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THE NINTH
ISLAMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE
FINAL COMMUNIQUE
1.In response to the kind invitation by H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, the Ninth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, Session of Peace and Development "Al Aqsa Intifada", was convened in Doha, capital of the State of Qatar, on 16-17 Sha'aban 1421H. (12-13 November 2000).
2.The session was preceded by the Senior Officials meeting held on 12 Sha'aban 1421 H. (8 November 2000), followed by the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for three days from 13 to 15 Sha'aban 1421 H. (9-11 November 2000).
3.On its first day, the Summit Conference held a meeting devoted to the examination of the serious situation prevailing in the Palestinian occupied territories following the savage actions perpetrated by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian people. The meeting resulted in the issue of a declaration under the title of "The Aqsa Intifada, the Intifada for the independence of Palestine"
(Annex 1). The Preparatory Ministerial Meeting also devoted its first session to the same issue. During the meeting, the Declaration was discussed and drafted.
4. (a) The Conference was attended by the following Member States:
-Republic of Azerbaijan
-Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
-Republic of Albania
-State of United Arab Emirates
-Republic of Indonesia
-Republic of Uzbekistan
-Republic of Uganda
-Islamic Republic of Iran
-Islamic Republic of Pakistan
-State of Bahrain
-Brunei Darussalam
-People's Republic of Bangladesh
-Republic of Benin
-Burkina Faso
-Republic of Tajikistan
-Republic of Turkey
-Republic of Turkmenistan
-Republic of Chad
-Republic of Togo
-Republic of Tunisia
-People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
-Republic of Djibouti
-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
-Republic of Senegal
-Republic of Sudan
-Syrian Arab Republic
-Republic of Somalia
-Republic of Sierra Leone
-Republic of Iraq
-Sultanate of Oman
-Republic of Gabon
-Republic of the Gambia
-Republic of Guyana
-Republic of Guinea
-Republic of Guinea-Bissau
-State of Palestine
-Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros
-Kyrgyz Republic
-State of Qatar
-Republic of Kazakhstan
-Republic of Cameroon
-State of Kuwait
-Republic of Lebanon
-Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
-Republic of Maldives
-Republic of Mali
-Malaysia
-Arab Republic of Egypt
-Kingdom of Morocco
- Islamic Republic of Mauritania
-Republic of Mozambique
- Republic of Niger
-Federal Republic of Nigeria
-Republic of Yemen
(b)Also attended as observers :
States
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
-Central African Republic
-Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
-Kingdom of Thailand
Muslim Communities
-Turkish Muslim Community of Cyprus
-Moro National Liberation Front
International And Regional Organisations
-United Nations
-Non-Aligned Movement
-League of Arab States
-Organization of African Unity
-Economic Co-operation Organization
-The Union of the OIC Member States Councils
(c) The following Subsidiary Organs also attended the
Conference:
-Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic
Countries - Ankara.
-Research Centre on Islamic History, Art and Culture - Istanbul.
-Islamic Institute of Technology (IIT) - Dhaka.
-Islamic Centre for Development of Trade - Casablanca.
-Islamic Fiqh Academy - Jeddah.
-Islamic Solidarity Fund - Jeddah.
-Islamic University of Niger - Niamey.
-Islamic University in Uganda - Kampala
(d) The following specialized institutions of the OIC also attended the
Conference:
-Islamic Development Bank (IDB) - Jeddah.
-Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) - Rabat.
-International Islamic News Agency (IINA) - Jeddah.
-Islamic States Broadcasting Organisation (ISBO) - Jeddah.
(e) The following affiliated institutions of the OIC also attended
the Conference:
-Sports Federation of Islamic Solidarity Games, Riyadh
-Organization of the Islamic Capitals and Cities, Makkah Al-Mukarramah
-Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karachi
-Islamic Shipowners Association, Jeddah
-World Federation of Islamic International Schools, Riyadh
-Islamic Committee of the International Crescent, Benghazi
(f) The following Islamic Foundations and Societies also
attended the Conference:
-The Muslim World League, Makkah Al-Mukarramah
-World Islamic Call Society, Tripoli
-World Muslim Congress, Karachi
-International Islamic Charitable Foundation, Kuwait
-Islamic Council of Europe, London
-Islamic Universities League, Riyadh
-The Bait Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency - Rabat.
