November 24, 1992
THE MULTILATERAL TALKS: STRUCTURE AND PROGRESS UPDATE
DATES AND LOCATIONS
The Multilateral Talks of the Middle East peace process commenced
January 28 - 29, 1992 at the Moscow conference. Following the opening
presentations by the co-sponsors and the participants, the delegations
broke up into the five specific working groups.
Regional Economic Cooperation
A session was held in Brussels, May 11 - 12, 1992. The most recent set
of discussions took place in Paris, October 29 - 30, 1992.
The next session is scheduled for February/March 1993 in Rome.
Environment
The most recent session of this working group convened in the Hague on
October 26 - 27, 1992. The previous session took place May 18 - 19, 1992
in Tokyo. The next round of these discussions will take place in
February 1993.
Water Resources
The most recent round of talks convened in September 15 - 16 in
Washington D.C. The previous round took place in Vienna, May 13 - 15,
1992. The next session of this working group is scheduled for early 1993
in Geneva.
Arms Control
A session was held in Moscow, September 17 - 19, 1992. The previous
session had taken place May 11 - 14, 1992 in Washington. The next
session is scheduled to take place in January 1993 in Washington, D.C.
Refugees
A session was held in Ottowa in May 1992. The previous working session
on the issue of refugees convened on November 11 - 12, 1992, in Ottawa.
The next session is scheduled to take place in Oslo in February 1993.
BACKGROUND
The present peace-making process in the Middle East aims to inaugurate a
new chapter in the history of the region that will be characterized by
peaceful relations and a spirit of mutual cooperation. An essential step
toward the achievement of this goal is the multilateral negotiations.
The multilateral negotiations constitute an integral part of the
peace-making process. As outlined in the Madrid invitation, the
multilateral talks deal with a number of issues which are of common
interest to all states in the area: regional economic cooperation, arms
control, refugees, the environment, water resources. As Foreign Minister
Shimon Peres indicated, the bilateral negotiations are designed to solve
the conflict created in the past the Arab-Israeli dispute. The
multilateral negotiations are striving to build the Middle East of the
future.
Regretably, two parties to the bilateral negotiations Syria and the
Lebanon have so far chosen not to participate in the multilateral
negotiations. They condition their participation on progress in the
bilateral talks. However, Israel feels that it is not necessary to do
that, as the multilaterals deal with planning for a better future, and
planning takes time. Once future possibilities for the region are fully
discussed and researched, they can be enacted immediately following the
progress in the bilateral negotiations. Progress in the multilateral
talks can also serve as a confidence-building element to the bilateral
talks.
In two sets of negotiations in the Spring the Multilateral Working
Groups on Regional Economic Cooperation and Refugees the composition
of the Palestinian delegation did not conform to the guidelines mutually
agreed-upon in the Madrid Invitation. An Egyptian-brokered agreement was
formulated to resolve the problem. It states: the members of the
Palestinian delegation cannot be PLO members; may not be a member of the
Palestinian National Council (PNC); and cannot be residents of East
Jerusalem. This agreement is to apply to all of the working groups
throughout the duration of the negotiations.
PROGRESS REPORT FOR EACH SET OF NEGOTIATIONS
1. Regional Economic Cooperation
Israel views progress in this working group as an essential ingredient
not only for the economic future, but also its political future of the
region. If today's economic reality is changed, poverty eliminated and
the region's standard of living improved, a political change will be
produced. The people will become more realistic in their approaches
toward one another and more open to new political realities.
To accomplish this goal, we should build together a regional economic
mechanism that will enable it to develop its own resources, compete
successfully in the world economy, and thus generate its own wealth.
Based on the model of the EC and other regional economic structures, in
time, a Middle East common market could be constructed that would entail
open borders, exchanging techonology, developing elaborate
transportation networks and a myriad of other possibilities.
12 Arab delegations, in addition to the other 36 delegations, as well as
representatives of the E.C., U.N., and the World Bank participated in
these discussions.
In the latest meeting (October 29 - 30, 1992), some participating
countries demonstrated readiness to take upon themselves the task of
playing a leading role in specific areas of the Middle East's economic
development. This initiative will help maintain continuity between the
rounds and aid furthering progress. For example:
* France is coordinating discussions on communication/transportation, as
well as in the realm of banking and finance;
* Japan is organizing work on tourism;
* The E.C. is working to foster relations between institutions of higher
learning, cities and the business community;
* Canada is compiling a data bank of internationally reknown specialists
in the area of regional economic development;
* The World Bank is researching the current economic situation in the
region;
* The United States is advancing the concept of professional training,
as well as to expand the activities of the entire regional economic
development talks.
Israel feels that the issue of economic development for the territories
remains in the realm of the discussions on regional economical
development as a whole. In this manner, subjects that belong to the
multilateral talks will not detract from other crucial issues that must
be addressed in the framework of the bilateral talks.
2. Environment
The protection of the environment is a pressing issue which is not
confined to borders, but is of paramount concern to the global community
as a whole. As such, Israel will expend every effort to expedite the
task of halting uncontrolled deterioration of the region's precious
natural resources.
35 countries and three delegations representing the European Community,
the World Bank, and the United Nations participated in the October 26 -
27 round of the Environmental Talks. These talks witnessed modest
progress, as evidenced by the many initiatives which were proposed.
