G-8 Statement on Progress & Peace in the Middle East
(June 9, 2004)
At its annual meeting, the Group of Eight said it welcomed Israeli plans to withdraw from all Gaza settlements and from parts of the West Bank, and that the emphasis now should be on the " roadmap" for Middle East peace being mediated by the Quartet. The statement also welcomed plans by the PA to hold municipal elections by the end of the summer and would help to make sure they were fair and transparent.
1. We the leaders of the G8 are mindful that peace,
political, economic and social development, prosperity and stability
in the countries of the Broader Middle East and North Africa represent
a challenge which concerns us and the international community as a whole.
Therefore, we declare our support for democratic, social and economic
reform emanating from that region.
2. The peoples of the Broader Middle East and North Africa have a rich
tradition and culture of accomplishment in government, trade, science,
the arts, and more. They have made many lasting contributions to human
civilization. We welcome recent statements on the need for reform from
leaders in the region, especially the latest statement issued at the
Arab League Summit in Tunis, in which Arab leaders expressed their determination
"to firmly establish the basis for democracy." Likewise, we
welcome the reform declarations of representatives of business and civil
society, including those of Alexandria and the Dead Sea, Sana'a and
Aqaba. As the leaders of the major industrialized democracies in the
world, we recognize our special responsibility to support freedom and
reform, and pledge our continuing efforts in this great task.
3. Therefore, we commit ourselves today to a Partnership for Progress
and a Common Future with the governments and peoples of the Broader
Middle East and North Africa. This partnership will be based on genuine
cooperation with the region's governments, as well as business and civil
society representatives to strengthen freedom, democracy, and prosperity
for all.
4. The values embodied in the Partnership we propose are universal.
Human dignity, freedom, democracy, rule of law, economic opportunity,
and social justice are universal aspirations and are reflected in relevant
international documents, such as the Universal Declaration on Human
Rights.
5. In launching this Partnership, we adhere to the following principles:
5.1. Strengthening the commitment of the International Community to
peace and stability in the region of Broader Middle East and North Africa
is essential.
5.2. The resolution of long-lasting, often bitter, disputes, especially
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is an important element of progress
in the region.
5.3. At the same time, regional conflicts must not be an obstacle for
reforms. Indeed, reforms may make a significant contribution toward
resolving them.
5.4. The restoration of peace and stability in Iraq is critical to
the well-being of millions of Iraqis and the security of the region.
5.5. Successful reform depends on the countries in the region, and
change should not and cannot be imposed from outside.
5.6. Each country is unique and their diversity should be respected.
Our engagement must respond to local conditions and be based on local
ownership. Each society will reach its own conclusions about the pace
and scope of change. Yet distinctiveness, important as it is, must not
be exploited to prevent reform.
5.7. Our support for reform will involve governments, business leaders
and civil societies from the region as full partners in our common effort.
5.8. Supporting reform in the region, for the benefit of all its citizens,
is a long-term effort, and requires the G-8 and the region to make a
generational commitment.
6. Our support for reform in the region will go hand in hand with our
support for a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement to the Arab-
Israeli conflict, based upon U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338. We fully
endorse the Quartet's Statement of May 4, 2004 and join the Quartet
in its "common vision of two states, Israel and a viable, democratic,
sovereign and contiguous Palestine, living side by side in peace and
security." We support the work of the International Task Force
on Palestinian Reform and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee and urge all
states to consider the assistance they may provide to their work. We
welcome the establishment of the World Bank's Trust Fund and urge donors
to contribute to this important initiative. We join in the Quartet's
call for "both parties to take steps to fulfill their obligations
under the roadmap as called for in U.N. Security Council Resolution
1515 and previous Quartet statements, and to meet the commitments they
made at the Red Sea Summits in Aqaba and Sharm el Sheikh." We reaffirm
that a just, comprehensive, and lasting settlement to the Arab-Israeli
conflict, including with respect to Syria and Lebanon, must comply with
the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, including Resolution
425, which "Calls for strict respect for the territorial integrity,
sovereignty and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally
recognized boundaries."
