410. The Heads of State or Government expressed their commitment to accelerate implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action which recommended actions to create, in a framework of sustained economic growth and sustainable development, a national and international environment favourable to social development, to eradicate poverty, to enhance productive employment with the goal of achieving full employment, to reduce unemployment and to foster social integration. They re-emphasised their commitment to adhere to the principles and to fulfil the ten commitments contained in the Declaration adopted by the 1995 World Summit for Social Development. They welcomed the establishment of the Trust Fund for the follow-up to the World Summit and urged the United Nations Member Countries and Non-Aligned Countries to contribute resources to the fund.

411. The Heads of State or Government noted progress in the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development. To this end they encouraged Member States to continue with the current national, regional and international initiatives including the formulation and implementation of national social development plans. They further noted that progress recorded in the analysis of poverty and the identification of its remedies had been significant. Furthermore, they expressed their satisfaction at the convening of a special review session of the United Nations General Assembly on the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development to be held in the year 2000.

412. The Heads of State or Government expressed the imperative need to promote social development in conjunction with sustained economic growth and sustainable use of natural resources for the realisation of the aspirations and welfare of current and future generations. It was therefore a primary responsibility of Government and all sectors of civil society that the goals of poverty eradication, food, health, education, employment, housing and social integration, to which they committed themselves in Copenhagen, were put into effect. They further reaffirmed that such action should be complemented by effective international co-operation.

413. The Heads of State or Government again stressed that the eradication of poverty was an ethical, social, political and economic imperative. It could only be achieved through a multi-dimensional and integrated approach that combined programmes targeted at the poor with policies and strategies that met the basic needs of all, ensured access by all to productive resources, opportunities and public services, enhanced social protection and reduced vulnerability. Sustainable development and sustained economic growth was crucial for raising living standards and for eliminating poverty.

414. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the tendency to increase public expenditure for social development within member countries and called on the international community, and in particular the developed countries and international organisations, to assist in providing both the required financial and technical resources to the developing countries to support their efforts. They stressed that such investment would underline solidarity and afford increased equity, greater productivity and increased social welfare.

415. The Heads of State or Government underlined the contribution of social development to economic progress, greater conditions of equity, economic productivity, social solidarity, political participation and tolerance and international co-operation. These should be translated into advances in competitiveness and improved social development indicators. Accordingly, they committed themselves to accord greater priority to the more vulnerable social strata and to the least advanced regions in their countries.

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Poverty Eradication

416. The Heads of State or Government stressed that the eradication of poverty through sustained and accelerated economic growth continued to remain the overriding priority for developing countries. In this context, they stressed the need for a supportive international economic and financial environment to address long-term problems of poverty and underdevelopment and reaffirmed the need to facilitate their efforts for the eradication of poverty and the improvement of the well-being of their people. They further encouraged exchange of experiences among Non-Aligned Movement Member Countries on poverty eradication programmes with a view to strengthening co-operation among them.

417. They stressed the need that designed poverty eradication policies and programmes should be effectively materialised through greater and more objective co-operation within and amongst countries on the one hand, and between government and relevant international organisations.

418. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed that the eradication of poverty was essential to ensure long term peace and security as well as to achieve sustainable social and economic development. They also reaffirmed that, within the context of overall action for the eradication of poverty, special attention should be given to the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, to the national and international framework conditions and policies that are conducive to its eradication, to the promotion of an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective and to the utilisation of gender analysis as a tool for the integration of a gender dimension into the planning and implementation of policies, strategies and programmes on poverty eradication.

419. The Heads of State or Government expressed their concern about the large and increasing number of people who suffered from hunger and malnutrition. They emphasised the urgency of taking action to meet the commitments for achieving food security for present and future generations, as mentioned in the Declaration and the Action Plan of the World Food Summit, held in Rome in November 1996.

420. The Heads of State or Government emphasised that, in developing countries, rural development remained central to poverty eradication efforts, and this often included agrarian reform, investment in infrastructure, extension of rural financial intermediation, ensuring food security, better education and greater utilisation of appropriate technology, ensuring fair prices to provide incentives for agricultural investment, and increasing productivity, including productivity in the informal sector.

421. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the outcome of the Microcredit Summit, held in Washington D.C., from 2 - 4 February 1997, which through its Declaration and Plan of Action launched a global campaign to reach 100 million of the world's poorest families, especially women of those families, with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services, by the year 2005. They recognised that microcredit programmes, by providing access to small capital to people living in poverty in many countries of the world, had led to their increasing participation in the mainstream economic and political process of the society. They further recognised that, in addition to its role in the eradication of poverty, microcredit programmes had also been a contributing factor to the social and human development process in the empowerment of women and attaining better social justice. They encouraged the development of new and the strengthening and expansion of existing microlending institutions, so that the outreach of credit was extended to an increasing number of people living in poverty and that the progress to reach the goal of the Microcredit was accelerated.

