the masses. If another group does not agree, they can sit on the fence and maybe join in later. We are not obliged to be indecisive or to go backwards. We are moving forward and anyone who wants to stay undecided or go backwards is free to do so. In any event, we shall proceed to the closed sessions and begin with action, not words. The Secretary-General, Amre Moussa, will now introduce the guests but, before doing so, will deliver his report and customary address. 122 10-46641 S/2010/204 S/22(10/03)/10-Add(0223) Address of Mr Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, to the opening session Brother Leader of the Libyan Revolution and President of the 22nd Arab summit, Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses, Arab citizens everywhere, Ladies and gentlemen, This summit is being held in truly delicate circumstances. While thanks are due to the Libyan Jamahiriya for its capable hosting of the summit and assumption of the presidency in 2010/2011, which carries with it very serious responsibilities, it is my pleasure to express appreciation to the State of Qatar, which has shown great dedication and effective leadership in the face of several existential challenges to important parts of the Arab world and achieved many positive outcomes in its political and diplomatic endeavours. Qatar has demonstrated great diligence during its presidency and shouldered its commitments. I am confident that such will also be the practice of the Libyan presidency. Respect for Arab obligations, fulfilment of the duties dictated by joint Arab interest and commitments in accordance with the Charter and resolutions of the League of Arab States and the drive toward development and modernization in our societies are necessary conditions for effective and successful progress and the real starting point for any successful action with credibility in the eyes of our fellow Arabs and the world. For, in the world of today, some quarters have begun to doubt Arab capabilities and expect an Arabs defeat in the battle for civilization, liberty and democracy, as well as in the battles for science, education and culture. Brother Leader of the Libyan Revolution, Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses, Nine years have passed since you appointed me Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, for two terms, and it will be a full ten at this time next year, at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. Throughout this time, I have steered collective Arab action and, to the best of my ability, been attentive to safeguarding the frameworks of Joint Arab Action, looking after collective interests and the unity of the Arab position and formulating and attempting to implement an Arab agenda on which we might secure broad consensus. Despite several indications of progress in this regard, progress has been slow and is still fragile. A reconsideration of the direction of the Arab system is required and a modern approach needs to be formulated, commensurate with present and future developments and demands, whether national, Arab, regional or international. In my opinion, this requires a new mechanism to act as the springboard toward wider horizons for Joint Arab Action in the second decade of the century. You may believe that, from now on at this summit, you should be discussing an Arab strategy for the coming years to confront the major problems and unprecedented challenges the Arab world will face. In front of you, you will find a detailed report on last year's achievements in the political, development and cultural spheres and in addressing external 10-46641 123 S/2010/204 challenges, the regional situation and various Arab issues. important that I address the following: In this regard, it is 1. National sentiment is not a return to a past which has gone. It is a network of security binding the Arab peoples and strengthening the bonds of contact and connection. In my opinion, national sentiment neither conflicts with the demands of the age nor hinders the prospects for responding thereto. 2. Joint Arab Action is not a novelty or empty slogans. Rather, it is the line we must continue to follow. In each region and part of the world we have clear examples and forerunners. We are not an exception to the rule and there is no reason we should be. The European countries have, separately, achieved high levels of progress but this has not prevented them from coming together to achieve common security and general prosperity. The Latin American countries, while still in the rank of the developing countries have, by coming together, achieved a great deal of progress on the basis of joint cooperation. Together, they have been able to overcome many of the sterile policies, shaped by foreign interference, which for a long time affected their development, security and prosperity. The situation in Asia is similar. The coming together of an African bloc, with which we share a contiguous space, was a wise and judicious move, resulting in genuine progress and assured joint interest. As such, any doubts about the seriousness of the Arabs coming together within the framework of the League of Arab States are merely confused, superficial talk, tainted with suspect ideas or dubious external influences alarmed at the possibility of the Arabs uniting and what their firm and united stance might achieve. 