Invitees :
- Republic of Croatia
- Republic of Macedonia
-Republic of Slovenia
-Arab Maghreb Union
-U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
-U.N. Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
-U.N. Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian
People
-Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS)
-International Islamic University of Malaysia
-United Kingdom Action Committee for Islamic Affairs
-International Islamic Relief Organization
-International Committee of the Red Cross
-True Representatives of the Kashmiri People
-Hashemite Jordanian Charity Organization
-Women's Solidarity Association of the Islamic Republic of Iran
-Islamic Countries Women Sports Solidarity Council
-Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
5.His Excellency President Seyed Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Chairman of the Eighth Islamic Summit Conference, opened the Conference. In his statement, he commended the sacrifices of the heroic Palestinian people in their fight against the Occupation forces, calling on the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to take a unified measure to support
Palestine, which he considered as a historical, cultural, and social necessity. He also highly commended the victory of the Lebanese people over the occupation forces whom they dislodged and forced into humiliating withdrawal. He equally praised the constructive cooperation of the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and all the Member States during the past three years of his Chairmanship of the Organisation, hailing the outstanding position held by the Organisation on the international scene. This will allow the Organisation to follow up the important issues with determination and competence. He highlighted the capacity of the Islamic
Ummah to respond to the requirements of contemporary social life provided they adopt a modern vision and succeed in assessing their rich civilisational past and their existing resources. The Chairman of the Eighth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference commended the decision of the United Nations to endorse the dialogue among civilizations initiative as a new paradigm in
international relations that brings out the effective role of the Organization. The Iranian President ended his speech by expressing his hope that the current Chairmanship of Organization will continue its effort to reinforce the Organization's capabilities through a comprehensive and serious evaluation of its Charter and its adaptation to the urgent requirements of joint Islamic action.
6.The Conference unanimously elected H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, as Chairman of the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference. The other members of its bureau were unanimously elected as follows: The State of Palestine, the Republic of Gambia and the Republic of
Maldives as Vice-Chairmen, and the Islamic Republic of Iran as Rapporteur of the Conference.
7.H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State Qatar, and Chairman of the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference, delivered a speech which he started by welcoming their Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses, the Kings, Heads of State and Government, and thanking them for the trust they showed in His Highness by electing him Chairman of the Ninth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference. Then, His Highness went on to address the serious conditions in which the current session is being held, comparing them to those at the origin of the creation of the OIC more than thirty years ago. He explained that once again Islamic and Christian holy shrines in Al-Quds were being violated and tens of innocent Palestinian victims were falling for daring to demand their
right to life, existence, and national sovereignty. He affirmed that the trust placed by the Islamic Ummah requires the Conference to reach a practical strategy to help the Palestinian people gain its legitimate rights while holding fast to the immutable Islamic position constituting the foundations of the resolution of the Arab Israeli conflict. His Highness called for consideration to be given to developments and general orientations emanating from the study of the issues by the Conference in order to avoid the wasting or squandering of resources and also strive for the achievement of peace, which is at the basis of all forms of development sought by Islamic societies. In this regard, His Highness underscored the importance of the ratification by the remaining Member Sates of the Statute of the International Islamic Court of Justice adopted by the Fifth Islamic Summit Conference, so as to provide Member Sates with an adequate legal mechanism to resolve their disputes. His Highness also address ed the precept of Shura or consultation and the role of legislative assemblies in representing the will of the people in Member States. He also
spoke at length of the issue of development in Islamic countries, pointing to the grounds and practical steps which all States need to make available whether individually or in their capacity as members of the OIC so as to achieve economic integration through the setting up of the free trade zone to steadily progress towards the Islamic Common Market. His Highness Sheikh Hamad
bin Khalifa Al Thani concluded his address by calling for intensified efforts to give prominence to the radiant image of Islam and its civilization, and to rectify its erroneous image in the minds of certain circles.