422. The Heads of State or Government, noting the interdependence of nations and the varying levels of human development world-wide, stressed the need for a New Global Human Order aimed at reversing the growing disparities between rich and poor, both among and within countries, through the alleviation of poverty, the expansion of productive employment and the promotion of social integration.

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Health

423. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the Final Declaration of the Meeting of Non-Aligned Movement Health Ministers, held in Havana, Cuba, in June 1998, and reaffirmed the importance of health as an indispensable resource for sustainable development.

424. The Heads of State or Government stressed that HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and acute diarrhoeal diseases, threatened the economic and development goals of all developing countries, particularly since these countries lacked guaranteed access to safe and affordable essential medicines. They urged the international community to assist developing countries in securing such access, by ensuring that public health considerations took precedence over commercial interests in fora that considered such matters. They further emphasised that a co-ordinated response by governments and other sectors of society would be necessary to successfully combat these epidemics.

425. The Heads of State or Government recognised the ongoing contribution of institutions in developing countries to health research, such as the work of the Institute of Immunology of Colombia, in the development of synthetic vaccines against tropical diseases and urged the strengthening of such South-South Co-operation.

426. The Heads of State or Government called on those countries with established technical and marketing capacities in the field of production and trade in medicines, to refrain from multilateral or unilateral measures not consistent with international law and the fundamental principles of the Non-Aligned Movement, that created obstacles to trade in pharmaceutical raw materials and finished products or access of people to essential medicines.

Education and Culture

427. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed that education was a determining factor for the political, social, cultural and economic development of their peoples. They recognised that science and technology were important to assure growing levels of knowledge and had to be put at the service of education.

428. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the decisions adopted at the Meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Medellin, Colombia, from 3-5 September 1997. They further welcomed the steps made by the Government of Egypt for the establishment in Cairo of the Centre for Cultural Co-operation among the Members of the Non-Aligned Movement, pursuant to the final document of the aforementioned Meeting.

429. The Heads of State or Government called for the full implementation of relevant UNESCO resolutions and decisions relating to the restitution of cultural property of peoples formerly under colonial rule and urged that payment of applicable compensation be made in conformity with General Assembly Resolution 52/24 and other relevant General Assembly resolutions on the return of cultural property to their countries of origin. They also affirmed the right of Non-Aligned Countries to preserve their cultures and protect their national heritage which is the basis of the cultural identity of these countries.

430. The Heads of States or Government recalled the results of the First Meeting of Ministers of Culture of the Non-Aligned Movement who expressed that, on the eve of the 21st century, the Movement has a major responsibility to protect and promote respect for cultural diversity of its people, through the process of cultural development and cultural co-operation in the quest for peace and integration.

431. The Heads of State or Government called on all Member States to participate actively in the 6th Film Festival of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries, to be held in Pyongyang, DPR of Korea in September 1998, following the decision of the Conference of the Ministers of Culture of Non-Aligned Countries to promote co-operation among Member Countries in the field of culture.

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Labour

432. The Heads of State or Government emphasised the importance of technical co-operation for developing countries, based on their needs and requirements in order to implement ILO core conventions.

433. The Heads of State or Government reiterated the call made at the World Summit for Social Development for appropriate policies and programmes to eradicate family poverty, which is the main cause of child labour and to eliminate child labour. They further expressed support for ILO initiatives dealing with child labour.

434. The Heads of State or Government renewed their commitment to the goal of full employment. They agreed to the objective of implementing appropriate economic and social policies that aim at attaining secure and sustainable livelihoods through freely chosen productive employment and work. They reiterated that the generation of productive employment constitutes a vital factor of strategies to combine the objectives of social and economic development. The strategy of economic growth should lead to the creation of more and better employment opportunities, while the social strategy should further emphasise the development of human resources in order to take full advantage of opportunities.

435. The Head of State or Government welcomed the launching of the UNDP financed programme "Jobs for Africa" by the ILO, as a follow-up to the Social Summit which has the objective to identify a set of mutually enforcing policies for job creation and poverty reduction.

Population and Development

436. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed the successful outcome of the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994, which was designed to integrate population issues in the development context. They called for increased efforts for the speedy implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action, as adopted, and underscored the importance of the role of both the international community and the United Nations system in mobilising the necessary resources for this purpose. They further recognised the importance of the Special Session of the General Assembly to be held in 1999 in order to review the implementation of the Cairo Programme of Action and urged the international community to intensify its efforts to achieve the goals of the Cairo Programme of Action. They noted with grave concern that while the developing countries had largely met their commitments for domestic resource mobilisation, the external resources committed at Cairo had not been forthcoming.

