The present report covers the period since the Annual Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Heads of Delegation held on 14 November 2001 in New York on the margins of the 56^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In December 2001, the Chair of the CoB addressed the Resumed Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly on the item "Illegal Israel Actions in the Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory". The Chair pledged the full support of NAM for a resuscitated peace process, which will culminate in a definitive final settlement towards an independent Palestinian State.

At the request of the Arab League, an Extraordinary Meeting of the Co-ordinating Bureau was convened on 5 December 2001 to discuss the grave situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. Over and above the NAM participation in the United Nations meetings on the question of Palestine, the Chairman of the Co-ordinating Bureau has always made this issue a topical one in its meetings.

On 14 February, the Chairman of the Co-ordinating Bureau convened a meeting of the Bureau to inform NAM Member States about a letter from President Mugabe of Zimbabwe, requesting the Chair to send election monitors during the elections in Zimbabwe. The Co-ordinating Bureau (CoB) took a decision to request the Chair to send its own monitoring team under the banner of the NAM. The CoB also decided to extend an invitation to any other delegations interested, to join the South African Team.

During the April 2002 crisis in Venezuela, the Government of Cuba informed the Chair of the NAM Co-ordination Bureau (CoB) of the imminent threat of attack on the Mission of Cuba in Caracas and the dangerous situation for Cuba diplomatic staff and Cuban nationals in Venezuela. The CoB Chair also engaged the Security Council Presidency directly regarding the threat posed to the Cuban Mission and Cuban nationals, and highlighted the importance of upholding the inviolability of foreign missions and ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel. The Chair also called an extra-ordinary CoB meeting on 16 April 2002 to consider the situation in Venezuela. The meeting requested the Chair to issue a press release on behalf of the NAM regarding the events that had unfolded in Venezuela.

The Period under review has presented serious challenges to the Non-Aligned Movement in its efforts to advance the objectives of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control as a result of two factors. The first is the lack of political will to implement Treaty obligations by States Parties and to engage in negotiations in good faith. The other factor is the tendency to adopt a unilateralist approach on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues. The challenge for disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control therefore lies in curtailing these factors.

In an effort to resolve the problems faced by the NAM in the field of disarmament and international security, the Movement has continuously expressed concern over the apparent tendency to rely on unilateralist approaches in resolving problem issues threatening international peace and security. In this regard the NAM has utilised every available opportunity to raise this concern and to reiterate our view on the need for a multilateralist approach on these issues. The Movement believes that solutions based on the commitment of the international community as a whole are the most viable and sustainable methods for achieving international peace and security.

As a second measure, the Movement successfully managed to introduce resolutions in the United Nations system that would serve various purposes. The first being to keep the debate alive on topical issues in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. The second purpose of these resolutions is to consolidate gains made at various conferences like the 2001 Small Arms Conference and the 2000 NPT Review Conference. The third is to provide practical and middle of the road solutions to elusive issues engulfing the disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control debate.

The Working Group again played an active role during the March 2002 regular session of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. Following the comprehensive recommendations adopted on the Brahimi Report during 2000-2001, the 2002 session focused on the consolidation of the reform process introduced by the Brahimi Report. The Chair of the NAM Working Group, in his statement on behalf of the Movement, addressed a range of issues, in particular issues pertaining to the enhancement of the rapid deployment capacity of the UN peacekeeping operations.

The last NAM Summit in Durban in 1998 identified three key issues that require the focused attention of the United Nations Human Rights machinery. These include:

• The Right to Development

The current Working Group chaired by the Ambassador of Algeria and other proceeding Working Groups have undertaken important work for the NAM within the UN system, which culminated in discernible gains. The critical importance of the Declaration on the Right to Development and Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action cannot be underestimated. These two instruments have recognised the right to development as an inalienable human right, which has to enjoy the same attention as all other human rights elaborated in the United Nations Human Rights Covenants (bill of rights) namely, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

• Unilateral coercive measures

The Commission on Human Rights adopted a resolution of the NAM on this issue. The resolution calls on states to refrain from imposing on others unilateral coercive measures, which are inconsistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The NAM believes that such measures create barriers to free trade amongst states.

• Enhancement of international co-operation in the field of Human Rights

The NAM Working Group has succeeded to convince its developed partners that the international human rights agenda can only be achieved through international co-operation.

