I.A.O. Resolution on the protection of Christians & other religious minorities in the Middle East
July 2015 – I.A.O.
22nd Annual Conference of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (I.A.O.) Vienna, 27 June 2015
Also Read –22nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERPARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ON ORTHODOXY (I.A.O.)
Resolution on the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East
a.Greatly concerned with the quick and dramatic deterioration of the security of the Christians and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East and their communities (hereinafter “the Communities”);
b.Following with great concern the barbarous practices against the Communities by terrorist organizations headed by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), amounting to barbaric crimes against humanity and acts of genocide,
c.Considering that immediate necessary and effective actions must be taken by the world community to protect the Communities, irrespective of the political context;
The 22nd annual I.A.O. General Assembly hereby resolves to:
1 – Adopt, as a priority action for I.A.O, the goal of working towards effectively and urgently protecting all Christians in the Middle East from the risks of War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Genocide.
2 – Ask the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary General to urgently constitute a high level ad-hoc group to develop an action plan and follow up on its implementation with all states, parliaments, International and regional organizations that could be useful in highlighting and achieving the goals of protecting the Christians and Communities in the region against lethal danger and persecutions.
3 – Strengthen collaboration to protect Christians and the Communities in the region and to promote freedom of conscience and religion, especially with the United Nations, the European Union and the Council of Europe.
4 – Entrust the President of the I.A.O. General Assembly and the I.A.O. Secretary General to appeal to the leadership of the United Nations, in the framework of the 4th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the Interparliamentary Union member-states in New York in September 2015, through a statement on the adoption of immediate and effective measures for the protection of Christians in the Middle East from mass persecutions and extermination.
5 – Convene, under the I.A.O. auspices, an ad-hoc international conference on the protection of Christians in the Middle East no later than November 2015, by sending out invitations to the Primates of Christian Churches in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Jordan and other countries in the region.