International Migration and Development

437. The Heads of State or Government called on member countries of the Movement and the international community to work towards the effective respect for the human dignity and well-being of migrants, international norms and full compliance with relevant international instruments. They also expressed their concern over the emergence of stringent immigration policies in various developed countries which severely restrict the free movement of people and breed xenophobia. They also expressed deep concern over new immigration laws and regulations recently adopted by some developed countries which could lead to massive deportations of immigrants from Non-Aligned Countries and other developing countries in violation of their fundamental human rights. They called upon those developed countries to take fully into account the social and economic effects those deportations would have on the affected developing countries, particularly those facing high debt burdens and high unemployment situations. They emphasised that due attention be accorded to migrants and their families in the developed countries as per relevant international instruments. They also called upon the developed countries to ensure the protection of immigrants and their families from all kinds of racism, discrimination and violence.

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Human Settlements

438. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the hosting in Turkey of the International Conference on Human Settlements, HABITAT II, organised in June 1996 by the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS/HABITAT). They noted that at the conclusion of the conference, all representative countries committed themselves to the Habitat Agenda which is effectively the guiding international policy for human settlements, and that Habitat Agenda offers a positive vision of sustainable human settlements development, where all should have adequate shelter, healthy and safe environment, basic services and productive and freely chosen employment. At the same time they stressed the importance of the goals of the Habitat Agenda, namely to create equitable human settlements which provide equal opportunities for all; to eradicate poverty; to promote sustainable urban development; to improve the quality of life and human health for all; to strengthen the family unit; to respect and protect the rights of all, and to contribute to the common good. They also reiterated their support to the principles of the Habitat Agenda, namely to encourage public participation in decision making processes; to promote partnerships at all levels; to support the disadvantaged and the vulnerable groups; to safeguard the interests of present and future generations.

439. The Heads of State or Government expressed satisfaction that the Plan of Action provided an enhanced mandate for international co-operation and assistance to Non-Aligned and other developing countries to deal with the problems of human settlements and to realise shelter for all, taking into account that shelter is a basic human right. In this regard they emphasised the urgent need to revitalise the UNHCS/HABITAT as focal point for implementation of the Habitat Agenda and for the co-ordination of technical and institutional support to developing countries in the area of human settlements development and adequate shelter for all. They highlighted the importance of the right to adequate shelter, and the assignment of the responsibility for promoting and ensuring this right to national governments. They also reaffirmed their commitment to the promotion of sustainable urban development through, effective participatory processes. They furthermore stressed the importance of appropriate disaster prevention and response mechanisms, the rehabilitation of areas affected by natural and human made disasters. They agreed that the special session of the General Assembly in 2001 should provide an important opportunity to review the progress made in implementation of the Habitat Agenda and to define corrective measures where necessary.

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Human Rights

440. The Heads of State or Government recalled the significance of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reaffirmed that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, that the international community must treat human rights globally in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis, and that the significance of national and regional particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds must be respected. It is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all peoples, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments. Furthermore, they agreed that the transformation and the continuing adaptation of human rights machinery to current and future needs in the promotion and protection of human rights would be one of the most appropriate ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the five year review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.

441. The Heads of State or Government took note of the ongoing discussions on the five year review of the Vienna Declaration and Programme for Action and called on the international community to support and cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to materialise the objectives in those instruments. In this context, they expressed the need for enhanced interaction between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Co-ordinating Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries, with a view to strengthening their working relationship. They further stressed the need to urgently adopt concrete measures to modify the unequal post distribution in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights through the appointment of personnel from developing countries.

442. While stressing the indivisible nature of all human rights its, the Heads of State or Government made special emphasis on the importance of the right to development for all peoples, as an universal and inalienable right and as integral part of the fundamental human rights. They welcomed the adoption of resolution 52/136 on the right to development by the United Nations General Assembly and resolution 1998/72 of the Commission on Human Rights and affirmed that democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. The adoption, for any cause or consideration, of coercive and unilateral measures, rules and policies against developing countries constitute a flagrant violation of the basic rights of their populations. They also affirmed that poverty and social and economic exclusion constitute a violation of human dignity and human rights. It is essential for States to promote efforts to combat extreme poverty and to foster participation by the poorest members of the society in the decision making process.

443. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the greater acceptance of the importance of the implementation of the right to development by the international community. In this regard they reaffirmed their trust in the creation of an open-ended inter-governmental working group on the right to development, as an appropriate modality for the implementation of the right to development. They further proposed that consideration be given to the preparation of a Convention on the Right to Development as one of the important steps towards effective implementation of the right to development.

444. The Heads of State or Government stressed that the human rights issues must be addressed within the global context through a constructive, dialogue based approach, with objectivity, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, impartiality, non-selectivity and transparency as the guiding principles, taking into account the political, historical, social, religious and cultural characteristics of each country. Exploitation of human rights for political purposes, including selective targeting of individual countries for extraneous considerations which is contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, should be excluded. They emphasised, that co-ordination of human rights activities must be carried out by United Nations organs, bodies and specialised agencies, whose activities deal with human rights, so as to cooperate in order to strengthen, rationalise and streamline those activities, taking into account the need to avoid unnecessary duplication.

