KAMPALA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) — The third Southern Summit concluded on Monday in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The participating heads of state and government called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the protection of civilians.
The two-day summit, attended by leaders of Group of 77 member countries and China, called on the United Nations Security Council to make efforts to implement its resolutions to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without further delay.
The Southern Summit is the highest decision-making body of the 134-member Group of 77 (G77). The meeting was attended by high-level representatives from nearly a hundred countries and heads of United Nations agencies.
“We also reiterate our call to fully and immediately lift the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, which constitutes massive collective punishment,” the leaders said in an outcome document from the meeting.
The leaders called for the complete dismantling and immediate cessation of all illegal Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
The leaders said Israel is violating the United Nations Charter and international law by attacking Syria's civilian infrastructure, including civilian airports, threatening the lives of civilians, obstructing United Nations humanitarian operations and endangering the safety of civil aviation .
They also said Israel must end its violations of Lebanese sovereignty by air, land and sea, which threaten its security and economic development.
“We also call on Israel to refrain from using white phosphorus against Lebanon, in violation of international humanitarian law,” the document said. The leaders also stressed that Israel must withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolution.
The theme of the summit was “Leave no one behind”. Uganda was given the chairmanship of the summit by Cuba. This is the first time that the Southern Summit is taking place in Africa. The two previous summits were held in Havana, Cuba, in 2000 and Doha, Qatar, in 2005.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said that during the country's presidency he will approach countries with tension or conflict to find a win-win solution, adding that the country is also focused on promoting trade between member countries will concentrate. End