The Twenty-fifth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session for a better Future for the Peoples of the Islamic Ummah), held in Doha, State of Qatar, from 17 to 19 Dhul Quida 1418H (15-17 March 1998),

Having noted the resolution No. 32/24-E and 35/8-E(IS) adopted respectively by the Twenty-Fourth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers and the Eighth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference;

A. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

Recalling previous Resolutions on this subject especially Resolutions 2/19-E, 17/21-E, 22/22-E, 29/23-E and 32/24-E of the 19^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th Sessions of the Islamic Conferences of Foreign Ministers respectively;

Taking into consideration the recommendations of the Twenty-first Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs;

Deeply concerned at the continuing deterioration of the global environment, including the worsening trends in environmental pollution and the degradation of natural resources;

Stressing again the right of all human beings to enjoy a healthy and non-polluted environment, as a basic human right;

Re-emphasizing the right of States to protect their environment from harmful activities, and to cooperate among themselves to that end;

Noting with concern that the condition of the environment has reached a stage that requires taking effective measures to stop its deterioration;

Noting that while there has been progress in the implementation of Agenda 21, at various levels, particularly at the national level, the lack of fulfillment of international commitments agreed upon at Rio has been very disappointing;

Stressing the commitments of the developed countries envisaged in Agenda 21 and Rio Declaration adopted by UNCED;

Recognizing that environmental degradation both natural and manmade is a major global concern which requires the strengthening of international cooperation and extending effective contributions for the protection of the environment;

Noting with satisfaction the recent developments towards the finalization of the International Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought, which was adopted in Paris in September 1994 and inviting the Member States, which have not ratified all the relevant conventions, including the International Convention on Combating Desertification, to do so, as soon as possible;

Stressing the need for closely and constantly monitoring the global environmental situation and relevant activities and also supporting the establishment of mass-destruction-weapons-free-zones in the Muslim world;

Expressing also its deep concern over the devastating effects of hazardous, toxic and radioactive wastes on humankind and the environment and supporting the establishment of mass-destruction-weapons-free-zones in the whole world.

Strongly condemning the attempts by some developed countries to export their hazardous and radioactive wastes for dumping in developing countries, and appealing to Member States to sign the Basel Convention on Dangerous wastes and the Bamako Convention and relevant international agreements;

Guided by the principles of Islam which enjoin the Muslim peoples to safeguard the bounties that Allah has granted them on Earth;

Having considered the Report of the Secretary General on this subject,

1. Encourages Member States to continue to incorporate environmental considerations in their developmental policies.

2. Urges Member States to cooperate and coordinate within the existing Desertification Regional Centers for preparation and implementation of NAP and RAP in accordance with article 11 of the CCD.

3. Invites Member States to exchange information and experience in various environmental fields such as desertification, climate change and loss of biological diversity.

4. Urges developed countries to provide new and additional financial resources specially for protection of global environment in general, and loss of biological diversity.

5. Also Urges the Member States which have not ratified all the UN International Agreements on the Environment including the International Convention on Desertification and Drought to do so as soon as possible so that the Convention can come into force.

6. Calls on Member States to mobilize available financial and institutional resources needed for implementing national programs of environmental protection.

7. Emphasizes the commitments of developed countries in transferring environmentally sound technologies and know-how to developing counties in accordance with the provisions of chapter 34 of Agenda 21.

8. Urges the Member States to attach greater importance to the question of the protection of the Environment and Natural Resources and to its relevance to sustainable development.

9. Condemns Israel's continued rejection to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and carrying out uncontrolled nuclear programs.

10. Requests the international community, particularly relevant United Nations Organs, to conduct active scientific research on the rise in sea levels, and its socio-economic impacts, so as to protect the coastal zones and the wild life in the territories of the Member States.

11. Urges the developed countries to discharge their obligations under prevailing international agreements on the transfer to developing countries of financial resources and environmentally sound technologies.

12. Reaffirms the determination of the Member States to work for the strengthening of international cooperation in seeking solutions to global environmental problems and requests the donor countries and international financial institutions to extend further support to regional networks and national focal points in States stricken by desertification.

13. Stresses that multilateral cooperation for the protection of the environment should include the provision of additional financial resources and access to environmentally sound technologies for the developing countries.

14. Calls for the dissemination of pioneering experiments for the application of environmental development in the Islamic States and the use of the latter's available expertise in this field, whether through bilateral cooperation or multilateral programs for the exchange of expertise.

15. Requests Member States to promote coordination and cooperation among environment monitoring networks and remote-control sensing Centers and coastal control posts and all other environment protection organs in Islamic States.

16. Urges all Member States to continue consultation and coordination among them at all international meetings including consultations relating to environment protection, especially in the field of biological diversity, climate change, desertification, hazardous and radioactive waste.

17. Rejects the imposition of obligations on developing countries to contain the phenomenon of climate changes in addition to the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol on the UN convention on Climate Changes and calls on Member States to oppose this orientation at the Fourth Conference of Signatory States of the UN Convention on Climate Changes to be held in Argentina in November 1998.

18. Expresses its satisfaction at the fruitful cooperation between the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations Environment Program.

    19. Calls for the intensification of this cooperation with emphasis on the problem of the remnants of World War II and other wars in the Islamic countries, which impedes development of their societies, and calls on the international community to address the problem immediately and take the necessary measures to remove land mines and war remnants.