445. The Heads of State or Government expressed their opposition to decisions by certain powers based on the unacceptable principle of the extra-territorial implementation of national legislation including the use of sanctions, and that are being extended to issues labelled by these powers as "human rights issues" to be used as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign States.

446. The Heads of State or Government reiterated that every State should provide an effective framework for the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the international covenants on human rights and other relevant international instruments on human rights, as well as a framework of remedies to redress human rights grievances or violations. In this context they reaffirmed the important and constructive role to be played by independent national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights and stressed that every effort should be made for the impartiality and objectivity of the national institutions. They recognised that it is the right of each national institution to choose its framework, in accordance with national legislation.

447. The Heads of State or Government urged States to ensure that their constitutional and internal legal systems, taking into account the respective country conditions, provide effective guarantees for fundamental human rights such as freedom of speech, association, thought, conscience, religion and belief to all without discrimination. They condemned unequivocally all violent acts and activities that infringe upon human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy, tolerance and respect for diversity.

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448. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the adoption of the General Assembly resolution 52/134 entitled "Enhancement of the International Co-operation in the Field of Human Rights" and called for the continuation of consultations on the need to promote international co-operation in the field of human rights through genuine and constructive dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality of States.

449. The Heads of State or Government placed special emphasis on the need to rationalise the work of the United Nations human rights machinery with a view to avoiding duplication of mandates through the appointment of special rapporteurs for different matters and for the human rights situation in the countries. While supporting the efforts of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, based on its mandate, they reiterated the necessity of speedy completion of the long overdue mandate of the General Assembly Third Committee Working Group on Human Rights.

450. The Heads of State or Government equally underscored the need for a regional balance in the composition and structure of all entities involved in human rights, particularly the composition of the committees in charge of implementing human rights treaties where Members should be elected on the principles of a balanced geographical distribution and the representation of the basic legal systems.

451. The Heads of State or Government recalled the General Assembly resolution 52/120 entitled "Human Rights and Unilateral Coercive Measures", and re-stressed the fact that human rights should not be used as instruments of political pressure especially against Non-Aligned and other developing countries.

452. The Heads of State or Government unequivocally condemned international terrorism as a criminal act and noted that terrorism endangers the very territorial integrity and security of States, due to acts of terrorism which take place within States, especially those which violate human rights in particular the right of life of all citizens and that destroy the physical and economic infrastructure, and attempt to de-stabilise legitimately constituted governments. They expressed their resolve to take speedy and effective measures to eliminate international terrorism and urged all states to fulfil their obligations under international law, including prosecuting or, where appropriate, extraditing the perpetrators of such acts and preventing the organisation and instigation of terrorism against other States from within outside their territories. They reaffirmed their support for General Assembly resolution 46/51 of 27 January 1992 which unequivocally condemned as criminal and unjustifiable all acts, methods and practices of terrorism wherever and by whomever committed and called upon all States to fulfil their obligations under international laws to refrain from organising, instigating, assisting or participating in terrorist acts in other State, or acquiescing in or encouraging activities within their territory towards the commissioning of such acts.

453. The Heads of State or Government further called on all States to endorse in principle the convening of an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations, to define terrorism, to differentiate it from the struggle for national liberation and to reach comprehensive and effective measures for concerted action. They also denounced the brutalisation of peoples kept under foreign occupation as the gravest form of terrorism. They condemned the use of state power for the suppression and violence against innocent civilians struggling against foreign occupation to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination. They stressed the sanctity of this right and urged that in this era of enlarged freedom and democracy, people under foreign occupation should be allowed to freely determine their destiny. In this context, they reaffirmed the Movement's principled position that the struggle of people under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for self-determination did not constitute terrorism.

454. The Heads of State or Government recalled General Assembly resolution 52/133 entitled "Human Rights and Terrorism" and renewed their concern at the gross violation of human rights perpetrated by terrorist groups, and reiterated their condemnation of all acts, methods and practices of terrorism. They also called for the need to promote and intensify international co-operation in order to implement effective measures against terrorism.

455. The Heads of State or Government underlined the need to review and assess the progress made in the field of human rights since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to identify obstacles and ways and means through which they can be overcome both by means of measures at the national level and by enhanced international co-operation, with a view to ensuring full enjoyment of all human rights, taking into account developments that have taken place during the past fifty years.

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Racism and Racial Discrimination

456. The Heads of State or Government recalled that opposition to racism and racial discrimination and elimination of all forms of exploitation and inequality have been accorded the highest priority in the agenda of the Movement. The Movement had been in the forefront of the successful struggle against apartheid. They, however, noted disturbing trends regarding contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. They underlined that migrant workers and their families required special attention in this regard. They urged all States, in particular developed countries, to cooperate more closely with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related Intolerance, and to take all steps, particularly in the legislative, administrative and educational fields, to combat new forms of racism. They also called upon members to help promote the goals of the Third Decade to combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.

457. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their firm determination to the successful convening of the World Conference against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia not later than the year 2001 through active participation and contribution in its preparatory process and that it should be action-oriented and aimed at the genuine eradication of contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.

458. The Heads of State or Government expressed serious concern at the acts of violence and the multiplication of such acts which are the manifestation of xenophobia and other forms of contemporary racism and racial discrimination.

459. The Heads of State or Government condemned the dissemination of ideas of racist superiority and of intolerance, and incitement to racial hatred by various organisations, political circles (parties), advanced communication technologies including the Internet in the sphere of public opinion and society at large in various developed countries.

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460. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed paragraph 259 of the New Delhi Final Document and paragraph 99 of the Communiqué‚ of the Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement Ministers for Foreign Affairs on 25 September 1997, and in this regard, reiterated the need for a holistic approach through the entire cycle of women and girls, including the empowerment of women and economic independence of women. They pledged themselves to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, and to support measures to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against girls and women. They stressed the need to promote an active and visible policy of mainstreaming a gender perspective at national levels, including in the design, follow-up and gender-based evaluation of all policies, as appropriate, in order to ensure effective implementation of all existing international agreements that promote the advancement of and equal status of women, including the Beijing Platform for Action.

461. The Heads of State or Government were convinced that educational and health programmes needed to focus more on women, especially the girl-child. In the same vein the attack on poverty, in particular rural poverty, must take into consideration the special needs of women. Further, to enhance the role of women in the process of development, increased participation by women in decision-making at all levels was of cardinal importance. They affirmed that a conducive national and international environment contributed to and accelerated the advancement of women.

462. The Heads of State or Government reiterated that today major changes in social development patterns including providing possibilities for active participation of women is considered among top priorities for achieving sustainable development. The role of the family unit as an institution which renders the highest degree of material and moral output, is extremely important. On this basis, macro and micro programming or policies should be designed in order to establish the moral and logical relation between the functions of the family and society as a whole as well as harmonise the individual and collective rights of the people.

463. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment to the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Summit for Social Development. In this context, they stressed the importance, inter alia, of the commitment of the countries of the Movement to adopt effective measures to ensure the enhancement of the participation of women in decision-making processes, equal access to education and health, including information regarding preventive health care, with due respect to religious beliefs and moral and cultural values.

464. In view of the fact that the increase of extreme poverty, especially in the developing countries, adversely affects women to a greater degree, and in particular rural women and those victims of natural calamity who in many cases are heads of households, the Heads of State or Government declared that it is indispensable that national and international efforts for its eradication be oriented as a priority toward the improvement of the situation of women. They also noted that this alarming situation of women is caused, inter alia, by economic stagnation, negative economic growth, continued population growth, and increased external debt burdens, compounded by reductions in public expenditures for social programmes, chiefly in the development of literacy and education.

465. Considering that the exploitation of and discrimination against women have their origins in the condition of girls in society, which is perpetuated by the survival of stereotypes and of traditional cultural practices and beliefs detrimental to women, the Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their resolve to take effective and expeditious measures for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls. In this context, they particularly committed themselves to give priority attention to the education of girls.

466. The Heads of State or Government expressed their abhorrence at the increasing victimisation of women and the girl-child, especially in situations of armed conflict, and the systematic use of rape by the parties to conflicts, as an instrument of war, ethnic cleansing and terrorism. They called on countries to take the necessary measures against all such perpetrators of violence in order to put an end to such practices forthwith and to ensure international law and domestic legislation, make provision for the protection of women and girls in armed conflict. In this regard, the Heads of State or Government reaffirmed Chapter IV.E of the Beijing Platform for Action, i.e. Women and Armed Conflict.

467. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction that a growing number of states have become party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and that several Parties have removed their initial reservations, making this Convention one of the most universal international human rights instruments. They invited member countries of the Movement that have not yet ratified the Convention to do so, in order to reach the goal of its complete universality by the year 2000. They encouraged all Member States to submit their national reports to the Committee on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women.

468. The Heads of State or Government agreed that the human rights of women and the girl-child were an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights. Gender-based violence, including resulting from cultural prejudice, international trafficking, including trafficking for purposes of prostitution, domestic violence, sexual harassment and abuse, were incompatible with the dignity and worth of women, and must be eliminated.

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Women and Armed Conflict

469. The Heads of State or Government proposed measures for the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes against humanity, with particular reference to women and girls, taking into account principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international conventions and treaties. They further resolved to fight against aggression, foreign occupation, ethnic and other types of conflict which affected women and men.

470. The Heads of State or Government recognised the need to integrate effective actions to end violence against women into all areas of public and private life, as a means of working to overcome the violence and discrimination that women face because of such factors as race, language, ethnicity, poverty, culture, age and disability or because they are indigenous, migrants, displaced or refugee women.