8.Addresses were then given by Their Excellencies Abdoulaye Wade, President of the Republic of Senegal, on behalf of the African Group, President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir, President of the Sudan, on behalf of the Arab Group, Dato Seri Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohammmad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, on behalf of the Asian Group. They expressed their congratulations to H.H. Sheikh Hamad
Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, for his election as Chairman of the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference. They conveyed their profound thanks to H.H. for hosting the Ninth Islamic Summit Conference and to the government and people of Qatar for their warm welcome and generous hospitality, and they also commended the outstanding arrangements made by the Qatari authorities to ensure the success of the proceedings of the Conference. They also expressed appreciation to HE President Seyed Mohammed Khatami, Chairman of the Eighth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, for his effective and able leadership of the Organisation in the past
three years.
9.In his address, which took the form of a general report on the major activities of the Organization, and the positive, unprecedented results reached at the levels of administrative reform and financial redress since he took office, His Excellency Dr. Azeddine Laraki, Secretary General of the OIC, put forth his vision concerning the ways to achieve further Islamic solidarity in the political field and to reinforce economic, cultural and social cooperation among Member States. He also reviewed the major political developments in most of the items on the agenda, notably the acute crisis in the Palestinian occupied territories caused by the savage acts of the Israeli forces against the resisting Palestinian people. He also expressed his confidence that the Ninth Islamic Summit
Conference will tackle the serious situation in all determination, composure and sagacity.
10.Their Excellencies Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations Organisation, Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa and Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement, Dr Ismet Abdelmagid, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Salem Ahmad Salem, Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity, gave addresses in which they commended the development of the relations of cooperation and coordination between their respective organisations and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, stressing the importance to further develop the mechanisms of joint action in the service of a number of issues relevant to the interests of these organisations, within the framework of the endeavours of the international community to reenergise the role of the regional organisations in the field of preventive diplomacy and the prevalence of international security and peace.
11.The Conference adopted the Report of the Preparatory Ministerial Conference held from 13-15 Shaban 1421H (9-11 November 2000), and the Summit adopted also its Agenda and Work Program.
12.The Conference adopted the motto Peace and Development, "Al Aqsa Intifida" for
its current session.
13.The Conference issued the Doha Declaration (Annex No. 2).
14.The Conference considered the opening statements of HE President Seyed Mohammed Khatami and His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, as well as the address of Mr. Ata Allah Hannah, official spokesman of the Orthodox Church in Palestine, as documents of the Ninth Session of the
Islamic Summit Conference.
15.The Conference noted with appreciation the Report of His Excellency Seyed Mohammed Khatami, President of the Islamic of Republic of Iran and Chairman of the Eighth Islamic Summit on the activities performed during his Chairmanship of the OIC. It also took note with satisfaction of the Reports submitted by the Standing Committee Chairs, His Majesty King Mohamed VI, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Morocco and Chairman of Al-Quds Committee,His Excellency, President Aboulaye Wade, President of Senegal and Chairman of the Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC), His Excellency Ahmet Necdet Sezer, President of Turkey and Chairman of the
Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC), and His Excellency Mohamed Rafiq Tarrar, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Chairman of the Standing Committee for Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH). The Reports reflected the efforts exerted by the committees under the aegis of their Chairmen and the resources which were allocated to serve the activities they are in charge of within the framework of joint Islamic action.
16.The Conference took note with appreciation of the detailed reports submitted by the OIC Secretary General covering all the measures he had taken in implementation of the Organization's resolutions as well as the latest developments in issues before the Conference.
POLITICAL AFFAIRS:
The Question of Palestine, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the Arab Israeli Conflict.
