TEHRAN DECLARATION

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegation participating in the Thirtieth Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers, the Session of Unity and Dignity, held  in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 28 May to 30 May 2003,

Reiterating their full adherence as well as their determination to realize the principles and objectives of the Charter of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, 

Reaffirming that Islam, a religion of compassion and peace, provides the source, foundation and inspiration for maintaining unity and dignity within the Muslim Ummah and for promoting friendly relations among Islamic countries as well as between Islamic and other nations,

Recognizing that the Organization of the Islamic Conference provides the forum for cooperation and coordination of Islamic nations in a wide range of political, social, economic, cultural and Islamic issues,

Dignity through Faith, Reason, Dialogue and Assertive Global Presence

1-       Noted that despite major achievements and important developments in various fields, humanity is threatened by the tendency for domination through imposition of power and force, and resort to violence and terror as means to resolve differences.

2-       Emphasized that blind violence and terrorism distort the prospect for a humane solution to common challenges through cooperation, and resort to military force, unilateralism and intimidation undermines the cause for freedom and democracy.

3-       Rejected resort to force and unilateral action which undermines freedom and sovereignty of peoples and nations, and expressed alarm over a rising tendency to disregard international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

4-       Reiterated that Islam calls all nations to faith, justice and tolerance and the Islamic civilization has been historically identified as a religion which promotes dialogue and wisdom and that Islamic Nations have interacted with other nations on the basis of tolerance and mutual understanding.

5-       Expressed their deep concern over the dangerous and erroneous association of Islam and the Muslim world with violence, terrorism, and lack of participation and democracy to instigate Islamophobia and an atmosphere of hatred, reaffirmed their determination to combat such bigotry and discrimination and promote a more enlightened approach in the global community, and called upon all members of the international community, as well as the media, to promote respect and understanding among all cultures and religions. 

6-       Emphasized that the current international environment is in dire need of promotion of dialogue among civilizations aimed at enhancing  understanding, mutual knowledge, tolerance and mutual respect among civilizations, and decided to establish a high level open-ended committee to draw up a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the relevant OIC and UN General Assembly resolutions.

7-       Reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations against the life and property of innocent people and the sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability, and security of States, underlined the imperative of addressing and eliminating the root causes of terrorism, rejected the biased labeling of Islamic countries and movements resisting foreign aggression and occupation as terrorists, and stressed the need for convening an international conference to define terrorism, and to distinguish it from the legitimate struggle of peoples under alien domination and foreign occupation to self-determination.

8-       Demanded the total elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and the universal non-proliferation of nuclear weapons towards general and complete disarmament, underlined that universal multilateral institutions are the sole legitimate bodies to verify and ensure compliance, expressed their full support for the establishment of nuclear weapon free zones in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and South East Asia, and urged all States, especially Nuclear Weapon States, to exert pressure on Israel to accede to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and place its nuclear facilities under the IAEA full-scope safeguard.

9-       Expressed their determination to vigorously pursue the promotion and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms without discrimination at the local, regional and global levels and to encourage greater transparency, cooperation, mutual tolerance and respect for Divine values in the field of universal promotion and protection of human rights.

10- Underlined that the world more than ever is facing a crisis of identity and spirituality which is threatening the role of human kind in its own home, and reaffirmed that in the advanced age of technology and information, Islam can provide sound responses to the moral and global challenges which face humanity.

Unity through Solidarity and Coordination

11- Reaffirmed their resolve to contribute effectively to the maintenance and promotion of regional and global peace and security, to preserve peace and security of all Islamic countries, to reject misinformation campaigns and threats against Islamic countries, and to extend full support and solidarity to Islamic countries facing external pressure, threat and interference in their domestic affairs, in accordance with the UN Charter.

12- Condemned the continued occupation of the Palestinian and other Arab territories by Israel and its policy and practice of repression and state terrorism against the Palestinian people, reaffirmed their solidarity with the resistance of the Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese people against aggression and occupation, reiterated their call to the international community to support the right of Lebanon and Syria to the liberation and recovery of their occupied territories respectively in the Sheba Farms and the Golan, and to implement the relevant UN resolutions on the basis of the return to the 4^th June 1967 borders, and urged the international community to take urgent and effective steps to ensure the realization of all legitimate rights of the Palestinian people including their right to establish their own independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital and to secure the return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland.

13- Expressed their full support to the Iraqi people to establish, with the central role, pivotal help and support of the United Nations, an independent and democratic government, fully representative of the Iraqi people and enjoying cooperation and good relations with its neighbors, called for the speedy restoration of full Iraqi sovereignty through the establishment of a legitimate government and an end to the occupation, and called upon the international community to assist in the restoration of security, public order, provision of urgent humanitarian assistance and reconstruction of Iraq.

14-   Welcomed and Supported the establishment of the Afghan Interim Administration as a major step towards the establishment of fully representative government and promotion of  security and comprehensive and sustainable development, and decided to fulfill expeditiously their financial pledges to the Afghan people, and increase their assistance to the Interim Administration in curbing the cultivation of opium and narcotics trafficking.

15-  Welcomed the recent positive initiatives by the leaders of Pakistan and India to diffuse tension in the region and reiterated their support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the realization of their right, to self determination.

16-  Welcomed further the new positive developments between the two parties in Cyprus as a step to promote confidence which could give a new impetus to the efforts targeting a comprehensive settlement, and supported the Turkish Muslim community of Cyprus in the realization of their legitimate rights.

17-  Noted that globalization and increasing liberalization have made the external environment for development crucial, particularly since OIC Member States have become more vulnerable to the fluctuations in international trade, financial and monetary flows as well as to the changes in technology, and called on developed countries to create a more practical, equitable and transparent environment enabling developing countries to implement their structural adjustment programs to achieve sustainable development.

18-  Addressed the impact of the information society on economic and socio-cultural development, urged industrial States to elaborate a work program that would enable developing States to benefit from communication technology to bridge the digital divide and decided to actively participate and coordinate their positions in the World Summit on Information Society.

Effectiveness through Participation and Rationalization

19-   Decided to promote the standing of the OIC in the international scene           through dialogue and cooperation with all the relevant international organizations and institutions, requested the Secretary-General to broaden such interactions and report his findings to the Member States, and instructed their foreign missions, particularly their Permanent Missions in New York and Geneva, to enhance their coordination and hold regular consultations on all issues of interest to the Islamic world. 

20-   Reaffirmed their desire to continue consultation and exchange of views with the European Union and other international groups on issues of common interest and decided to consider ways and means of promoting this dialogue.   

21-   Stressed the increasing relevance of the OIC in the new international environment and the need for the OIC to review and rationalize its agenda and operationalize its resolutions, and decided to establish an open-ended meeting of senior officials in mid 2003 for this purpose.