471. The Heads of State or Government expressed their commitment to review national legislation where appropriate in order to affect complete legal prohibition of rape and all forms of violence against women and girls, such as domestic violence including rape, and to ensure that legislation that protects women and girls from violence is effectively implemented.

472. The Heads of State or Government appealed to the international community to prohibit illicit trafficking, trade and transfer of small arms and light weapons and to control their excessive production, with a view to alleviating the suffering of women and children.

473. The Heads of State or Government called upon all Member Countries:

• to provide and strengthen assistance to all women and girls in conflict and post-conflict situations, including through non-governmental organisations, as appropriate;
• to condemn and bring to an immediate end massive violations of human rights, especially in the form of genocide, and ethnic cleansing as a strategy of war, and its consequences, such as rape, including systematic rape of women in war situations;
• to mainstream a gender perspective into humanitarian response to crises and armed conflicts and into post-conflict reconstruction activities;
• to enhance a culture of peace and the peaceful settlement of armed conflicts, including through mass media, audio and television as appropriate.

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Humanitarian Problems, Refugees, Repatriated and Internally Displaced Persons

474. The Heads of State or Government urged the Members of the Movement and the international community, to reaffirm their determination and commitment to preserve the fundamental values centred on respect for the human being, as entrenched in the relevant international instruments. Convinced that the observance and application of international humanitarian law address the erosion of the underlying respect for the human being and could lead to a reduction in the number of victims of conflicts, the Heads of State or Government urged all members of the International Community to adhere to, promote, disseminate and assist in the adherence to, promotion and dissemination of international humanitarian law and human rights conventions. Knowledge of, respect for and observance of these international instruments would help to relieve the suffering of all victims, provide them with effective protection and create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue and the restoration of peace.

475. The Heads of State or Government underlined the importance of promoting the respect for the universally recognised humanitarian principles and for international humanitarian law, particularly those of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their 1977 Additional Protocols. They invited those States which have not yet done so to ratify or accede to the two Protocols additional to the Geneva Convention of 1949.

476. The Heads of State or Government considered it essential to make a distinction between humanitarian action and United Nations peace-keeping and peace enforcement operations as well as operational activities for development. In order to pursue the independence, neutrality and the impartiality of humanitarian action, such action must be kept distinct from, and independent of political or military action, in accordance with the respective mandates while ensuring the observance of international humanitarian law.

477. The Heads of State or Government agreed that, in conflict situations, efforts to alleviate the humanitarian consequences of a crisis should be carried out effectively and without delay, until a durable solution is reached

478. The Heads of State or Government reiterated the Movement's appreciation for the valuable and efficient work done by United Nations humanitarian agencies and bodies, all components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including National Societies and NGOs. Humanitarian action needed to be guarded by standards of behaviour seeking to maintain high standards of performance, in accordance with the principles of independence, impartiality, neutrality, humanity, and impact on the beneficiaries of their action. They emphasised that effective co-ordination among humanitarian actors, with due respect for the sovereignty of all States, was essential.

479. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their deep concern about the considerable rise in the number of refugees and internally displaced persons and noted with concern the increasingly large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons being hosted by developing countries. They also acknowledged the urgent need to further sensitise the international community, particularly the donor community and the international financial institutions, to the ever-increasing problems of refugee hosting developing countries and developing countries in situations of post-conflict reconstruction of those with protracted and heavy refugee caseloads. They also stressed the necessity of international burden-sharing and responsibility in refugee situations. They called for intensified financial and moral support to developing countries, in adherence to the principles of neutrality, non-conditionality and non-interference.

480. The Heads of State or Government called on the international community to combine forces to assist refugee populations and internally displaced persons, in particular women and children, especially since they were in conditions of vulnerability. They also emphasised that every effort should be made to ensure that human rights were enjoyed by all refugees. They also urged the members of the Movement to reiterate their commitment to the principle of non-refoulement and safe return. They also noted the importance of non-restrictive asylum policies as well as respect for the institution of asylum.

481. The Heads of State or Government condemned the increasing attacks on the safety and security of humanitarian personnel and urged all Member Countries to ensure respect for and protection of the personnel of humanitarian organisations in conformity with the relevant international laws. Humanitarian personnel and their agencies should respect the principles of neutrality and non-interference, as well as the cultural, religious and other values of the population in the countries where they operate.

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482. The Heads of State or Government wished to draw the attention of the international community to the steep decline in financial contributions to humanitarian bodies and agencies, causing the large scale downsizing of humanitarian operations, which directly and negatively affect the lives of the most vulnerable. They stressed that adequate funding must be made available for humanitarian activities. At the same time, contributions to humanitarian assistance should not be provided at the expense of development assistance. Furthermore, the response to international appeals should not be overly influenced by the levels of media interest and must be commensurate with the needs of the affected populations.

483. The Heads of State or Government reiterated that humanitarian assistance is not an alternative to development assistance and does not offer durable solution of those problems that are at the origin of the need to grant emergency assistance. In this context, they stated that financial, material and human resources devoted to emergency assistance should not be taken from those geared at development assistance.