3. The joint Arab process under the banner of the League of Arab States has not been entirely a failure or muddle. Indeed, as I have mentioned, there are a number of signs of movement and progress. Although this is not the place for a detailed presentation of the positive achievements, there are some examples worth mentioning in this context: the Arab electricity grid, which has begun to become a reality on the ground, is a product and clear illustration of Joint Arab Action and responsibility; the gas networks link; the beginning of the applied study on construction of the road link between the Arab States; the launch of feasibility studies on the rail link; the expansion of the trade in services in tourism, labour, communications etc; the development of the Greater Arab Free Trade Area; the first moves toward the formation of an Arab customs union; the visible activity in Arab social and community cooperation concerning women, children and the family, the opening of the door for Arab civil society to enter the arena of discussion, study and decision-making within the Joint Arab Action framework, the numerous associations of chambers of commerce, businessmen's federations and bankers and in the fields of insurance and export; the opening up of areas of cooperation with many States and blocs within the framework of the comprehensive forums established with China, Japan, India, Russia, Turkey and the South American States, and Afro-Arab coordination and cooperation. These are all positive indicators of Joint Arab Action and representation at an advanced and indeed, unprecedented, level. 4. Arab reconciliation and the resolution of conflicts and disputes arising between Arab States has become a key demand of Arab citizens, who are tired of such disputes and the way they are managed. We have a series of important initiatives in this regard, of which I might mention the documents and initiatives of the Tunis, Kuwait and Doha summits, all of which have become a significant part of the bases for reform of Joint Arab Action but need further efforts to translate into action. 124 10-46641 S/2010/204 5. There are challenges affecting us all, which transcend the crisis-driven nature of our political problems. These include Palestine and the situation in Iraq, Yemen, the Sudan, Somalia and elsewhere. They are existential challenges for the whole of Arab society. Then there is the civilisational challenge of the so-called "clash of civilisations", of which the Muslim world has become the front and the Arab world the focus. We can only confront this and address its causes collectively, through deep-rooted and tightly-constructed programmes of reform. At the Tunis and Algiers summits, you adopted development and modernisation documents which, although giving rise to some movement in this direction, nevertheless need constant fostering, review and follow-up. This is a vital matter, requiring that the issue of reform be a regular item on the summit agenda and that States submit annual reports on progress in Arab societies to the annual summit as a matter of high priority. 6. The greatest challenge we face is how to educate and prepare the next generation to grapple with the demands of the age. The 21st century is not simply the one after the century before it but a new age with a completely different scenario. Its key is knowledge and the ability to compete. We must have educational development. There has been much talk about this but little real translation into practice. Likewise, we need to give priority to scientific research but that, too, has not yet come about, despite the numerous resolutions adopted within the framework of the League and the considerable interest in the reform of education and in the different branches of science, especially nuclear science. Now, all the Arab States have acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which allows and, indeed, provides for assistance to States wishing to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes by supplying them with the advanced nuclear knowledge associated therewith which they need. So why the delay and tardiness? This is a significant question. 7. Regional security The Arab world is exposed to security threats, some of which are passing and others strategic. The passing threats are represented, basically, by the centres of terrorism and actions of its agents in a few Arab countries, as well as by the sowing of seeds of internal strife, initiation of civil conflicts or wars and attempts to keep Arab societies in a state of confusion and anxiety. We do not absolve ourselves from some of the responsibility for causing this confusion; that is no secret. In all cases, however, I believe that these threats will pass in time, particularly if we join forces and act as one to confront them together. As regards the strategic dimension of the security threats to the Arab world, I suggest that the time has come to study it with complete frankness, calmness and judiciousness. Analysis of the strategic dimension will deal with a number of points: · At the top of the list is the regional, nuclear dimension, which betrays the existence of a military nuclear power, namely Israel and another potential power, namely Iran and opens up the possibility of a nuclear arms race which should be addressed by making the entire Middle East a nuclear weapon-free zone. 10-46641 125 S/2010/204 · Then there are the dimensions of actual, anticipated or imagined regional threats, which have set in motion an international political and military jostling for position in the Arab region, leading to a blurring of the demands of Arab security, the needs of regional security and the strategic logic of international security, which is not necessarily consistent with the security of the Arab region. The vigorous, strategic entrance of Turkey onto the political map of the Middle East is noted. It is a neighbour and brother of the Arab world, with a policy based on factors of history and geography, as well as highly capable modern diplomacy marked by an accurate reading of events and effectiveness in influencing their course. Likewise, we observe the tactical and strategic entry of Iran onto