In accordance with the Methodology of NAM which states the necessity of NAM Members elected to the Security Council to "constantly strive to adopt unified positions" and the need for the Chair of the Co-ordinating Bureau to attend meetings of the Security Council Caucus, the Chair of the Co-ordinating Bureau continued to engage regularly with the NAM Caucus Members. In addition, the respective co-ordinators of the NAM Caucus periodically briefed the Co-ordinating Bureau on the various issues of importance on the agenda of the Council that the Caucus remained seized with.

At the request of the Palestinian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the NAM Security Council Caucus met on 4 December 2001 to discuss the grave situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem.

Following the continued diplomatic efforts by the Palestinian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a Security Council open debate was held on 14 – 15 December 2001 to consider an Egyptian – Tunisian sponsored draft resolution encouraging the establishment of a monitoring mechanism. The Chair of the CoB delivered a statement in the Security Council on behalf of NAM. The USA vetoed the draft resolution though it had the affirmative support of 12 Council Members and only 2 abstentions.

The NAM Chair delivered a statement at the Security Council open debate that took place on 26 – 27 February 2002 subsequent to a draft resolution circulated by the Palestinian delegation. The resolution demanded the immediate cessation of violence, called for the comprehensive implementation of the Mitchell Report, the establishment of a monitoring mechanism and the resumption of negotiations on a final settlement. The resolution also sought to commit the Council to sending a fact-finding mission to the region. The Chair of the CoB also sent a letter to the President of the Security Council on 7 March 2002 suggesting that the Council considers inviting Prime Minister Sharon and President Arafat to the Security Council to give a first hand account of the situation in Palestine and Israel.

The NAM Caucus Members played an active role in the intense negotiations that culminated in the adoption of resolution 1397 (2002) on 13 March 2002. The resolution, inter alia, demands the immediate cessation of violence and calls for the implementation of the Mitchell Report and Tenet Plan and the resumption of negotiations on a political settlement. The resolution lays out a vision of a two-State solution to the Middle East crisis and the recognition of Israel by all Arab countries.

The NAM Caucus was again intensely involved in the negotiations during the Security Council emergency session of 29 – 30 March 2002, which was requested by the Arab Group. The negotiations culminated in the adoption of resolution 1402 (2002). The resolution expresses grave concern at the deterioration of the situation, including the recent suicide bombings and the military attack against President Arafat’s headquarters and also reiterates the demand of resolution 1397.

On 3 April 2002 the Security Council held an emergency meeting at the request of the NAM Chair and Tunisia (on behalf of the Arab Group to discuss the volatile situation in the Middle East. The NAM Chair delivered a statement and also sent a letter to the President of the Security Council reminding the Council of the recommendation made by some of its Members that the Council should send a mission to the region.

On 4 April 2002, with the support of the NAM Caucus, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1403 (2002), which demands the implementation of resolution 1402 (2002) without delay. On 7 April 2002 the Arab Group, with the support of the NAM Caucus, called an emergency Security Council discussion on Israel’s decision to intensify its military operations in Palestine in contravention of Security Council resolutions 1402 and 1403 (2002). On 8-9 April 2002 the Security Council once again convened an emergency open debate at the request of the Arab Group to demand the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Occupied Palestinian Territory. South Africa delivered a statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

On 18-19 April 2002 the Security Council held an open debate on the situation in the Middle East. The Permanent Representative of South Africa delivered a statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, which strongly supported the call of the Secretary-General for the presence of a multinational force. The Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1405 (2002), which emphasises the urgency of securing access of medical and humanitarian organisations to the Palestinian civilian population. The resolution also welcomes the Secretary-General’s initiative to send a fact-finding team to develop accurate information on recent events in the Jenin refugee camp.

At the high-level annual commemorative United Nations meeting on 29 November 2001 entitled "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People", the Chair of the Co-ordinating Bureau read out a message from President Mbeki, on behalf of NAM. The message was also read out at the UN Centres in Vienna and Geneva by the respective South African Ambassadors.

On 5 December 2001, at the invitation of the Swiss Government, South Africa participated in a reconvened meeting of the States Parties to the Geneva Convention. In this meeting the South African Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva represented the Non-Aligned Movement.

As part of the NAM Chair’s initiatives to broker peace in the Middle East, President Mbeki hosted a Retreat in Cape Town, from 9-11 January 2002. The Presidential Retreat was conceived as an informal and non-prescriptive opportunity for Israelis and Palestinians committed to finding a peaceful negotiated settlement to meet together and hear first hand about the South African experience.

On behalf of the Movement of the Non-Aligned Countries, the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the Summit of the League of Arab States held in March 2002 in Beirut, Lebanon at which she articulated the Movement’s long-standing position on the question of Palestine.