Israeli proposals include the establishment of a regional institute that
would specialize in desert research. The representative of the World
Bank offered to look into financing such a project.
Individual countries offered proposals whereby they can heighten their
role in the advancement of these talks. Among them:
* The E.C. will look into the possibility of an environmental survey of
the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
* Holland is prepared to undertake an environmental profile of the
region.
* Italy is willing to host a regional seminar on waste disposal.
* The United States is to organize a workshop in February 1993 for
specialists that deal with emergency situations, specifically in the
event of an accident at sea involving chemicals that could damage the
aquatic ecosystem.
* Japan has offered to organize a seminar for specialists on the
prevention of pollution.
3. Water Resources
Israel acknowledges that political boundaries are useless when dealing
with common use of limited resources. As such, it has placed much
importance on transforming the issue of water from a source of
contention to a source of regional cooperation and development.
The most recent round of talks, which took place in Washington,
September 15 - 16, 1992, witnessed a consensus to pursue discussion and
developments on four subjects:
1. Augmenting the availability of valuable information relating to water
including means of effectively managing water resources. The United
States agreed to explore the possibility of establishing an information
bank.
2. Improving the regional management of water resources, as well as
water conservation. In this context, Austria will host a seminar,
organized by a non-governmental body, on water technology in arid and
semi-arid regions.
3. Increasing the availability of water resources. The Japanese and E.C.
representatives are preparing a report to estimate the amount of
information available to assist in the building of models and pilot
plants for the desalination of water. The Canadian representative will
prepare a summary of the literature available on supply enhancement by
technologies.
4. Enhancing regional cooperation on water issues, including ideas in
the subject of regional water management.
4. Arms Control
Uncontrolled proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and prevention
of non-conventional weapon procurement are issues that defy borders.
While arms control discussions will undoubtedly be long and arduous, it
is imperative that the region embark on this road and foster the
psychological climate that will encourage progress in this domain.
It is encouraging, therefore, that the issue of confidence building
measures was raised and intensively discussed in the latest session of
the Arms Control working group (September 17 - 19, 1992). This idea was
well received by both the Middle East participants and those
participants from outside the region. In addition, a number of
extra-regional delegations also exchanged views on ways in which they
can contribute to and help ensure the regional stability of the Middle
East. The willingness of the United States and Russia to share their
experiences in the realm of arms control negotiations added to the
effectiveness of the session.
5. Refugees
Israel feels that it is important to achieve a fair solution to the
refugee problem. An agreed-upon solution of the refugee problem is also
an essential component of the historical reconciliation between the
Palestinian people and Israel.
In the recent session held in Ottawa, November 11-12, Israel joined the
discussions on the second day after the acting chairman of the
Palestinian delegation, Mohammed Hallaj, announced that he is currently
not a member of the PNC.
A consensus has been reached on three topics that will be pursued in the
future:
1. The E.C. is coordinating the preparation of a survey of international
efforts to improve living conditions of refugees.
2. Norway is spearheading efforts to set up a data bank on the Middle
East refugees.
3. The United States is organizing the establishment of professional and
vocational training projects and the development of human resources with
the aim of cultivating people for future public service.
Israel has offered to participate in wide-scale projects ranging from
the total reintegration of the refugees in the host countries and the
administered territories, leading to the eventual dismantlement of the
camps throughout the region, to any partial solution that would
alleviate the plight of the refugees and improve the quality of life in
the camps such as promoting vocational training, improving
communications, transportation, and service infrastructure and so on.
One expedient way to ameliorate the living conditions of the refugees
would be to improve their housing by allowing them to build a home
either in adjacent lots, in the immediate neighbourhood of the camps, or
in the camps themselves, all while allowing them to retain the status of
refugee, if they desire. Israel is ready to propose a program of
housing, infrastructure, and basic services for the refugee camps in
Israel's administered territories with the understanding that similar
projects would be implemented in the Arab countries as well.
Israel views as the purpose of the Multilateral Working Group on
Refugees is to bring about a movement of ideas and resources in order to
ameliorate the living conditions of the refugees in the Middle East.
Israel is ready to work with each Arab country on a bilateral basis and
with other concerned parties on a multilateral basis, to devise the
mechanisms to find a a humane and just solution.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE MULTILATERAL TALKS
A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Multilateral Talks will take
place in December in London. This group, comprised of representatives of
the key delegations, met last in Lisbon, May 27, 1992. Israel hopes that
the committee will strive to ensure that individual sets of negotiations
will continue to be conducted in a coordinated manner in order to
facilitate the multilateral talks as a whole. It is also hoped that
participation in the steering committee will in time be upgraded to the
ministerial level.
At this meeting, the dates for the next round of multilateral talks will
be finalized. It is encouraging that most working groups are expected to
convene in the near future, thus ensuring steady negotiations in the
multilateral talks.
CONCLUSION
This important effort is in line with the Basic Guidelines of the
Israeli Government. The guidelines state that:
"The [Israeli] government will work toward the creation of a new Middle
East, in which resources are not longer devoted toward the arms race,
but to development grounded in economic, cultural, and scientific
cooperation. Progress in the peace process must be accompanied by the
creation of systems for regional cooperation."
Israel will expend every effort to make this vision a reality.