Madrid, 12 January 2007 - Influential Israelis, Palestinians, Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians, and Egyptians, gathering in Madrid on 10-12 January to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 1991 Madrid Middle East Peace Conference, have called for an International Peace Conference. Mindful of the deteriorating situation in the region, many Israeli and Arab participants called for a return to negotiations and for an official International Peace Conference to seal a final and comprehensive agreement as rapidly as possible.

Among the participants attending the Madrid +15 Conference were figures ranging from former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel; Political Adviser to President Mubarak Osama al-Baz; former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben- Ami; former Israeli Minister of Justice Dan Meridor; former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath; Secretary- General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Abdul Rahman bin Hamad al-Attiyah; to Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa.

The Foreign Ministers of Spain, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, who supported the event, were present along with European Commissioner for External Affairs Benita Ferrero-Waldner and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana. Mr. Solana received the Conference conclusions from Chairman Felipe Gonzalez.

Along with messages from President Bill Clinton and President Mikhail Gorbachev, former Secretary of State James Baker wrote, 'The convening of the Conference Madrid +15 could not be more timely'. Participants discussed the concerns and expectations regarding the Middle East conflict and what steps are needed to overcome obstacles and move towards a resolution of the conflict. Riad Daoudi, Legal Adviser to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, 'We believe that the repeated calls by Syria to resume peace negotiations according to the Madrid formula express the most important and urgent demand not only for Syria but also for the whole region'. At the meeting, organized by the Toledo International Centre for Peace, Search for Common Ground, Fundacion Tres Culturas, Fafo and the International Crisis Group, Secretary-General Amr Moussa also called 'for the urgent convening of an International Peace Conference under the auspices of the UN', with a defined timeframe and departing from the endgame.

Former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said, 'The space for work is between the Clinton Parameters and the Arab League Peace Initiative of 2002. It is there that I believe that we will find peace; the remaining differences are not large. What is missing on all sides is political will'. Former Palestinian negotiator Hanan Ashrawi said, 'We must create a coalition of the willing - it is time for peace, not for war'.

Mr. Solana declared, 'If in the first semester of 2007 we don't get the process at least framed [...] I have my doubts that we will be able to do it before 2008'.

Most of the participants claimed that now is the time to seize the opportunity of this meeting and work with the many influential figures to develop an immediate plan of action. The organizers will pursue the call for follow-up by creating a steering group and planning team to push the process forward as rapidly as possible, upholding the Madrid 1991 formula and subsequent efforts, such as the Arab League Initiative of 2002. The organizers stressed that Madrid +15 will be a first step in creating the momentum towards a comprehensive agreement, thus acting as a point of departure for official talks.

Conclusions Madrid+15 Conference
The meeting offered an opportunity to reflect on the successes and failures of the Madrid process. It provided an excellent opportunity to reignite an interest among participants in moving forward on the challenges emanating from the conflicts in the region, as well as an opportunity for civil society and officials to interact and exchange perspectives on the common goal of the conference.

• We had a frank debate on where the Middle East stands today on outstanding issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

• We heard an honest exchange of views on concerns, constraints, and opportunities on issues between Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine as well as the regional approach.

There is a need to reassert firmly the spirit of Madrid 1991: a spirit of compromise and reason and an approach that is regional in scope. While the region has changed in the past 15 years, the spirit of Madrid 1991 and subsequent efforts such as the Clinton Peace Parameters, the Arab League Peace Initiative of 2002 and the Road map remain a basis upon which to bridge the remaining differences and assist in creating the political will tragically missing today.

• There is a clear sense of urgency in this challenge. Participants discouraged interim agreements as a negotiated destination and called for an immediate return to negotiations towards a final and expedient comprehensive regional agreement.

• Participants reached a general consensus on the need for international engagement to seize the opportunity of this meeting and push the process forward. Many encouraged states to convene an official international peace conference for the region of the Near East, in the "spirit of Madrid".

• A recommendation was made for a follow-up meeting to explore ways the participants can move towards these goals. A steering group should be formed to guide the process. In this regard, the organizers of "Madrid +15" will be in touch with the participants.

Click here to view list of co-sponsors [pdf]

Click here to view conference programme [word]

Click here to visit the Madrid +15 website

Read articles about the conference from:

Arab News

Arutz Sheva

Al-Jazeerah

El Moudjahid

Haaretz

International Herald Tribune

Prensa Latina

Rabble News (Canada)

Syriacomment.com