Foreign ministers attending a Non-Aligned Movement meeting here Thursday unanimously passed a declaration pressing for a peaceful, political settlementof the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"The ministers called on the (UN) Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities by adopting a clear resolution and undertaking necessary measures" to stop Israel from constructing its separation barrier in the West Bank, said the declaration adopted by the one-day 14th Ministerial Conference of the 116-member NAM held in the South African port city of Durban on Thursday.

The NAM foreign ministers reaffirmed the need for early convening of a special meeting of regional and international groupings aimed at building a broad partnership for achieving a peaceful solution to the long-running conflict, further mobilizing the international community in support of the two-State solution, based on the pre-1967 borders and on international law.

The ministerial meeting, with the theme "Challenges for Multilateralism in the 21st Century," comes at a time when the threat of large-scale international terrorism made it clear that multilateral cooperation is the only way to grapple with transnational challenges of global peace and security, and when progress on the development goals, agreed to at major international conferences over the past years, needs to be accelerated.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially Israel's construction of its separation barrier in the West Bank, was among the topics dominating the meeting.

In the declaration, the ministers also urged Israel to respect and abide by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that demands the Middle East country to stop construction of the separation barrier.

"Such respect and compliance would positively influence effortsfor achieving a peaceful, political settlement of the conflict based on international law," the ministers said.

After considering the development regarding the critical issue of the construction of the separation wall by Israel, the foreign ministers believe the ICJ ruling represents a historic opportunity for a necessary return to the rule of international law in all efforts to justly and peacefully address the question of Palestineand resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The declaration follows a meeting of the NAM Committee on Palestine held here Wednesday afternoon, which focused on the separation barrier and the ICJ ruling.

The committee, currently consisting of 10 members, has been mandated to "work with the various forces influential in the Middle East conflict for the achievement of a just, durable and comprehensive peace in the Middle East."

In October 2003, the United States vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel for building the 600-km barrier which in some sections runs deep into the West Bank. Afterthe setback, the Palestinians turned to the General Assembly.

The assembly passed a resolution denouncing Israel in last October and then asked the ICJ in last December to rule whether the barrier is illegal.

The Hague-based ICJ ruled on July that "the construction of thewall being built by Israel, the occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around east Jerusalem, andits associated regime, is contrary to international law."

The non-binding ruling said construction must stop immediately and Israel should make reparations for any damage caused. It also suggested that the 191-nation assembly and the Security Council should consider what steps to take to bring to an end the illegal situation created by the wall.

However, the Israeli government has dismissed the court's advisory opinion, saying it would not comply with the ruling. It also asked the United States to prevent the UN Security Council from adopting any resolution pressing it to tear down the security fence.

At the request of NAM and Arab nations, the UN General Assemblyheld an emergency special session on July 16 to examine the world court's ruling and finally adopted a resolution to demand that Israel comply with the ICJ advisory opinion.

Unlike resolutions adopted by the Security Council, those passed by the General Assembly are non-binding. They only represent the mainstream of the world opinion and carry moral weight.

NAM, the largest political grouping outside the United Nations,mainly consisting of developing countries, originated in the 1955 meeting of 29 Asian and African countries, at which heads of statediscussed issues of common concern including colonialism and the influence of the West.

The principles of the movement, including "respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations," and "settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the United Nations Charter," remain valid more than 40 years later.

Source: Xinhua