the same map with a bold policy and sweeping diplomacy, also based on factors of history and geography, having a visible impact on the overall security situation in the region. At the same time, the picture does not lack an Israeli presence, premised on the choking of Palestinian rights, the continued occupation of Arab land and insinuations about the so-called Iranian danger, exploiting the imagined, anticipated or even actual threats alluded to. Israeli interest is based on exploitation and is unrelated to any Arab interest. I state here that, if there is an Iranian threat, we must investigate and address it on the basis of our interests, considered from our perspective and in complete isolation from any Israeli conception or approach vis-à-vis Iran that, intrinsically, is wholly unconnected to any Arab interest. At the same time, we observe the emergence of the Sunni-Shi`ite conflict from the dustbin of history to become a scourge of Muslim societies, seeking to tear apart the Arab and regional social fabric. Re-appearing from the depths of history after more than one thousand years of Arab progress in ancient, mediaeval and modern times, it constitutes one more element of disorder and division. I believe that the renewed and ongoing conflict represents the greatest strategic threat to the region's stability. Indeed, I hold it to be no less dangerous that the nuclear threat or foreign presence. Accordingly, it must be met with absolute candour, severity and prompt action to bury it. The issue here is not simply a sectarian dispute or ideological rivalry, the likes of which are to be found in other religions, sects and communities, but in the degree of threat it represents, the purpose in provoking it, the scheming behind it and the appalling ignorance on which it feeds, given the fragile condition of knowledge and culture in our societies. Finally, I would draw attention to the regional interventions which have affected a number of Arab States and the impact thereof on the stability and unity of Arab territory. Having the dimension of foreign interventions, they further cloud the situation when issues of territorial integrity and the possibility of the partition of States are posed. That we begin to formulate a clear and unified position vis-à-vis considerations of regional security, starting with the most urgent, namely, the coordination of positions within the context of the forthcoming NPT Review Conference in May, insisting the conference demands that Israel · · · 8. All of these threats lead me to propose the following to you: · 126 10-46641 S/2010/204 accedes to the NPT and places its nuclear programme under international supervision. We could accept this in stages within a fixed timeframe but it is important that it be completed before the 2015 Review Conference and within a three-part framework of refusal to deal with or accept any military nuclear programme in the region, acknowledgement of the right of States Parties to the NPT to set up peaceful nuclear programmes and a formal undertaking to assist them in this and establishment of a nuclear weaponfree zone across the length and breadth of the region. · That we begin from now to amend the structure of the Arab Peace and Security Council to include a sufficient and effective number of Arab States ­ the States of the Arabian Gulf, the Arab East, the Maghreb and the Horn of Africa ­ and that the Council be charged with continuous monitoring of the security situation in the region and developing the Arab concept of regional security from various perspectives, including the proposal to form an Arab peacekeeping force, consisting of all Member States who so wish and ready to act in Arab crises on the basis of a summit resolution within the framework of Arab responsibilities and commitments in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. It is evident that we will need such a force, as the challenges in the Arab world are escalating. Once again, several regional blocs and organisations have taken this path and been noticeably successful. The examples in Africa and South America are current, innovative and effective models for us to emulate. 9. Regional developments: At the beginning of my address to this esteemed gathering, I made reference to the vigorous activities of our fellow regional States and to the joint interests which unite us and opposing ones over which we disagree. I referred in particular to the two neighbouring fraternal States of Turkey and Iran. I refer also to Africa, with which we are closely linked and which requires fresh consideration. In the Horn of Africa lie Ethiopia and Eritrea, two neighbours of ours with whom we have vital relations and interests relating primarily to regional security, as well as highly sensitive relations such as Djibouti's current difficulty with Eritrea and our full commitment to maintaining the territorial integrity of Djibouti. We are also committed to Somalia as a member of the League of Arab States. In the same context, I would draw attention to the group of States of the southern Sahara: Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Chad, all of which are neighbours of the Maghreb States, with interests that overlap with ours and which are linked to us by clear bonds of culture and history. In addition, there are the African States adjacent to the Sudan and our neighbour States in the Mediterranean region and southern Europe. In this context, I propose that you resolve to establish an Arab neighbourhood area to include these countries in a regional league with the League of Arab States. Membership would be limited to the States I have indicated, who would be invited to take part in an initiative launched by this summit. I propose that we start by inviting Turkey to form the primary core of this bloc, alongside the League of Arab States. I also propose that we consider inviting Chad, whose constitution states that Arabic is one of its official languages, and that we consider inviting the other States mentioned on the basis of the congruence of their views with those of the Member States of the League of Arab States. If you agree, I propose that the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs convene a special meeting to implement this initiative. 