At the end of the 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Women of the Mediterranean Region on The Impact of Globalisation on the Mediterranean Countries, organised in cooperation with the Association of Human, Environment and Development Networks (HERD) and held in Marrakech, Morocco, July 12-14, 2002, the participants recognise that Globalisation is a historic process that is both "top down" and "bottom up". The main force is the unrestrained capitalistic expansion and in this process the blind power of profit is concentrating in fewer hands and speculative finance capital dominates.

The imposed Globalisation of the Multinational Cooperations - the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - is undemocratic and exploitative, in search of higher profits, women are exploited and colonized, strategic resources are no longer under local control, welfare services are eroded, poverty and economic injustice increase.

The USA lead "global war on terror" only serves to increase violence and terror. The three main negative effects of capitalist globalisation are:

1. Increased violence, militarization and wars
2. Increased inequality leading to global apartheid
3. Increased ecological disasters

Parallel, and sometimes opposed to capitalist globalisation, is the international growth of Religious Fundamentalism - Zionist and Islamic fundamentalism, which have manifested in many instances of violence against women and children.

The "bottom up" democratic process of Globalisation has spread through information and solidarity networks for economic and social justice, access to global and local decision making, equality and human rights. It is led by women's, environmental, human rights and worker's organizations. Women's organizations, such as the AWMR, WEDO, WIDE, DAWN, and WLUM, share a common critique of capitalism, patriarchy and fundamentalism. On a regional level all these three forces are apparent within the Euro-Mediterranean and Arab sub-regions.

Mediterranean cultural, historical and socio-economic heritage has enriched the lives of the Mediterranean people over thousands of years. At this crossroads between capitalism and fundamentalism, between war and peace, we ask you as our leaders to take the following steps toward cooperation, equal rights, justice and peace:

1. Develop a comprehensive system of rights that will advance the status of women and eliminate discrimination between gender, races and classes
   
   
2. Cooperate to end imperialism in the Mediterranean and in the world and respect the sovereignty of each nation. We offer our solidarity to the women of Palestine, Cyprus, Iraq and the suffering Kurdish and Saharan women in Tindouf camps.
   
   
3. Reduce the role of the Multinational Cooperations and advance sustainable local development, education and welfare. Reduce the state expenditure on arms and increase it on education.
   
   
4. Halt wanton destruction of the environment, impose fines on polluters, promote environmental education and sustainable development and preserve our air, land, water and sea.
   
   
5. Make the State a tool for progress and protection of human rights rather than a tool of political, military and economic oppression
   
   
6. Promote the role of women in decision-making and recognise women as an essential and integral part of development. Women's rights must encompass all fields and women must benefit all rights hitherto restricted to men.
   
   
7. Demand democratic regional and international institutions and demand full compliance with United Nations resolutions, in particular by Israel, Turkey and the USA.

The world has to start a new era of peace, democracy and human rights. An era wherein Globalisation and all its aspects help promote social ad economic justice. All cultures must come together so as to build a lasting peace.

Marrakech, July 14th, 2002

ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY

RESOLUTION ON PALESTINE

We, the participants of the 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Women of the Mediterranean Region (AWMR), in cooperation with the Human, Environment and Development Networks (HERD), held in Marrakech, Morocco, July 12-14, 2002, demand an immediate end to the thirty-five years of illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.

There must be an unconditional, immediate withdrawal of the Israeli troops from the occupied territories.

We urge Israel to comply with UN Resolution 242.

We call upon the international community and the United Nations to send peacekeeping forces to protect Palestinian citizens.

Pressure must be put on the USA government to stop its double-standard policies in respect to the Middle Eastern conflict and vehemently condemn the Israeli blatant and inhuman oppression and torture of the Palestinians.

Let there be solidarity all over the world with the Palestinian Women and Children and let us call on our governments, our leaders, to impose sanctions against the Israeli government until it respects the rights of the Palestinian people.

Marrakech, July 14th, 2002

ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY

RESOLUTION ON CYPRUS

We, the participants of the 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Women of the Mediterranean Region (AWMR) in cooperation with the Human, Environment and Development Networks (HERD), held in Marrakech, Morocco, July 12-14, 2002, demand an immediate end to the twenty-eight years of illegal Turkish occupation of 36% of the Cyprus island. There must be an unconditional, immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the occupied territories.

We urge Turkey to comply with all UN Resolutions on Cyprus.

Pressure must be put on the USA government to stop its double-standard policy in respect to the Cyprus Problem.

Let there be solidarity with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot women. We call upon our leaders and our governments to put every pressure possible toward Turkey and USA for a reunited, sovereign, independent Cyprus.

Marrakech, July 14th, 2002

ACCEPTED UNANIMOUSLY

RESOLUTION ON IRAQ

We, the participants of the 10th Annual Conference of the Association of Women of the Mediterranean Region (AWMR) in cooperation with the Human, Environment and Development Networks (HERD), held in Marrakech, Morocco, July 12-14, 2002, oppose the sanctions against Iraq and the US preparations to invade Iraq.

The Iraqi people have suffered a decade of inhuman conditions and these should not be exacerbated and elongated.

A peaceful solution to the question of nuclear or chemical arms production within Iraq is possible.

We call on the USA to immediately halt all preparations to invade Iraq and we call on all governments to work toward peaceful and lasting solutions to conflicts, respecting the rights of all people.