17.The Muslim leaders presented to the Palestinian people and leadership institutions their condolences on their righteous martyrs and wished the injured heroes speedy recovery. The Conference hailed the heroic Intifada of the Palestinian people "the blessed Aqsa Intifada" in defence of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and all the sacred shrines and called for an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of freedom, sovereignty and independence of the steadfast
Palestinian people. The Conference urged all Member States to continue strengthening their solidarity with the Palestinian people, support its just and legitimate struggle and use all the resources of the Islamic Ummah to achieve all its national objectives.
18.The Conference reiterated the necessity to put an end to all Israeli settlement activities, measures and practices contrary to the resolutions of international legality, and in violation of the agreements signed by the Palestinian and Israeli parties; and requested the UN Security Council to ban these measures and remove Israeli settlements, pursuant to Security Council Resolution 465, and revive the International Committee on Supervision and Monitoring to prevent colonization in the city of Al-Quds and other occupied Arab territories, in accordance with UN Resolution 446.
19.The Conference requested the UN Security Council to set up an International Commission of Enquiry to investigate the massacres perpetrated by Israel which resulted in the death of over 200 martyrs and over ten thousand injured persons and to constitute an International Criminal Tribunal, in conformity with international law, to prosecute the Israeli war criminals who have perpetrated these savage massacres. The Conference urged the international community to shoulder its responsibility regarding ensuring the necessary international protection of the Palestinian people in Al-Quds Al-Sharif and the rest of the Palestinian territory.
20.The Conference invited Member States which had established relations with Israel and those which had started taking measures towards the establishment of relations with Israel within the framework of the peace process to sever those relations, including the closing down of missions and offices and economic relations, and put an end to all forms of normalisation with Israel until it genuinely and accurately implements UN Resolutions relevant to the issue of Palestine, Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
21.The Conference underlined that Israel's violation of the principles and underpinnings of the peace process, reneging on the commitments, pledges and agreements concluded within this process, and procrastination and evasion at implementation level, and savage massacres of the Palestinian people have seriously undermined the peace process. The Conference held the Israeli Government wholly responsible for this situation.
22.The Conference reaffirmed the immutable responsibility of the United Nations towards the cause of Palestine until a just and comprehensive resolution is reached to all its facets that secures the end of colonization and enables the Palestinian people to exercise its inalienable and imprescriptible national rights including the right to return and self determination and the establishment of its
independent state on its national soil with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as capital. It commended the resolutions of the Extra-ordinary Arab Summit Conference, held in Cairo, on 21-22 October, 2000.
23.The Conference called on all states in the world to recognize the State of Palestine with Al-Quds as its capital upon its proclamation in the Palestinian territories and provide the Palestinian people with all forms of assistance so they can exercise their sovereignty on their soil, within the borders of June 1967 and in accordance with the resolutions of international legality. The Conference also
urged all states to extend their support to the State of Palestine to enable it to gain full membership in the United Nations.
24.The Conference stressed the need to intensify efforts to convene the meeting of the High Signatories of the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Times of War with a view to taking the required binding measures to secure the implementation of the Convention in occupied Palestinian territories including Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
25.The Conference called for action at the United Nations and other international organizations and forums to force Israel to release the Arab and Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli prisons, return the deportees, put an end to collective punishments, to the confiscation of land and property and to the demolition of houses, and desist from any act likely to endanger life and the
environment in the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories including Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
26.The Conference reaffirmed the need to implement UN resolution 237 on the return of Palestinian displaced and UNGA resolution 194 on the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and properties as the cornerstone of the just and comprehensive settlement.
27.The Conference affirmed the continuous responsibility of UNRWA to carry out its mission in favour of all Palestinians wherever they may be in accordance with the relevant UNGA resolution. It called on Member States to request the UN Secretary General to commission the Conciliation Committee in collaboration with UNRWA and the concerned states to undertake an exhaustive census of Palestinian refugees and their properties, and to formulate a comprehensive conception for resolving their problems on the basis of their rights to return to their homeland Palestine, pursuant to UN Resolution 194. The Conference also invited all states to extend further support to the Agency to enable it to finance its budget and continue to provide its services.
