Casablanca Council - Peace, Security, Development

The Council of the Socialist International (SI) met in Casablanca, Morocco, on 31 May - 1 June, hosted by the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, USFP. The meeting, which was chaired by António Guterres, President of the SI and which counted with the participation of the Prime Minister of Morocco and First Secretary of the USFP, Abderrahman Youssoufi, agreed, on its first day of meetings, a historic resolution on the conflict in the Middle East, which was adopted unanimously and on the basis of a consensus between its Israeli members, the Israel Labour Party and Meretz, on the one hand, and its Palestinian member organisation, Fatah, on the other. In this resolution all agree on the recognition of both states, Israel and Palestine, as an initial commitment before starting negotiations between the two peoples.

In regard to the central commitment of the SI with world peace, the Council also agreed a resolution on the conflict between India and Pakistan. Other resolutions adopted on this theme refer to the situation in Afghanistan, Algeria, the Great Lakes region, Belarus, Armenia and the struggle against international terrorism.

The Council’s second main theme "From Monterrey to Johannesburg" addressed the position of world social democracy, on issues such as the improvement of global governance; ensuring sustainable development; promoting economic growth and supporting the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). On this theme, the Council also adopted a special declaration on the world summit which will take place in Johannesburg in August-September this year.

With regard to the permanent struggle of the International and its member parties for democracy, the Council adopted resolutions on the specific cases of Equatorial Guinea, Pakistan and Venezuela. Other matters on which the Council made statements are the Hadep party in Turkey and Puerto Rico.

Finally, the issue of the participation of political parties and parliamentarians in the United Nations system were also the subject of a special declaration. The International adopted as its own the Declaration of the SIW entitled 'Towards a greater participation of women in politics: strategies and realities'.

The Council received a report by the Secretary General, Luis Ayala, on the activities of the organisation since the previous Council held in November 2001.