10-46641 127 S/2010/204 Your resolution will be a historic one that will change the nature of regional policy and help to rationalise and revitalise it. At this point, there may be a need for some essential clarification in relation to Iran. More than at any time in the past, we need to propose the launch of an ArabIranian dialogue to address outstanding issues. I propose that the Secretary-General be charged with responsibility for the initial phase, that of reaching agreement on the agenda of this dialogue. I am aware of and understand the extent of the concern some of us have regarding certain Iranian positions. However, this does not rule out but, rather, affirms the need for dialogue as a basic stage in defining future relations with Iran, with which we may disagree on a number of issues but with which we share geography and history and have many interests in common. The outcome of this dialogue could set in motion steps to invite Iran to take part in the regional league called for by the League of Arab States. It is essential to engage in dialogue with those with whom we disagree. Everyone knows how sharp the disagreements are between the Western countries and Iran but that has not prevented them from engaging and continuing to engage in dialogue. So what is stopping us? Israel, however, has no place at our assemblies as long as it remains committed to the notion that it is a State above the law, continues to move in the contrary direction to peace, does not accept the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian State, refuses to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories and does not respect the Arab identity of Jerusalem. There is no place for Israel in the proposed regional league. 10. Efforts to settle the twin branches of the Arab-Israeli dispute, namely, the Palestinian issue and the occupied Syrian and Lebanese territory, have entered a new and, perhaps, final phase of the form they have taken over the last two decades. For many years, we relied on the efforts of intermediaries instead of full United Nations supervision of the negotiations launched by the Security Council under resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) and other relevant United Nations resolutions. Regrettably, we accepted an open-ended peace process, that is, a process without end, which resulted in wasting time and enabling Israel to consolidate its hold over the occupied territories. For twenty years we failed to halt Israeli practices, chief among these being the settlement policy, war crimes, the continuing alteration of the demographic make-up and geographical shape of the occupied territories and the destruction of the identity of the occupied Arab territories, principally Jerusalem. The result is the sense of frustration and loss with which we now live. Nevertheless, despite the overbearing arrogance and conceit of Israel, which takes maximum advantage from policies of double standards and the absolute bias in its favour, enabling it for decades to defy the bases of international relations, significant developments have occurred which we ought to take on board and build upon. At the forefront of these developments, which can be described as positive, are the following elements: (a) There is a worldwide attitude, fast approaching consensus, rejecting the settlement policy. It is worth noting here the position of President Obama calling for a complete halt to settlement in the occupied territories, irrespective of the ability to achieve it, at least to date. We are witnessing an increasingly persistent rejection of settlement that has almost become international policy. 128 10-46641 S/2010/204 (b) There is also an increasingly evident worldwide attitude in the form of unprecedented expressions of condemnation of Israeli measures in Jerusalem, holding them to be unlawful and a serious obstacle to peace. (c) The worldwide consensus on the two-State solution and that the Palestinian State must be a viable one with full sovereignty. (d) The response to the Arab Peace Initiative, which sets out in detail the Arab position regarding mutual obligations and rights which the parties must commit to in order to move toward a comprehensive solution to end the Arab-Israeli dispute. (e) Clear acceptance of the Arab position that the peace process cannot be open-ended but must have a set timetable. There must also be a set timetable for the monitoring and follow-up of the process. In other words, it is no longer possible to accept the peace process if it is resumed simply as a piece of theatre to distract or dupe people or a scheme to enable Israel to complete its alteration of the geographical nature and demographic make-up of the occupied territories and the Judaization of Jerusalem. Accordingly, despite the gloom which Israel is trying to cast over the peace efforts and its attempts to shirk the obligations of peace, some progress is now being made. This has not emerged from a vacuum but has a number of causes, at the forefront of which are the emergence of a solid Arab position united in rejection of Israeli policy and the candid statement to the intermediaries that everything has limits, in addition to the degree of arrogance, swagger and conceit of Israeli intransigence, making everyone, including friends