28.The Conference urged all states and bodies concerned to support the international program for the economic, social, and cultural development of Palestinian territories and to extend the prescribed assistance to help Palestinians build their national economy and consolidate their national institutions.
29.The Conference reaffirmed that Al-Quds Al-Sharif is the capital of the independent State of Palestine and rejected any and all attempts to diminish Palestinian sovereignty over it. It also reaffirmed that all settlement measures and practices therein are null and void in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, covenants and conventions which deem all Israeli legislative and administrative settlement measures and practices aiming at altering the legal,
demographic, architectural, heritage, and civilization status of this holy city null and void, in violation of the resolutions of international legitimacy, covenants and conventions, and in contradiction with agreements between the Palestinian and Israeli parties. It called on the UN Security Council to revive the International Committee on Supervision and Monitoring to prevent
settlements in the city of Al-Quds and other occupied Arab territories, in accordance with UN Resolution 446.
30.The Conference urged the states of the world to abide by UN Security Council resolution 478 (1980) calling for the non-transfer of their diplomatic missions to the city of Al-Quds. It called for contesting the decision adopted by the US Congress because the legislation favors one religious group over another which is in contradiction with the American Constitution based on equality among religious groups. It called for severance of relations with any state that transfers
its embassy to Al-Quds or recognizes the latter as the capital of Israel.
31.The Conference called on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to compel Israel to implement the resolutions of international legality, prevent it from introducing any geographic or demographic alterations in the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and compel it to lift the siege on Al-Quds, guarantee the freedom of worship therein, respect religious rites of all revealed religions, desist from demolishing homes and withdrawing identity cards from Palestinian citizens, and evacuating Arab nationals from the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
32.The Conference strongly condemned the Israeli Supreme Court's decisions concerning the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif, particularly the decision adopted on 25.7.1996 allowing Jews to pray in the precinct of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the decision issued on 23.9.1993, claiming the Blessed Mosque of Al-Aqsa as part of the territory of the State of Israel. The Conference emphasized that
such measures constitute premeditated provocations which open the way to extremist Jewish organizations to continue their violations of the sanctity of the Blessed Mosque of Al-Aqsa, to establish their presence in its precincts, and to continue pillage of the religious, historical and cultural relics in Al-Quds and the occupied Palestinian Territories.
33.The Conference strongly condemned Israel for issuing orders for closing the Palestinian institutions in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and preventing them from operating freely, and considered such arbitrary measures as a continued violation of the agreements concluded between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel within the framework of the peace process, as well as a
blatant violation of international conventions and agreements, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and a breach of the principles and underpinnings of the Madrid Peace Process.
34.The Conference commended the efforts exerted by His Majesty the late King Hassan II in founding Bait Mal Al-Quds Al-Sharif Agency and defining its objective as the protection of the holy city and its Palestinian inhabitants. It expressed its appreciation to his successor, His Majesty King Mohammad VI, who bestowed upon it his affection and caring and put at its disposal generous
resources. The conference thanked Al-Quds Committee Member Sates which had made contributions to the Agency thus enabling it to implement its projects in the areas of housing, renovation, and education.
35.The Conference welcomed the fundamental agreement signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Vatican on 15 February 2000 which considers that any unilateral decisions or actions such as altering the distinctive character of Al-Quds and its legal status morally and legally unacceptable. It reaffirmed the need for joint Islamic Christian action to preserve the city of Al-Quds and its religious, historical, civilizational, and cultural character.
36.The Conference lauded the steadfastness of the Syrian Arab citizens of the Golan against occupation and strongly condemned Israel's non-compliance with UN Security Council resolution 497 (1981). It affirmed that Israel's decision to impose its laws and rule on the occupied Syrian Golan is illegal, null and void, and totally illegitimate. The Conference condemned Israel for continuing to
alter the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan and its demographic and institutional structure. It reaffirmed the applicability of the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Times of War to the occupied Syrian Golan. The Conference also condemned Israel's repeated threats
directed against Syria, with the aim of escalating tension in the region and wrecking the peace process. It called for Israel's total withdrawal from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the 4 June 1967 borders.
