International NGOs co-ordination on the question of Palestine began in 1983 when the United Nations called in Geneva the International Conference on the question of Palestine following the General Assembly's resolutions 36/120 c of 10.12.1981 and 37/86 of 10.12.1982. A great number of NGOs attended this official Conference as observers.

This led the 95th plenary meeting of the General Assembly to recommend to the UN Committee on the inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and to the division on Palestinian rights "increased contacts with non-governmental organisations in different regions in order to heighten awareness of the facts related to Palestine".

NGO co-ordination started in 1983 through the International Co-ordination Committee on the Question of Palestine (ICCP), which at the time brought together some 1,200 NGOs concerned with Palestine.

In 1986, the ECCP, comprising some 300 European NGOs, acquired its own autonomous structure and has since then been co-operating with both UN Committee and the ICCP. In order to be at the heart of the European Community political, administrative and development decision making, the ECCP moved its office in Brussels and was registered as an association under Belgian law.

A European Campaign for Raising the Awareness of the European Peoples about the National, Social, Economic and Human Rights of the Palestinian People.

During the living memory of most people, the Middle East has been a region of crisis. At the heart of its instability has been the Arab -Israeli conflict and its score issue the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Since its creation the ECCP has believed that a durable peace could not be achieved without justice for the Palestinian People. Although serious efforts have recently been made to bring about a peaceful settlement, a lasting peace still remains far from attainment, precisely because the Palestinian people has still not realised its inalienable rights.

At the United Nations International NGO meeting and the European NGO symposia on the Question of Palestine held in Geneva in August 1997 and in Brussels in February 1998, the NGOs were informed of the explosive situation in the area due to the Israeli governments insistence on establishing and extending settlements. They expressed deep concern with regard to the stalemate in the negotiations, resulting from Israeli policies and practices which has led the Middle East into a new period of extreme tensions and possible conflict.

These actions on the part of the Israeli Government have undermined confidence and generated insecurity among Palestinians and pose genuine threat to the securing of a just and lasting peace.

The Israeli closures imposed on the Palestinian towns and villages is destroying the already fragile Palestinian economy.

The papers presented during the Symposia indicate that the situation is worsening instead of improving and gradually more people are losing faith in the Peace Process.

While this happening, we observe that there has been a demobilisation of the European solidarity movement wish was misled by the mass media, western governments and intergovernmental organisations into believing that the Declaration of Principle or what has come to be known as the Oslo agreements is not the start of substantial negotiations between the two parties, but a peace agreement and that the Palestinian issue has been solved.

Moreover, announcements about billions of dollars promised to the new Palestinian Authority created the illusion that all the development needs of the Palestinian people would be adequately covered. We note that the sums promised are very slow in coming.

We also notice that Palestinian NGOs, which with the moral and financial support of the European NGOs helped Palestinians survive during 27 years of occupation, are now in deep financial crisis which often leads them to interrupt on going projects.

For all these reasons the ECCP launched a Europe-wide campaign an calls on all NGOs participating in the network to take part.

To revive the solidarity movement in Europe in Favour of the Palestinian people in support of its national rights including its right to development.

To lobby European States and the European Union Institutions to suspend any preferential economic status granted to Israel until it complies with all the agreements it has signed with the Palestinian National authority.

The campaign focuses on promoting the quest for peace which requires:

1. The withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem,
2. The dismantling of all Israeli settlements in Palestine,
3. The right of return of all refugees who wishes to come back to their homeland,
4. The unconditional release of all Palestinian prisoners,
5. The establishment of the independent State of Palestine.

The ECCP believes that there can be no comprehensive, just and lasting peace unless Israel implements all UN Resolutions relevant to the above mentioned points.

The ECCP operates on an extremely limited budget. Its resources are stretched to the full in pursuit of the aims we have mentioned. The ECCP appeals to individuals and organisations who support its aims to contribute financially to our work.

Donations should be made to ECCP, Account No 426-4120880-07, Kredietbank, rond Point Shuman 4, Brussels.

For further information, contact the ECCP secretariat.

Belgium:

ECCP, Quai du commerce 9, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Tel : 32-2-223.07.56, Fax:32-2-250.12.63, Email : abp.eccp@skynet.be

Italy:

Italian NGO Platform for Palestine :

COCIS , Sergio Bassoli - Cisp, Gianluca Falcitelli

E-mail : cisp.roma@agora.stm.it; prosvilb@tin.it

Spain:

COMITE DE ONG SOBRE LA CUESTIÓN PALESTINA, Luisa Sirvent

Hermanos Garcia Noblejas, 41 - 8°, 28037 Madrid, Spain

E-mail : lasg@wanadoo.es

France:

Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine, Emmanuelle Bennani Caillouët

14, Passage Dubail, 75010 Paris, France

Tel : 33/1/40 36 41 46 - fax : 33/1/44 72 93 73, E-mail : pfpalest@club-internet.fr

Greece:

Greek Committee for International Democratic Solidarity : Dhiocharis Papamargaris

Spyridonos Trikoupi 25, 10683 Athens - Greece

Tel : 30/10/381.30.52 - fax : 30/10/383.16.03, E-mail : eedda@otenet.gr

United Kingdom:

CAABU (The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding) :Chris Doyle

1 Gough Square, London, EC4A 3DE, United Kingdom

Tel: 44 20 7832 1310 - Fax: 44 20 7832 1329

E-mail: doylec@caabu.org

http://www.caabu.org

Norway:

Norwegian Association of NGOs for Palestine : Trygve Natvig

Osterhaus gt 27, N-0183 Oslo, Norway

Tel: 47/22 36 49 39 - fax: 47/22 36 49 01- E-mail : trygve.natvig@nkf.no

Denmark:

Danish/Palestine friendship association : dr.Mahmoud Issa

Hollands Alle 11- 2300 Copenhagen S - Denmark

E-mail: misc@drc.dk