* International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, Qawra (Malta), 12-13 February 2010

As previously announced on this site, AIDA was represented at the above meeting by its Honorary Chairman Dominique Michel Alhéritière. Thirty-two States, including all the States of the Mediterranean Basin, were represented, although nor Israel, nor Syria had sent official delegations. Also in attendance were 7 inter-parliamentary organizations, 5 IGOs, and 14 NGOs. More than 50 members of Parliament and 24 Ambassadors were present. The level of the debates was of high quality, both on substance (well documented facts) and on the form (no abusive rhetoric but dignifying statements in spite of the harsh reality and untold sorrow on the ground).

The meeting had been convened jointly by the United Nations and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, with a view to relaunching a constructive dialogue on the permanent status issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, namely: Border, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees and water.

Confronted with the real human tragedy that the local populations endure as well as the severe environmental emergency occuring in the Gaza Strip all the Palestinian and Israeli present, official representatives for the former, individuals for the latter, continued to reaffirm their faith in and to invoke international law (e.g. the various agreements already signed by both parties, the UN General Assembly and Security Council Resolutions, the general principles of international law), particularly on the water resources issue. However, they remained conscious that as long as the colonization of the Palestinian land would continue to expand beyond the borders of 1967 (with minor swaps of land to be agreed by the Parties), no rule, principle, or guideline of international water law would be given a chance to play any useful role. In such a context, the only thing our Association can do is to stand ready.

AIDA’s intervention in the Plenary to present the Association and express its readiness to help with its expertise was therefore very well received. In fact, it is the only NGO which has been referred to in the text of the final report of the meeting.