19. Appeals to the parties to World War II to expeditiously provide Member States with information, data and maps on mines planted in their territories during the war and commit themselves to extend immediate aid and assistance required for the removal of these mines which still cause huge damage to human lives and obstruct development and construction in vital areas, while taking into consideration the decisions of the UN Conference on the Question of Mines which was held in Geneva in 1996.

20. Calls on Member States to intensify coordination and consultation among themselves in the framework of the UN and others, particularly specialized agencies concerned, on tackling this subject in an effective and meaningful manner.

21. Calls on Member States and the donor institutions, particularly the Islamic Development Bank, to support the forthcoming seminar on "Environment and Islam" which is as joint initiative if the UNEP, OIC General Secretariat and ISESCO.

22. Expresses solidarity with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya concerning its position on the question of the minefields left on in its territory by World War II, their grave effect on the environment and the accidents and grievous damage they cause to thousands of its citizens. Also appeals to Member States to stand in solidarity with the Jamahiriya in its efforts to overcome this problem and its right to demand compensation for the damage and that the countries responsible for the mine danger, finance mine-hunting operations and produce minefield maps to the Libyan authorities concerned.

B - ISRAELI practices and their effects ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, THE OCCUPIED SYRIAN GOLAN, THE OCCUPIED SOUTHERN LEBANON AND WESTERN BEKKA AND OTHER ISRAELI OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES.

Proceeding from the principles and objectives of the Charter of the Organization of the Islamic Conference;

Recalling Previous OIC and other International Resolutions on this subject;

Recalling also the UNEP GC decision (UNEP/GC.19/107) on environmental situation in occupied Palestine and Arab territories, and expressing deep concern over the continued degradation of the environmental conditions in the occupied Palestine;

Taking into consideration the recommendations of the Twenty-first Session of the Islamic Commission for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs;

Also recalling resolutions 14/11-E and 15/18-E of the UN Environment Program with respect to the environmental conditions in the Palestinian Arab Territories, Syrian Golan, Lebanese and other Arab territories occupied by Israel;

Referring to the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, Security Council and ECOSOC;

Reaffirming the rights of mankind to a dignified life enjoying a healthy environment, free of pollution as a basic human and sacred right;

Expressing deep concern over the escalating brutal and expansionist practices of the Israeli occupation authorities which include seizure of land and water-resources, the demolition of houses, the construction of new settlements in the occupied Palestinian and Arab Territories, especially in Al-Quds Al-Sharif, and the Syrian Golan, the uprooting of trees, the destruction of crops, the cutting off of irrigation waters, the deforestation of wide expanses of land and the use of toxic gases with the attendant serious effects on the Palestinian and other Arab inhabitants and the economic and social situation in those lands;

Expressing deep concern upon the throwing by Israel of Highly toxic radioactive and chemical wastes in the Mediterranean sea and particularly in the Lebanese regional waters;

Having considered the report of the Secretary General on this issue;

1. Condemns and censures Israel for its aggressive policies, the confiscation of Palestinian lands, the setting of forests on fire, the cutting off of irrigation water and the seizure of water resources and polluting the neighbouring countries' coasts thereby causing considerable degradation of ecological conditions in occupied Palestine and aggravating the economic and social situation of the citizens.

2. Reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the citizens of the occupied Syrian Golan and other occupied Arab territories, and considers illegal any violation of this right.

3. Urges UNEP to update its report on the environmental situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and submit it to the GC for immediate reaction.

4. Requests the Member States to continue to extend help and assistance to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Syrian citizens in the occupied Syrian Golan and the Arab citizens in the Lebanese occupied territories in drawing up the plans deemed necessary for environmental conservation within these territories and stresses the need to adopt concrete measures for consolidating such plans and taking steps to expose the policies pursued by Israeli occupation authorities which have led to ecological degradation in the occupied Palestinian territories, the occupied Syrian Golan and the occupied Lebanese territories.

5. Strongly Condemns Israel's persistence in changing the legal status of the occupied Syrian Golan and its practices aimed at changing its environmental conditions as well as its geographical, demographic and historical features and at imposing Israeli laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan and South Lebanon and its Western Bekka.

6. Calls for strengthening of the cooperation among the Member States in the field of earthquake monitoring and establish a mechanism from the Member States on the Read Sea so as to monitor earthquakes in the region and exchange the necessary information on treating this phenomenon.

7. Condemns Israel's continuous rejection to join the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty and to pursue nuclear programs which are bound to cause serious damage to the neighboring Islamic States as these programs are not subject to monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency and calls upon the international parties and bodies concerned to adopt the measures necessary for putting an end to this damage, while stressing the importance of cooperation among the Member States concerned in the field of monitoring radiation fallout in the area.

8. Opposes the introduction of amendments to annex 7 of the Basle Convention on the prohibition of exporting dangerous wastes from OECD countries to non-OECD member countries until the states signatory to the Convention have approved the provisions of the annex.

9. Strongly emphasizes the need for in-depth studies of crucial issues on the environment affecting Member States so that they can keep abreast of their future development and implications.

10. Requests the Secretary General to take appropriate steps for the implementation of this Resolution and submit a report thereon to the 26th Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers.

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