Statement of Non-Aligned Movement on UN Security Council Resolution 1860

[PhillyActivists]

STATEMENT BY THE COORDINATING BUREAU OF THE NON-ALIGNED 
MOVEMENT ON THE NON-COMPLIANCE BY ISRAEL WITH SECURITY 
COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1860 (2009) AND THE ESCALATION OF THE 
ISRAELI MILITARY AGRESSION AGAINST THE GAZA STRIP.


The Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) 
met at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 12 
January 2009 and considered the grave situation in the 
Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the Gaza 
Strip, as a result of the massive military aggression that 
continues to be carried out by Israel, the occupying 
Power, against the Palestinian civilian population.

NAM reiterates its strong condemnation of the massive 
military aggression being carried out by Israel against 
the Palestinian civilian population in the besieged Gaza 
Strip.

NAM condemns in the strongest terms Israel’s blatant 
disregard of Security Council resolution 1860 (2009), 
which was adopted by the Council on 8 January 2009 and 
which calls, inter alia, for an immediate ceasefire, and 
its flagrant defiance of the repeated calls from the 
international community for a complete cessation of 
military activities.

NAM calls for the immediate implementation of Security 
Council resolution 1860, including in particular its call 
for an immediate ceasefire leading to the withdrawal of 
the Israeli occupying forces from Gaza as well as for 
measures to address the pressing humanitarian and economic 
needs of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, 
including by the sustained and permanent opening of Gaza’s 
border crossings fully in accordance with the terms and 
provisions of resolution 1860, to ensure the free access 
of humanitarian aid and other essential supplies and goods 
and to facilitate the passage of persons to and from the 
Gaza Strip.

NAM reiterates that this brutal Israeli military 
aggression against the Palestinian civilian population in 
the Gaza Strip constitutes a grave breach of international 
law, including humanitarian and human rights law, and is 
causing vast suffering among the Palestinian civilian 
population, fueling the cycle of violence and threatening 
international peace and security as well as the fragile 
peace process between the two sides.

NAM reiterates its deep regret at the vast loss of 
innocent lives and injury being caused to Palestinian 
civilians by this brutal Israeli military campaign as well 
as at the extensive destruction being caused to homes, 
properties and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.  In this 
regard, NAM expresses its deepest condolences to the 
grieving Palestinian people as they mourn the loss of more 
than 900 Palestinians killed, including more than 280 
children, and the more than 4,000 Palestinians injured, 
including more than 1,200 children, by the occupying 
forces in the Gaza Strip.




NAM once again expresses its grave concern at the 
widespread suffering and trauma being inflicted on the 
Palestinian civilian population and at the deepening human 
tragedy and humanitarian disaster unfolding in the Gaza 
Strip as a result of the continuing military actions by 
Israel, the occupying Power, against the civilian 
population as well as its ongoing blockade of Gaza, 
obstructing the movement of persons and goods, including 
of humanitarian personnel and vital humanitarian supplies, 
including of desperately-needed food, medicines, and fuel, 
into, out of and throughout the Gaza Strip in collective 
punishment of the civilian population.

In light of the continuation of this illegal and 
unacceptable situation, NAM thus urgently calls once again 
for an immediate cessation of all military activities and 
violence. NAM calls for all efforts to be exerted to 
compel Israel, the occupying Power, to cease this 
aggression and to scrupulously abide by all of its 
obligations under international law and relevant United 
Nations resolutions.  In this regard, the Movement demands 
that Israel unconditionally comply with its obligations as 
the occupying Power under the Fourth Geneva Convention 
relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of 
War of 12 August 1949.

Moreover, in light of the dire situation being faced by 
the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli 
occupation and aggression in the Gaza Strip, NAM 
reiterates its calls for the immediate provision of 
protection for the Palestinian civilian population in the 
Gaza Strip in accordance with the relevant provisions of 
international humanitarian law.

NAM expresses its serious concerns regarding the extensive 
difficulties being faced by medical and rescue workers in 
the Gaza Strip in evacuating and treating civilians 
wounded and in need of emergency medical treatment due to 
Israel’s continued targeting and obstruction of ambulances 
and rescue workers and due to severe shortages in medical 
supplies and the disrepair and unavailability of the 
necessary equipment to respond to this critical situation, 
which is exacerbating the suffering of the civilian 
population.  In this regard, NAM expresses its strong 
condemnation regarding Israel’s targeting and killing of 
U.N. humanitarian personnel, including UNRWA personnel, 
working tirelessly to deliver humanitarian aid to the 
Palestinian people, and calls upon the occupying Power to 
respect international law and the Convention on Privileges 
and Immunities of the United Nations.

NAM stresses the need for intensified and coordinated 
efforts by the international community to bring an end to 
this crisis and to exert all necessary efforts to support 
and promote the peace process as well as to ensure respect 
for international law, including international 
humanitarian and human rights law, the key to a peaceful 
settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the 
Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole, as the sole means to 
guarantee a lasting peace in the region.

NAM expresses its support for all diplomatic and political 
efforts and initiatives being exerted at the international 
and regional levels to address this crisis, including by 
the United Nations system, stressing once again that there 
is no military solution to this crisis or to the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a whole.

NAM supports and calls for the full implementation of 
Human Rights Council resolution on the grave violations of 
human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 
particularly due to the Israeli military attacks against 
the occupied Gaza Strip, adopted on Monday, 12 January 
2009, and the speedy dispatch of the independent 
international fact-finding mission called for therein to 
investigate violations of human rights and of 
international law by Israel.







The Movement will actively consider all possible actions 
in order to guarantee the investigation and prosecution of 
all those responsible for crimes against the civilian 
population in Gaza. In this regard, NAM stresses that 
Criminal Justice must take its course.

NAM also underscores that the General Assembly, the most 
democratic and representative body of the United Nations, 
has the duty to duly respond to the concerns of the 
international community regarding the crisis situation in 
the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli military 
campaign and add its voice and weight to that of the 
Security Council in calling for an immediate ceasefire and 
for respect by the occupying Power of its obligations 
under international law, including humanitarian and human 
rights law.

In that context, NAM supports the convening of the resumed 
10th emergency special session of the General Assembly at 
the earliest possible date and requests the President of 
the General Assembly to begin forthwith the process of 
consultations to that effect.

NAM stresses the urgency of continued efforts by the 
international community and relevant UN organs and 
specialized agencies to effectively address the many 
political, humanitarian, socio-economic and security 
ramifications of this crisis.

At this critical time, the Movement specifically calls 
upon the international community to make a special effort 
to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, including 
by extending emergency assistance to meet the urgent 
requirements of the population of Gaza. The Movement also 
calls upon the international community to pledge the 
necessary assistance to rebuild the infrastructure of Gaza 
at the earliest feasible juncture, and the economy of Gaza 
as well as the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 
The Movement underlines that the international community 
must invest in the recovery and development of economic 
infrastructure and capacity of the Occupied Palestinian 
Territory, which would contribute to an environment 
conducive for the resumption of the peace process.

The Movement reaffirms its commitment to a peaceful 
solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the 
right of the Palestinian people to exercise 
self-determination and sovereignty in their independent 
State of Palestine, on the basis of the 1967 borders, with 
East Jerusalem as its capital.



New York, 13 January 2009