7. We stand together united in our support for the Iraqi people and
the fully sovereign Iraqi Interim Government as they seek to rebuild
their nation. Iraq needs the strong support of the international community
in order to realize its potential to be a free, democratic, and prosperous
country, at peace with itself, its neighbors, and with the wider world.
We welcome the unanimous approval of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 1546 on Iraq, and we join in supporting the continued, expansive
engagement of the United Nations in Iraq after the transfer of sovereignty,
as circumstances permit. We pledge to provide support and assistance
for the electoral process leading to national elections for the Transitional
National Assembly no later than January 31, 2005. We are united in our
desire to see the Multinational Force for Iraq, in accordance with the
UNSCR 1546, succeed in its mission to help restore and maintain security,
including protection of the United Nations presence, and to support
humanitarian and reconstruction efforts. We express our shared commitment,
and urge others, to support the economic revitalization of Iraq, focusing
on priority projects identified by the Interim Government. We welcome
the success of the recent International Reconstruction Fund Facility
donors' conference in Doha, and commit to meeting before the next conference
in Tokyo later this year to identify how each of us can contribute to
the reconstruction of Iraq. Debt reduction is critical if the Iraqi
people are to have the opportunity to build a free and prosperous nation.
The reduction should be provided in connection with an IMF program,
and sufficient to ensure sustainability taking into account the recent
IMF analysis. We will work with each other, within the Paris Club, and
with non-Paris Club creditors, to achieve that objective in 2004. To
help reestablish the ties that link Iraq to the world, we will explore
ways of reaching out directly to the Iraqi people - to individuals,
schools, and cities - as they emerge from decades of dictatorship and
deprivation to launch the political, social, and economic rebirth of
their nation.
8. The Partnership we launch today builds on years of support for reform
efforts in the region through bilateral and multilateral cooperation
programs. The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership ("Barcelona Process"),
the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the Japan-Arab Dialogue
Initiative are examples of our strong commitment to supporting democratic
and economic development. We are similarly committed to such progress
in Afghanistan and Iraq through our multilateral reconstruction efforts.
The Partnership we propose will build on our on-going engagement in
the region.
9. The magnitude of the challenges facing the region requires a renewed
commitment to reform and cooperation. Only by combining our efforts
can we bring about lasting democratic progress. We welcome and support
the work of other governments, institutions, and multilateral agencies
that aim to assist the region's development.
10. Central to this new Partnership will be a "Forum for the Future,"
which will root our efforts in an open and enduring dialogue. The Forum
will provide a framework at ministerial level, bringing together G-8
and regional Foreign, Economic, and other Ministers in an ongoing discussion
on reform, with business and civil society leaders participating in
parallel dialogues. The Forum will serve as a vehicle for listening
to the needs of the region, and ensuring that the efforts we make collectively
respond to those concerns.
11. Our efforts in the Partnership we commit to today focus on three
areas:
11.1. In the political sphere, progress toward democracy and the rule
of law entails instituting effective guarantees in the areas of human
rights and fundamental freedoms, which notably imply respect for diversity
and pluralism. This will result in cooperation, the free exchange of
ideas, and the peaceful resolution of differences. State reform, good
governance, and modernization are also necessary ingredients for building
democracy.
11.2. In the social and cultural sphere, education for all, freedom
of expression, equality between men and women as well as access to global
information technology are crucial to modernization and prosperity.
A better-educated workforce is a key to active participation in a globalized
world. We will focus our efforts to reduce illiteracy and increase access
to education, especially for girls and women.
11.3. In the economic sphere, creating jobs is the number one priority
of many countries in the region. To expand opportunity, and promote
conditions in which the private sector can create jobs, we will work
with governments and business leaders to promote entrepreneurship, expand
trade and investment, increase access to capital, support financial
reforms, secure property rights, promote transparency and fight corruption.
Promotion of intra-regional trade will be a priority for economic development
of the Broader Middle East and North Africa.
12. The Partnership for Progress and a Common Future offers an impulse
to our relationship with the Broader Middle East and North Africa region.
As an expression of our commitment, we issue today an initial Plan of
Support for Reform outlining current and planned activities to give
life to this Partnership.
Sources: The White House |