UN General Assembly
2005

Council has adopted its resolution 1612 (2005), the General Assembly, for its part, should establish an open-ended working group to consider proposals for actions to redefine that scourge as a crime against humanity instead of a war crime. We are counting on everyone’s support to make that initiative a reality. In the Middle East, the withdrawal of the occupying Power from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank brings us closer, fortunately, to our common vision of an independent State of Palestine living side by side with the State of Israel within secure and internationally recognized borders. We believe that the Quartet’s road map can lead the Israeli and Palestinian peoples to that goal. We call upon their leaders to remain committed to the route of peace. We ask the same of Iraqi leaders and urge them to spare no effort to ensure that all Iraqi communities participate in the transition process leading to the restoration of peace and the strengthening of the country’s unity. We make the same appeal to Afghanistan, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, among others.