Summary
The declaration adopted by acclamation at the concluding session of the International Conference on the Question of Palestine on 7 September 1983, reproduced in full as annex I, section A, of the United Nations study of 1978-1983: it names denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable legitimate rights as the principal cause of Middle East tension, sets guidelines (a)-(f) for a settlement, and calls for an international peace conference on the Middle East under United Nations auspices (Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem: Part III (1978-1983), lines 381-409).
Details
- Paragraph 1: a just solution of the question of Palestine, the core of the problem, is the crucial element in a comprehensive, just and lasting political settlement in the Middle East (lines 387-389 approx.).
- Paragraph 2: the settlement must be based on implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions and attainment of the legitimate, inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including self-determination and establishment of its own independent State in Palestine, and on Security Council guarantees for peace and security among all States in the region, including the independent Palestinian State, within secure and internationally recognized boundaries; attainment of the rights as defined by resolution 3236 (XXIX) of 22 November 1974 will contribute substantially to peace and stability (lines 391-393 approx.).
- Paragraph 4: proposals consistent with international law, such as the Fez Plan adopted unanimously at Fez in September 1982, should serve as guidelines; the guidelines are (a) attainment of the Palestinian people’s legitimate inalienable rights, including return, self-determination and an independent State; (b) the Palestine Liberation Organization’s participation on an equal footing; (c) an end to Israel’s occupation and Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem; (d) opposition to Israeli policies and practices in the occupied territories, particularly settlements; (e) reaffirmation as null and void of all measures altering Jerusalem’s character and status, in particular the “Basic Law” and the proclamation of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; (f) all States’ right to existence within secure and internationally recognized boundaries, the sine qua non of which is attainment of the rights in (a) (lines 397-409 approx.).
- Paragraph 5: an international peace conference on the Middle East should be convened under United Nations auspices with all parties to the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the PLO, as well as the United States, the Soviet Union and other concerned States, on an equal footing; the Security Council has primary responsibility to create institutional arrangements to guarantee and carry out its accords (lines 407-409 approx.).
- Paragraph 6: partial solutions are inadequate and delays in seeking a comprehensive solution do not eliminate tensions (lines 409-411 approx.).
- The General Assembly endorsed the Declaration in resolution 38/58 C, with the same guidelines (a)-(f) (lines 327-340 approx.); the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People unanimously supported it and appealed for its endorsement and implementation (lines 357-361 approx.).
Related pages
International Conference on the Question of Palestine, Programme of Action for the Achievement of Palestinian Rights, Fez Plan, UN General Assembly Resolution 3236, Right of Return, Self-determination