37.The Conference lauded the steadfastness of the Lebanese government, people and resistance which led ultimately to the ejection of Israeli forces from south Lebanon and the Western Bekaa Valley. The Conference condemned Israel for its continuing occupation of expanses of land inside the internationally recognised Lebanese borders, including the Shebaa Farms, in contravention to
the provision of UN Security Council Resolution 425.
38.The Conference also requested the international community to take all necessary measures to compel Israel to immediately set free all the Lebanese prisoners and abductees detained in Israeli prisons and detention camps, in contravention of the provisions of international law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention and the 1907 Convention of The
Hague.
39.The Conference urged the international community and the Security Council to force Israel to comply with UN resolutions, particularly Security Council Resolution 487 (1981), to accede to the treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and to implement the resolutions of the UNGA and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) calling for the subjection of all Israeli nuclear facilities to the Agency's Comprehensive Guarantee System and the need for Israel to abandon nuclear armament and submit an inventory of its nuclear weapons and material capabilities and stocks to the Security Council and the IAEA as indispensable steps for the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass-destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, in the Middle East region and a fundamental requirement for establishing a comprehensive and just peace therein.
40.The Conference maintained its demand for a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on Israel's implementation of the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, particularly Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 which provide for Israel's withdrawal from all occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, including Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the occupied Syrian Golan to the June
4th, 1967 line, and enabling the Palestinian people to recover their inalienable national rights, including the right to return to their homes and property in accordance with UNGA resolution 194, and set up their own independent State with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as capital. It strongly denounced the Israeli brutal aggression on the Palestinian people and denounced as well the Israeli government's policies and practices inimical to the peace process through continued occupation of Arab and Palestinian territories including the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and by demolishing the underpinnings and terms of reference of the Madrid Peace Conference, and reneging on the commitments, pledges, and agreements concluded over the past few years with the Palestinian
and other Arab parties.
The Situation in Afghanistan
41.The Conference again emphasized the impossibility of resolving the Afghan problem by military means and called on the Afghan parties to the conflict to stop hostilities and cooperate with the aim of setting up a representative, broad-based, multiethnic government. It welcomed the initiative of His Excellency Seyed Mohammed Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and
Chairman of the Eighth Islamic Summit regarding Afghanistan. The Conference emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination between the OIC and the United Nations in creating propitious conditions for achieving national reconciliation between the Afghan parties.
42.The Conference called on all states to stop immediately supplying all parties in the conflict with arms and ammunitions. It also called on all Afghan citizens, and in particular Afghan farmers, to take effective measures to put an end to the production and export of illegal drugs and to refrain from growing them. The Conference called on the international community to support alternative
programmes of agricultural crops.
43.The Conference urged Member States and Islamic institutions to extend assistance to the Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran and called for efforts to ensure the prompt and voluntary return of the refugees to their country and their rehabilitation. The Conference also called on the international community, in particular OIC Member States, to respond to the humanitarian needs of the situation requirements in Afghanistan.
The Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
44.The Conference stressed the importance of economic recovery and its basic role in consolidating peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Conference endorsed the action programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which essentially provides for the continued participation in the peace process through the action of the Council for the implementation of the peace process and the steering committee, the search for new ways and means of bilateral cooperation between Member States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in the field of trade, investment and culture, the provision of humanitarian assistance towards the return of the refugees and the support of the action aimed at searching for the missing and carrying out mine-clearing operations. It also
provides for the reconstruction of religious and cultural monuments, the implementation of the training and equipment program benefiting the Federal Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and legal support of the actions taken against war crimes and aggression and in particular the action of the International Tribunal for War Crimes in Former Yugoslavia. The Conference also endorsed
a statement concerning the redefinition of the priorities of the Assistance Mobilization Group for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the creation of a Trust Fund for the prompt return of the refugees and displaced in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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