<

Quartet on Middle East Outlines Three-Phase Roadmap for Final Settlement by 2005
Tuesday, September 17, 2002

United Nations News Center

"Both the reform effort and the political process must include Israeli measures, consistent with Israel's legitimate security concerns, to improve the lives of Palestinians, including allowing the resumption of normal economic activity, facilitating the movement of goods, people and essential services, and to lift curfew and closures." The communiqué welcomed Israel's decision to release part of the Palestinian revenue it has withheld, and calls for a continuation of this process and the re-establishment of regular monthly revenue transfers to the Palestinian Ministry of Finance. In addition, the Quartet stressed that "Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories must stop."

Members of the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East -- comprising the United Nations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States -- today outlined a three-phase roadmap to achieve the shared vision of two States -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side in peace and security.

Following a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York, the Quartet's principals issued a communiqué in which they unveiled their plan, which aims to achieve a comprehensive final settlement within three years.

The initial phase of the plan, from now until the first half of 2003, involves performance-based criteria for comprehensive security reform, Israeli withdrawals to their positions of September 2000 as security improves, and support for the Palestinians to hold free, fair and credible elections early next year.

The first phase should also include a ministerial-level meeting of an "Ad Hoc Liaison Committee" to review the humanitarian situation and prospects for economic development in the West Bank and Gaza, and to identify priority areas for donor assistance, including to the reform process, before the end of the year, according to the communiqué.
(More: UN.org News Source)
2002 © United Nations News Center.

Dan