of Israel, alarmed at the level of fabrication to which its policy has sunk. While witnessing Israeli policy committing one mistake after another, we are also witnessing a greater international rejection of these mistakes and rising pitch of anger against Israeli policies. Our responsibility now is to monitor developments on the world stage accurately and take advantage of the opportunities presented, without retreating from our absolute commitment to the rights of the Palestinian people and the right of Syria and Lebanon to recover their territory, occupied since June 1967, while continuing to uphold the Arab position expressed in the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the Beirut summit (2002). The time has come to stand up to Israel's unlawful policy, which never fails to waste an opportunity for peace in the region or commit a violation of international humanitarian law, as in Gaza. The Arab Peace Initiative Committee has studied alternative measures and is in the process of completing the formulation of alternative plans to address developments in the situation, which will be put forward for the necessary decisions to be taken thereon. Israel's policy is based on its sense of being a State above the law, putting the security of the region at risk. The threats we receive from time to time about Israel's capacity to wage new wars, either on the grounds of so-called deterrence or on the pretext of self-defence, are unacceptable and cannot be met with silence. No nation committed to the principles of international law and international humanitarian law can simply accept a threat to repeat the crimes committed in Gaza in December 2009. We have not forgotten those crimes and shall not give up the rights of the victims. Likewise, we cannot be silent about the daily violations of human rights taking place in Jerusalem and the West Bank under the despicable 10-46641 129 S/2010/204 occupation. It would be remiss of me not to mention here the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, whose population is suffering from the effects of Israel's war and blockade. I call upon the international community to carry out its duty to lift the siege on one and a half million Palestinians, of whom 80% live below the poverty line. This is a truly unprecedented turning-point and we are fully alert to all the efforts being made. We are not prepared to be a party to some long, drawn-out process or a time-wasting manoeuvre, while the demographic and geographic nature of the land is altered to make the establishment of a viable Palestinian State an impossibility or East Jerusalem becomes lost in a sea of counterfeit claims circulated by Israel about the city, which can only belong to Palestine. Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses, I believe that we should take certain precautions now and study the various possibilities, chief among these being the real possibility of the complete failure of the peace process. I hope that you will discuss this possibility and the potential repercussions at this evening's closed session. 11. Iraq, the Sudan, Yemen and Somalia The situation in Iraq, as in the Sudan, Yemen and Somalia continues to cause alarm and calls for monitoring and support to protect Iraq's territorial integrity and political and social stability. I am concerned here to draw attention to the recent elections in Iraq and to congratulate the Iraqi people on the occasion thereof. I am also concerned to draw attention to the progress made in the Sudan, which I observed during the meeting of the Council of the League of Arab States in Darfur, the Juba conference convened under the auspices of the League and the Doha discussions. Basically, the keys to the challenges facing these Arab countries are comprehensive national reconciliation, reconstruction programmes and the availability of development and investment opportunities, leading to genuine stabilisation of the political and economic situation without one party or the other feeling cheated. I hope that work will continue through the League of Arab States to achieve these goals and that the Arab commitment to resolving these crises, which threaten our collective security as well as the security of these States individually, will be sustained. 12. Reform of the League Yemen and Libya have both put forward ideas on developing the Arab action system. Periodic review of the effectiveness of the League and the support it provides is indeed required. We have added much to the League's work that was not there before: economic and social summits; an interim parliament on its way to becoming a permanent fixture; an Economic and Social Council with a decisive role in areas of development at Arab level; the Arab Peace and Security Council, concerned with monitoring political and security problems, one of its responsibilities being to study and propose the creation of Arab peacekeeping forces; sovereign committees to examine particularly sensitive matters, such as the Arab Peace Initiative follow-up committee, which reports on issues relating to the Arab-Israeli dispute; active ministerial councils; Arab organisations which have begun to work proactively, in a manner far removed from the standard, routine pattern which characterized Arab action for decades and which is now disappearing in view of the seriousness of the situation, the pressure of work and the enormity of 130 10-46641 S/2010/204 the challenges; and new forms of action in different aspects of Arab, regional and, in many cases, international life, which are now part of the League's work. However, this is all undermined by the low level of many of the candidates for various positions. The League is not a repair shop for old cars corroded by time and drink. It cannot move forward