484. The Heads of State or Government acknowledged the urgent need to further sensitise the international community, particularly the donor community, to the ever-increasing problems of refugee-hosting developing countries, especially those with protracted and heavy refugee caseloads. They stressed the necessity for international burden-sharing and international responsibility for dealing with refugee situations. They also called for intensifying their financial and moral support or through inter-alia admitting some of the refugee and displaced persons in the framework of resettlement programmes as an internationally recognised durable solution.

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The Situation of Children

485. The Heads of State or Government took note with appreciation of the preparations made by Colombia to host the First Encounter of Children of the Non-Aligned Countries, as adopted in the Plan of Action of the Meeting of Ministers of Culture of the Non-Aligned Movement. This Encounter will be held in October 1999, in Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia.

486. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment to the early achievement of the goals of the World Summit for Children, in an effective and sustainable manner, and expressed their full support to the convening of a Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2001 for a review of the Summit goals.

487. The Heads of State or Government commended the role played by UNICEF in carrying out its programmes on the survival and development of children, particularly in its advocacy of the rights of the child to health, food and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, basic education and shelter as well as its special role in fostering the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They acknowledged the rights-based approach being developed by UNICEF and stressed the need for provision of adequate resources to meet the needs of developing countries. Furthermore, they called on the international community, particularly donor countries, to provide increased resources to the fund to enable it to continue its work.

488. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed section E of Chapter IV of the New Delhi Final Document on the Situation of Children, in particular their concern at the intolerable social and economic conditions faced by some children and the continued exploitation of children for pornography and prostitution and drug trafficking as well as the suffering of refugee and displaced children. They reiterated their call for urgent steps, in particular international co-operation, to address these problems. They also urged all remaining members who had not done so, to ratify or accede to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and called upon Member States to support the work on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. They urged all countries to put an end to the traditional practices that affect the health of girl-children such as sexual mutilations and early marriage.

489. The Heads of State or Government also expressed deep concern about the difficult situation of many children who are innocent victims of armed conflict in various parts of the world and over the recruitment, organisation and employment of children in armed conflicts. In this respect they urged member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement to adopt all necessary measures to put a stop to the use of children as soldiers and to ensure their de-mobilisation and reintegration into society, notably through appropriate education and training carried out in a manner that fosters self respect and dignity. While condemning this inhuman practice, they urged all countries and parties in armed conflicts to refrain from recruiting or arming children and called upon them to support the work on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

490. The Heads of State or Government expressed deep concern about the situation of children in difficult circumstances, in particular street children and the increasing number of orphans of HIV-Aids and called upon all Member Countries to take urgent and appropriate measures to protect them and improve their rehabilitation and living conditions.

491. The Heads of State or Government urged all members to effectively ban employment of children in hazardous occupations and eliminate child labour through a comprehensive policy including, inter alia, encouragement for sending children to school and retaining them in the educational system through innovative approaches and by eliminating family poverty which is the major cause of child labour.

492. The Heads of State or Government stressed the importance of increasing efforts aimed at helping children who had been or were in situations of armed conflict. In this regard they welcomed the first report of the UN Special Representative on the Situation of Children in Armed Conflict and pledged their support to activities aimed at improving the plight of children in situations of armed conflict.

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Youth

493. The Heads of State or Government felt that it was essential to promote awareness among the youth in Non-Aligned countries of the goals of the Movement and to encourage exchanges and interaction among young people of the Member Countries. They expressed concern at some of the problems facing young men and women, such as drugs and unemployment. In this context, they urged governments and concerned international organisations to devote greater efforts to the ten priority areas identified in the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, namely education, employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time activities, girls and young women and the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society.

494. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the holding of the First World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth Affairs in Lisbon, Portugal, 8-12 August 1998, where Ministers committed themselves to advancing national youth policies, active participation, development for all, peace, education, employment, health, as well as combating drug and substance abuse among the youth. Noting with concern the situation of youth living in poverty, they reiterated the urgency of creating more and better jobs for young women and young men and welcomed the commitment by Ministers to foster the further implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.

495. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the Lisbon Declaration on Youth and encouraged Non-Aligned Countries, the United Nations System and the international community to participate actively in the follow-up to the Lisbon World Youth Conference, in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution 52/83 and within the framework of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond. Furthermore, they agreed to ensure that young people's contributions are reflected in National Youth policies and programmes.

496. The Heads of State or Government urged the United Nations to enhance co-ordination and coherence of UN programmes and activities in the consolidation of international efforts for the promotion and protection of the welfare of young women and men.

497. They called upon the United Nations to assist developing countries in their efforts to implement the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond and the outcome of the First World Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth Affairs.

