Thirty countries gather to formulate response to Islamic State
Representatives from more than 30 countries are meeting in Paris France to discuss ways to tackle the militant group Islamic state.
French President Francois Hollande arrived with Iraqi President Fuad Masum. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived at the conference following his visit last week to Middle Eastern countries including Iraq, where he was to trying to build a coalition to fight IS.
Hollande is calling for for united action against the militants.
“This terrorist movement has spread in a whole territory, in Iraq, in Syria. This terrorist movement ignores borders and has the ambition to build a state. That is the threat, it is global. So there must be a global answer,” stated French President Francois Hollande.
Foreign ministers from the main European states, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Iraq’s neighbours and Gulf Arab states are in Paris to discuss broad political, security and humanitarian aspects of the current situation in the Middle East.
The conference participants (Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Arab League, European Union, United Nations) expressed their commitment to the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq.
They welcomed the formation of a new government under the authority of the Prime Minister, Mr Haïdar al-Abadi, and offered him their full support to strengthen the rule of law, implement a policy of inclusiveness, and ensure that all components are fairly represented within the federal institutions and all citizens are treated equally.
All of these measures are necessary in order to successfully combat Daech (ISIL) and terrorist groups, which represent a threat to all Iraqis according to a statement issued following the conference.
The conference participants asserted that Daech (ISIL) is a threat not only to Iraq but also to the entire international community. They condemned the crimes and acts of mass violence that Daech (ISIL) commits against civilians, including the most vulnerable minorities, which may amount to crimes against humanity. They agreed to cooperate and do everything to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice. They confirmed support for the inquiry led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to that end.
All participants underscored the urgent need to remove Daech (ISIL) from the regions in which it has established itself in Iraq. To that end, they committed to supporting the new Iraqi Government in its fight against Daech (ISIL), by any means necessary, including appropriate military assistance, in line with the needs expressed by the Iraqi authorities, in accordance with international law and without jeopardizing civilian security.
The conference participants also reaffirmed their commitment to the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council on the fight against terrorism and its sources of recruitment and financing, in particular Resolution 2170. They will make sure that this resolution is correctly implemented and will take the necessary measures to ensure it has all the intended effects. They firmly believe that resolute action is necessary to eradicate Daech (ISIL), particularly measures to prevent radicalization, coordination between all security services and stricter border control. They welcomed the prospect of working on an action plan to combat terrorist financing.
Reiterating their support for the Iraqi Government, the international partners recalled the need to support the Iraqi people’s desire for human rights to be observed in a federal framework that respects the constitution, regional rights and national unity.
Conference participants recognized the role played by the United Nations in Iraq, particularly in coordinating and facilitating international assistance to the Iraqi Government. The conference participants also recognized that the Arab League and the European Union are essential long-term strategic partners for Iraq.
The conference participants agreed to continue and increase, depending on changes in the situation on the ground, the provision of emergency humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi Government and local authorities, in order to help them accommodate and assist refugees and displaced persons, who should be able to return to their homes safely.
The international partners declared that they were willing to assist Iraq in its reconstruction work, with the aim of achieving fair regional development, in particular by providing expertise, know-how and appropriate financial support through, for example, specific global fund to help reconstruction of areas devastated by Daech (ISIL).
The international partners agreed to remain fully mobilized in their support for the Iraqi authorities and in the fight against Daech (ISIL). They will ensure that the commitments made today are implemented and followed up on, notably in the framework of the United Nations and during the high-level meetings that will be held alongside the United Nations General Assembly.VIDEO by Reuters
