Non-Aligned
Movement Adopts Resolution Supporting Iran
On May 29, 2006 the the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) gathered in Putrajaya, Malaysia for a two-day meeting on the theme "Towards a More Dynamic and Cohesive NAM: Challenges of the 21st Century". The purpose of the meeting was to make preparations for the 14th Conference of the Heads of States of the NAM to be held in Havana in September this year. Approximately 90 of the 114 member countries, 74 of which were at the ministerial or deputy ministerial level, sent delegations to attend the meeting.
The meeting approved a 61-page final document in which ministers of the NAM countries expressed their views on topics ranging from global, regional and sub-regional political issues to development and human rights. The meeting also approved the Putrajaya Declaration, a separate declaration on Palestine condemning Israel's intensive colonization measures, and statements on the Iran nuclear issue and the devastating earthquake in Indonesia. The meeting admitted two new members, Dominica and Antigua, and Barbuda, bringing NAM's membership to 116 countries. It also decided that Egypt will host the 15th NAM Summit in 2009. The following is the statement on Iran.
Non-Aligned Movement Statement on Iran
1. The ministers reiterated their principled
positions on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation reflected in the final
document of the ministerial meeting of the coordinating bureau of the
Non-Aligned Movement, held in Putrajaya, Malaysia
from May 27 to 30, 2006. They considered the developments regarding the
implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
2. The ministers reaffirmed the basic and
inalienable right of all states, to develop research, production and use of atomic
energy for peaceful purposes, without any discrimination and in conformity with
their respective legal obligations. Therefore, nothing should be interpreted in
a way as inhibiting or restricting this right of states to develop atomic
energy for peaceful purposes. They furthermore reaffirmed that states' choices
and decisions in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and its fuel
cycle policies must be respected.
3. The ministers recognized the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the sole, competent authority for verification
of the respective safeguards obligations of member states and stressed that
there should be no undue pressure or interference in the agency's activities,
specially its verification process, which would jeopardize the efficiency and
credibility of the agency.
4. The ministers welcomed the cooperation
extended by the Islamic Republic of Iran to the IAEA including those voluntary
confidence-building measures undertaken, with a view to resolve the remaining
issues. They noted the assessment of the IAEA director-general that all nuclear
material declared by Iran had been accounted for. They noted, at the same time,
that the process for drawing a conclusion with regard to the absence of
undeclared material and activities in Iran is an ongoing and time-consuming
process. In this regard, the ministers encouraged Iran to urgently continue to
cooperate actively and fully with the IAEA within the agency's mandate to
resolve outstanding issues in order to promote confidence and a peaceful
resolution of the issue.
5. The ministers emphasized the fundamental
distinction between the legal obligations of states to their respective
safeguards agreements and any confidence-building measures voluntarily
undertaken to resolve difficult issues, and believed that such voluntary
undertakings are not legal safeguards obligations.
6. The ministers considered the establishment
of nuclear- weapons-free zones (NWFZs) as a positive
step towards attaining the objective of global nuclear disarmament and
reiterated the support for the establishment in the Middle East of a nuclear
weapons free zone in accordance with relevant General Assembly and Security
Council resolutions. Pending the establishment of such a zone, they demanded
Israel to accede to the NPT without delay and place promptly all its nuclear
facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards.
7. The ministers reaffirmed the inviolability
of peaceful nuclear activities and that any attack or threat of attack against
peaceful nuclear facilities, operational or under construction, poses a great
danger to human beings and the environment, and constitutes a grave violation
of international law, principles and purposes of the Charter of the United
Nations and regulations of the IAEA. They recognized the need for a
comprehensive multilaterally negotiated instrument, prohibiting attacks, or
threat of attacks on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful uses of nuclear
energy.
8. The ministers strongly believed that all
issues on safeguards and verification, including those of Iran, should be
resolved within the IAEA framework, and be based on technical and legal
grounds. They further emphasized that the agency should continue its work to
resolve the Iranian nuclear issue within its mandate under the statute of the
IAEA.
9. The ministers also strongly believed that diplomacy and dialogue through peaceful means must continue to find a long term solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. They expressed their conviction that the only way to resolve the issue is to resume negotiations without any preconditions and to enhance cooperation with the involvement of all necessary parties to promote international confidence with the view to facilitating agency's work on resolving the outstanding issues.