Noordwijk 1996
The Liberal International welcomes developments towards resolving conflicts in many regions, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland and the Middle East. There can be no justification for terrorism nor for violence where citizens can participate through democratic means in the determination of their future. True and lasting democracy can only be build upon a firm position of the political forces in the democratic centre. Stable democracy is more than an armistice between the extremes. The Liberal International fully supports international military peace keeping forces such as IFOR or within the UN framework.
War, political instability and persistent violations of political rights and human rights are among the main causes of an increasing stream of refugees in many parts of the world, particularly Africa and South East Europe. The Liberal International supports the work of the UNHCR and the governments that shelter refugees. The Liberal International calls for specific attention to the situation of refugees resulting from violations of minority rights.
The Liberal International Congress expresses its satisfaction with the peace process in the Middle East and calls upon all parties to continue this endeavour to its full completion in order to ensure peace and security for all peoples in the Middle East. The Congress pays tribute to the memory of the late Yitzhak Rabin who fell in the cause of peace. The Congress expresses its appreciation to all those involved in the peace-process in the Middle East.
The Liberal International condemns terrorist acts as crimes against human society and as damaging to the peace process in the Middle East. The Liberal International expresses its concern on the growing danger of fundamentalist terrorism aimed against the peace process in the Middle East, and violating basic human rights. The Liberal International calls upon all governments to commit themselves to all unrelenting war against terrorism by encouraging cooperation between their security services, by forbidding financial support to terrorist organizations, by outlawing individuals and organizations which support and preach violence and terror, by banning any kind of relations with states which support, finance, train or offer safe harbour to organizations and individuals engaged in terrorist acts. The Liberal International calls upon all the states concerned to stop their support to Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the Hizballa terrorist organizations. The Liberal International calls upon the Palestinian Council soon and fully to implement the declaration of intent to abolish all paragraphs of the Palestinian National Covenant that call for the destruction of Israel.
In the past year we have seen increased tension in the Strait of Taiwan. Taiwan is undergoing a remarkable development towards democracy, and an assertion of its own history and culture. The Liberal International expresses support of the right of the people in Taiwan to determine their own destiny, as enshrined in the United Nations’ principle of self-determination, and condemns China’s use of military coercion and psychological warfare as a tool to interfere in the democratic processes of Taiwan.
The Liberal International deplores the loss of human lives and the suffering of the civilian population caused by the Russian military operations in Chechnya. Only a peaceful solution taking into account the interests of both Russia and the Chechen people can prevent serious jeopardy to the reform process, democratisation and stability of the entire region, and only a democratic Russia can be a close partner of the democratic countries in fora such as the G7 and the Council of Europe. The Liberal International reiterates its support for the Russian democrats, who support Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
For more than two decades of division in Cyprus no progress has been achieved in the search for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus problem and this status quo on Cyprus is unacceptable. All parties involved in the Cyprus question are urged to demonstrate goodwill and work actively towards a lasting and peaceful solution. Liberal International expresses its strong support for the efforts of the United Nations Secretary General to resolve the Cyprus problem in a just and viable manner at the earliest possible time.
Political instability, particularly caused by the breakdown of the Soviet empire, has resulted in increased nuclear insecurity. This Congress calls upon the nuclear powers and the UN Security Council to tighten restrictions and controls on nuclear proliferation. We also express our concern over the safety risks involved in the operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Central and Eastern Europe and elsewhere, and we call for an increased role for the IAEA in safeguarding these processes.
Horrified by extraordinarily high levels of civilian casualties in contemporary wars and by the destruction wrought by conventional weapons, we call upon the UN member states to strengthen the UN Register of Conventional Armaments so as to work towards a more effective international regulation of the arms trade, and to ban land mines and a new generation of laser weapons. We also call upon the UN member states to cease all nuclear tests and the production of any sort of chemical weapon.
