WILPF Resolutions

Adopted at the International Board Meeting
9 January 2010

War Crimes Resolution | Middle East Resolution

The International Board established a resolutions committee comprising Susi Snyder (International), Emma Rosengren (Sweden) and Laura Roskos (USA) during the meeting.  The resolution on War Crimes was submitted by the Australian section in advance of the meeting. Another resolution emerged from discussions amongst those present for the Middle East Regional meeting.  Both resolutions were adopted with minor modifications. 

War Crimes

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, meeting at the International Board Meeting in Ahmedabad, India in January 2010,

Noting that President George W. Bush of the United States of America, Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark and Prime Minister John Howard of Australia, forming a “coalition of the willing”, took the decision to invade Iraq in the absence of a resolution from the United Nations Security Council;

Noting that their decision to invade Iraq has been subsequently recognised as an illegal war;

Noting that these heads of state were operating in well developed democracies, yet their decisions to invade Iraq were taken without the support of their own populations;

Aware that millions of people in the USA, the UK, Spain and Australia rose up, along with still more millions of people in other countries around the world, in the biggest anti-war protests in human history to voice their opposition to the war proposals of these leaders;

Deeply concerned that the invasion of Iraq has seen millions of Iraqis displaced internally and externally; untold deaths and millions more injured physically and mentally;

Also deeply concerned that the land and natural environment of the Iraqi people has been despoiled and polluted for many years to come;

Concerned that the reasons given by these leaders for their invasion of Iraq have been discredited as false and inaccurate;

Believing that these four leaders should be made answerable and stand trial for their actions, so that society and future generations can learn the lessons of their mistakes, resolves that WILPF will support any well considered attempt to bring such an indictment against these leaders.

Middle East Resolution

The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, meeting at the International Board Meeting in Ahmedabad, India in January 2010,

Reaffirms its previous resolutions on the Middle East, passed every year since 1989, which affirm the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people including: the right to self-determination, the right of return and the right to establish an independent state of Palestine at the pre- 1967 borders and call for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 252, 338, 465, 1322 and UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

Welcomes the January 2010 initiative of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calling for non-violent resistance against Israeli occupation.

Recognizes the disproportionate suffering of the people in Gaza, supports the efforts of the Gaza freedom march and calls on the Egyptian and Israeli governments to allow for the marchers free passage to Gaza.  

Recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine state according to International Law.

Congratulates the president and the people of Palestine for successfully having Jerusalem recognized as the Capital of Arab culture for the year 2009 by UNESCO, despite Israeli attacks on cultural and religious places and institutions, including the destruction of historic parts of the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Welcomes the Goldstone Report adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in its 12th Special Session (October 2009), and calls for the full implementation of all of its recommendations. 

Calls on the governments of Israel and Palestine to immediately conduct the independent investigations called for in the report as to whether their activities during Operation Cast Lead violate international human rights and humanitarian law and were war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Further supports the recommendation in the Goldstone Report that if these independent investigations are not conducted by May 2010, that the case should be deferred to the International Criminal Court.

Also agrees to support the international Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and calls on our sections to distribute information, including lists of companies to boycott, to their membership. WILPF also calls on all our sections to encourage their governments to stop all trade with Israel as part of this movement.