INTERVENTION OF H.E. MR. M. MORSHED KHAN, MP,
THE HON'BLE FOREIGN MINISTER OF BANGLADESH AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE NAM COMMITTEE ON PALESTINE

HAVANA, 13 SEPTEMBER 2006

Mr. Chairman,

Please accept our sincere appreciation for convening this meeting and steering this very important process on the issue of Palestine. As always my delegation would extend fullest cooperation to the Chair. Bangladesh's principled and consistent policy is that we strongly believe that the occupation of Palestine must come to an end and persecution of the Palestinian people must stop forthright. There is no alternative to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace settlement and the exercise by the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to self-determination in their independent and sovereign State of Palestine. The relevant UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Plan and the Middle-East Road Map are before us as guiding principles.

Mr. Chairman,

We also believe that the respect for democracy and people's right to choose their own government should be uniform, unconditional and universal regardless of electoral outcomes. In that spirit we were happy to see that the people of Palestine were able to exercise their democratic rights in the parliamentary election held in January 2006 and that a new Palestinian government was formed in March 2006.

Mr. Chairman,

We are however deeply disturbed by the intensification of hardships being faced by the Palestinian people as a result of the increasing financial and political isolation being imposed on the Palestinian Authority by some members of the international community. We are also deeply concerned with the continuation and escalation of Israel's military aggression against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip which has resulted in the killing and maiming of scores of innocent civilians. The abhorrent policy of collective punishment and disproportionate use of force by the Israelis is only aggravating the already volatile situation of the Middle-East.

Mr. Chairman,

The challenge today for the NAM Committee on Palestine and for the international community as well is to put the peace process back on track without any further delay. The Palestinian President has a role to put up a united front to ensure Palestinian unity and solidarity so that they can speak in one voice to attain their legitimate right to independent statehood.

Mr. Chairman,

The Movement must put pressure to the international community to ease the financial burden of the Palestinian authority which is actually working as a hindrance to the peace process. While appreciating the role of the Quartet in resolving the issue the Movement should press for the important and permanent role of the United Nations in resolving the Palestine issue in its totality. In this regard we support the initiative of the NAM for convening an International Conference on the Middle-East which should focus on the Palestinian issue.