Elderly People

498. The Heads of State or Government urged Non-Aligned and other developing countries to mark the commemoration of the International Year of Elderly People in 1999 and to take concrete measures to deal with the problems of the ageing of the population, the individual and social needs of elderly people and their contributions to the development of society with the view of having a society of all ages.

Transnational Crime

499. The Heads of State or Government recalled resolution 49/159 of 1994 whereby the United Nations General Assembly approved the Naples Political Declaration and Global Plan of Action against Organised Transnational Crime. They noted the establishment of the process in accordance with United Nations General Assembly resolution 52/85 of 1997 for the drafting of an International Convention against Organised Transnational Crime, and encouraged participation by all States.

500. The Heads of State or Government pledged to facilitate and encourage the integration and consolidation by the international community to prevent and combat transnational crime. They further recognised that mutual assistance in criminal matters might be seen as a means of improving the quality of justice, especially in cases of concurrent jurisdiction. They acknowledged that co-operation was a way of achieving more equitable and efficient justice at lesser social and individual costs. At the same time, they reaffirmed that international effort against transnational crime should be carried out with the necessary respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.

501. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment to co-ordinate their domestic efforts and strategies against transnational crime and to develop an adequate database on transnational crime and those methods most effective in combating crime of this nature.

502. The Heads of State or Government noted the convening of the Tenth Congress on Crime Prevention and the Treatment of Offenders, due to be held in Vienna, Austria, in the year 2000 and encouraged members of the Movement to participate in its deliberations.

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International Drug Control

503. The Heads of State or Government expressed their support for the Political Declaration, the Declaration on the Guiding Principles of Drug Demand Reduction and the action plans adopted by the 20th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly, on the issues of Amphetamine-type Stimulants, Precursors, Judicial Co-operation, Money Laundering and Eradication of Illicit Drug Crops and the Promotion of Alternative Development Programmes, which was held from 8-10 June 1998 in New York. They reaffirmed their determination to achieving concrete results on all the action plans adopted by the 20th Special Session, on the basis of the principle of shared responsibility for addressing the demand and supply-side of drug trafficking, in conformity with the principles and purposes enshrined in the United Nations Charter and other international instruments, in particular respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of States.

504. The Heads of State or Government reiterated the commitment to strengthen international co-operation to eradicate the growing and dangerous links between terrorist groups, drug traffickers and their para-military gangs, and other armed criminal groups, which have resorted to all types of violence, thus undermining the democratic institutions of States and violating basic human rights. They called for the adoption of effective measures to restrict the smuggling of arms which is linked to the drug trade and which is generating unacceptable levels of crime and violence affecting the national security and the economics of many States.

505. The Heads of State or Government called upon the international community and international financial institutions to take necessary measures to prevent money laundering by drug traders, which also affects the international financial system.

506. The Heads of State or Government expressed serious concern about the destabilising effects on society, particularly on youth, of the illicit use, production, trafficking and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and renewed their commitment to fight against the illicit production, trafficking, distribution and consumption of drugs in all stages and modalities, as well as against money laundering, arms, ammunition, and explosives trafficking, and the deflection of precursors and essential chemical substances. They therefore called upon countries who have not done so to become a Party to and to implement the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.

507. The Heads of State or Government reiterated that the illicit drug chain begins with the insufficiently controlled trade of the precursors and essential chemical substances for the production of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and is completed with the laundering of money through the international financial and commercial channels. Therefore, they considered that on account of its global nature, the drug problem can only be dealt with effectively through international co-operation based on the principle of shared responsibility in which national measures are articulated with a global, integral and balanced response to the illegal drugs problem.

508. The Heads of State or Government considered the phenomenon of illicit drugs as a common threat and called for the commitment of all members of the international community for its solution. They rejected the unbalanced, un-equitable and selective form in which some developed countries seek to assign a major responsibility to specific countries, due to political considerations.

509. The Heads of State or Government supported the regional and sub-regional co-operation in the fight against drug problems and in this connection welcomed the concerted efforts among the signatory countries of the 1993 Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in the east Asian subregion in combating illicit production, consumption and trafficking of narcotic drugs and commend their initiative to establish an operation network to combat drug crimes through intelligence sharing and harmonised policies.

510. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the Hemispheric Anti Drug Strategy within the framework of the Organisation of American States (OAS), to establish an objective procedure for the multilateral evaluation of actions and co-operation to prevent and combat all aspects of the drug problem and related crimes based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity of States, shared responsibility and with a comprehensive and balanced approach.

511. Since poverty underlies illicit crop cultivation, the Heads of State or Government called for enhanced international co-operation for alternative development programmes and for environmental rehabilitation in the areas of illicit crop cultivation. They further called upon the United Nations Drug Control Programme and developed countries to fully support developing countries in their fight against illicit drugs, through providing them with adequate financial and technical assistance.

512. The Heads of State or Government called for the adoption of effective measures to restrict the smuggling of guns which is linked to the drug trade and which is generating unacceptable levels of crime and violence affecting the national security and the economies of many States.