or even carry out its existing duties with staff who lack competence, expertise and the required spirit of initiative. The reluctance of several Member States to fulfil their obligations further undermines the League. A large deficit exists in the budget of the League and in the funds which contribute to the resolution of political problems, such as the Somalia fund and Comoros fund, on the pretext that there is bilateral aid. However, it has been conclusively established that much Arab money has been squandered in aid given previously to, for example, Somalia, while funds allocated to Somalia through the League of Arab States are still in place because the League demands a "hard" account and that aid be accounted for and audited. Discussion of the reform and development of the League of Arab States would not be complete without unequivocal commitment to the stipulated financial support. Also, it is not possible to talk about implementing resolutions without ensuring the implementation of financial commitments in timely fashion. I shall put this matter before the closed session in detail and with figures. 13. The Secretary-General During the past nine years, I have sought to champion the Arab League, speak on its behalf and on behalf of all Arabs and put forward a broad agenda based on four pillars: the political, the developmental, the cultural and last but not least, reform, development and modernisation. I do not say that I have succeeded but I do say that I have tried, with all the devotion, capability and self-sacrifice I could muster and bring to bear. However, the League cannot continue so. The election of the Secretary-General for the next phase will take place at the 23rd summit, which will be an occasion to reaffirm the commitment of all to support for the League and to meeting their obligations, by sovereign resolution of the summit. This is one thing. On the other hand, the Secretariat-General of the League cannot operate at the global level of performance of international and regional organisations with a small budget of which more than one-quarter is lost to refusal or inability to pay. The League is then accused of being responsible for Arab retreat and political failure, while the responsibility lies with the political will of Member States, who assume that their eagerness for and commitment to Arab action is what drives the work of the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States instead of vice-versa. I am submitting an official request to you to review the budget of the League and to double it so that we might raise the level of expertise which it is able to draw on in the service of Joint Arab Action and expand the Arab presence on global political, security, development, environmental and cultural platforms. The return from this needs no explanation and is not in any doubt. It will make the Arab League capable of taking positive action in vital areas of common Arab interest. This is a legitimate request, which I trust you will consider with complete objectivity, as a matter of urgency and with the attention it deserves, given that you are anxious for the future effectiveness and success of Joint Arab Action. 10-46641 131 S/2010/204 I make this request as I am on the point of concluding the mandate for which you elected me in 2005. I believe that I have had time enough to serve the Arabs and the Arab world, look after their interests and strive to solve their problems. I have put before you a number of ideas and suggestions, which I trust you will consider with your customary wisdom, experience and solicitude for higher Arab interests, particularly as this summit will put the seal on the first decade of the 21st century, enabling us to begin a new decade with the next conference. I hope that it will bring success for us, our countries and our peoples across the Arab world. 132 10-46641 S/2010/204 S/22/(10/03)/(0211) List of names of Arab leaders and heads of delegations of Arab States participating in the 22nd ordinary session of the Council of the League of Arab States at summit level (listed alphabetically by Member State) · · · · · · · · · · · · · · His Excellency President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, personal representative of His Majesty the King of Bahrain His Excellency President Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi of the Union of the Comoros His Excellency President Ismail Omar Guelleh of the Republic of Djibouti His Excellency Dr Ahmed Nazif, Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt His Excellency Hoshyar Mahmoud Zebari, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait His Excellency Ambassador Khaled Ziyadeh, Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States of the Lebanese Republic Brother Leader Muammar Al Qadhafi, Leader of the Great First of September Revolution of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania His Royal Highness Prince Moulay Rachid of the Kingdom of Morocco His Excellency Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers of the Sultanate of Oman His Excellency Mahmoud Rida Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia His Excellency President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed of the Republic of Somalia His Excellency President Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir of the Republic of the Sudan His Excellency President Bashar al-Asad of the Syrian Arab Republic His Excellency President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of the Republic of Tunisia · · · · · · 10-46641 133 S/2010/204 · · His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid al-Mualla, Ruler of the Emirate of Umm al-Quwain and Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh of the Republic of Yemen 134 10-46641