CM/RES.1654 (LXIV)
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RESOLUTION ON THE QUESTION OF PALESTINE
The Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in its Sixty-Fourth Ordinary Session in Yaounde, Cameroon, from 1 to 5 July, 1996,
Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the Question of Palestine as contained in Document CM/1951 (LXIV),
Recalling the relevant resolutions adopted by previous sessions of the Council of Ministers and the Assembly of Heads of State and Government on the Question of Palestine.
Reaffirming the legitimacy of the struggle being waged by the Palestinian People under the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization, their sole legitimate representative, to recover their occupied territories and exercise their inalienable national rights, including the right to return to their homeland, to self-determination and to an independent State, incorporating East Jerusalem in conformity with pertinent resolution of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council, in particular resolution No. 3236 (XXIX),
Appreciating the continued peace efforts for the achievement of a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian Question on the basis of Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 478 and the legitimate national and political rights of the Palestinian People,
Expressing its satisfaction with the participation of the Organization of African Unity by monitoring the Palestinian election on 20 January 1996,
Further expressing its satisfaction with the resolution adopted by the National Palestinian Council in its Twenty-First Session concerning the amendment of the National Charter,
Also-expressing its satisfaction with the first ever legislative and Presidential Elections held under the Palestinian National Authority as an important step and additional impetus in the forthcoming negotiations on the issues deferred to the final stage:
REAFFIRMS that the Palestinian Question is at the core of the Middle East Conflict, while the issue of East Jerusalem forms the core of the Palestinian Question and that a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Palestine calls for:
The withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, recognition and respect of the inalienable national rights of Palestinian People in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 3236 (XXIX) and the relevant UN Resolutions,
Cessation of all acts of violence by all parties, which are calculated to derail the on-going peace negotiations between Israel and PLO.
The release of all prisoners in accordance with the agreement between Israel and the PLO and the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Conventional of 1949,
Cessation of activities aimed at establishing new Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and the need to dismantle the existing ones, put an immediate end to the confiscating of the Palestinian Land in and around Jerusalem and all other occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, and repeal immediately all the confiscation orders and arrangements made by Israel and that no such action be taken in the future so as to comply with the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.
REAFFIRMS the need to resolve the problem of Palestinian refugees and displaced persons on the basis of the principles of human rights and in accordance with the provisions of the relevant UN Resolutions, particularly General Assembly Resolution 194 (1948) and Security Council Resolution 237 (1967) considering that the right to return constitutes one of the basic principles for achieving comprehensive and just peace in the region;
EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT for the “Land for Peace”
principle, pursuant to the Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967(, 338 (1973), and for the Declaration of Principles signed in Washington on 13 September, 1993 by PLO and Israel as an important step towards the implementation of the principle of “Land for Peace”, which should be speedily followed by similar measures on the Palestinian and other tracks;
APPRECIATES the determination of the Israeli Government and the PLO forge ahead with the peace negotiation despite numerous setbacks;
ENCOURAGES Israel and the PLO to continue the peace process and ASSERTS the need to adhere to the provisions of the agreements concluded by the parties and to take measures to implement these agreements without delay and within the timeframe, pursuant to the Declaration of principles signed in Washington and all other related agreements;
EXPRESSES ITS APPRECIATION for the efforts being exerted by all other parties during the bilateral and multilateral talks and ENCOURAGES them to persevere in their efforts to reach a just and peaceful solution to the Palestinian Question;
INVITES Member States to continue extending their necessary solidarity with the
PLO at the forthcoming negotiations on issues deferred to the final stage in order to ensure the transfer to the Palestinian National Authority of all powers and responsibilities in the occupied Palestinian territories including East Jerusalem;
REAFFIRMS the need to abide by the UN resolutions especially the recent General Assembly Resolution A/RES/50/22 of 12 December 1995 calling on Member States not to transfer their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem;
REQUESTS the OAU Secretary-General to monitor developments on the Question of Palestine and report thereon to the next Session of the OAU Council of Ministers.