From 21st to 23rd June, 2002, Communist and Workers’ parties met in Athens. The 62 parties which are listed below participated in the meeting entitled: "The new world situation after September 11, 2001". There were some parties which, against their wishes, could not participate due to reasons related to the situation in their countries. They have sent greetings and written contributions which are also included in the material from the meeting.
During the three day long sessions, there was a creative exchange of ideas about the international situation and significant experience from the peoples’ struggle and mass movements in their countries was presented.
Evaluating international developments, the participants condemned the terrorist actions of September 11. They also unequivocally condemned the dangerous escalation of US and NATO aggressiveness and the measures of state terrorism that followed. They concluded that all peoples and their mass movements are threatened by the potential global domination of monopoly capital, with the USA as the leading force.
The parties noted that the September 11 events also constituted an pretext to launch an unprecedented offensive against the freedoms and rights of the peoples on the pretext of declaring war on terrorism. Imperialists label as terrorist every resistance movement which struggles against capitalist globalization and the decisions against the interest of the people taken by international organizations (such as IMF, World Bank, WTO, EU, etc.), anti-imperialist movements which struggle against imperialist interventions and wars and against NATO, as well any social and national liberation movement and struggles against dictatorship and fascist regimes.
The participants pointed out and underscored that the struggle of peoples and movements for social liberation, national independence, peace and democracy has nothing to do with terrorist methods. From their lengthy experience, communists especially know very well the way that imperialists and reactionary forces set about slandering these movements.
The participants condemned terrorism. Only the most reactionary, inhuman, racist imperialist forces hostile to the people, benefit from terrorism.
At the same time they stated their full support for the peoples’ struggle for their social rights and for national independence.
The participants condemned the war against Afghanistan, the threats to expand the war , Bush’s statements about the "axis of evil", the threat to use nuclear weapons and the acceleration of the armament programs and the National Missile Defense (NMD). The militarization of international relations is acquiring even more dangerous features and the danger of new conflicts is growing under the weight of rivalries and interventions.
NATO, with its new doctrine and its new enlargement, is transforming itself into a world policeman under the hegemony of US imperialism.
The participants underscored that the whole of humanity is facing a dangerous plan by contemporary imperialism which threatens peace, security and stability in many regions of the planet.
The intensity of imperialist aggression in the name of combating terrorism, which is growing in the context of the heightened economic crisis within the centers of the imperialist system, does not confine itself to international relations and the military sector, but embraces all spheres of social life. It accelerates capitalist restructuring both in the economy and in the workers’ standard of living. It turns against workers’ rights and gains. It influences the political system, acquiring even more reactionary political and ideological characteristics in culture and in workers’ leisure time.
A new, more reactionary institutional framework is being formed by international imperialism, which tramples on fundamental popular freedoms and rights and deploys new repressive mechanisms.
Many speakers stressed the promising fact that despite imperialism’s growing aggression after September 11, popular demonstrations and resistance have increased in a number of cases.
Mobilizations against the imperialist war on the people of Afghanistan have multiplied, as has the opposition to fresh interventions against the people of Iraq and other countries which US imperialism includes in the "axis of evil".
The participants reiterated their support for the struggle of the Palestinian people, rejected the labeling of this struggle as terrorist and consider the Israeli occupation to be the source of violence in the region. Demonstrations of solidarity with the just struggle of the Palestinian people to acquire its independence and its own sovereign, viable state with East Jerusalem its capital have become stronger and have expanded all over the world. The participants condemned the ongoing occupation of Syrian and Lebanese territories and demanded the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli troops and the return of all refugees, in accordance with UN resolutions 242, 338, 194.
Many speakers stressed the need for efforts supporting this struggle to be stepped up yet further in their countries and also the need to organize solidarity missions to the territory occupied by Israel and to the self administered Palestinian areas. The participants categorically condemned the flagrant violence committed by the Israeli government on occupied Palestinian territory and the mass arrests and imprisonment of Palestinians including leading cadres of the Palestinian liberation movement. The need for a broad campaign demanding their release was stressed, and support was expressed for the initiative to form a "human shield" in Palestine on June 28.
The participants expressed their concern for the continuous violations of the principles and resolutions of the UN and of the international law.
Quite a few speakers referred to steps taken that show an awakening and spirit for struggle and resistance in the labor and trade union movement with the reinforcement of the presence of class forces within it developing new struggles putting forth their demands. Likewise stressed was the need to develop action in the workplace and to further strengthen class forces in the labor and trade union movement.
It was, moreover, noted that the multiform movement against capitalist globalization has grown in strength, as has the process of determining orientations and demands within this movement.
It was underscored that an active policy of solidarity and support amongst CPs and WPs and also amongst peoples’ movements in general is needed. Quite a few speakers voiced the need for a number of initiatives taken by various CPs and WPs or movements to be supported. Amongst these, the following were mentioned:
· The campaign for international mobilization demanding the release of the 5 Cuban patriots that are imprisoned in the US because they fought against the terrorist groups of Miami, as well as the campaigns for the lifting of the US blockade against Cuba.
· The initiative being taken by the CP of Bohemia-Moravia in Prague in November 2002 against the enlargement of NATO
· The initiative against the plan of neoliberal reconstruction of the economy of Latin America that is expressed by ALCA, the Plan Puebla – Panama and its armed branch, the "Plan Colombia", which aims to deal with the resistance of every opposing social force, to isolate and eliminate the guerilla movement of Colombia and subvert the legal and democratic Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
· The initiatives against the plans of the USA and EU to subjugate the economies of the Arab countries (Magreb – Masrek)
· The undertaking of active initiatives to coordinate the action of our parties against capitalist globalization, taking into consideration the new and growing movements against the policies of imperialist governments and multinational enterprises.
The participants expressed the need for such meetings of Communist and Workers’ Parties to continue and increase in number, while the need for broader meetings on the international level and meetings by area and region on issues of interest was stressed.
Also noted was the idea of seeking to hold meetings of our parties in connection with large international events in order to achieve a more collective elaboration of proposals and the most common possible view and position.
It was, moreover, stressed that the need for the distinct presence, the consultation and cooperation of Communist and Workers’ Parties constitute basic factors for the development of a policy of alliances and cooperation, a policy with a positive impact which is not in contradiction with the coordination and joint action of broader democratic, anti –imperialist, anti – monopoly and patriotic forces as well as of the multiform movement against capitalist globalization.
It was noted that it is useful for the discussion to be broadened and for views to be exchanged, with the development of theoretical elaborations regarding the transformation of this society, and the prospect for socialism under present conditions.
Participants also expressed the need to further reinforce the internationalist solidarity of our parties with communists and all progressive people and parties facing persecution and imprisonment and whose activity is prohibited. Furthermore, the need for solidarity in action against anti-democratic discrimination and reactionary regulations targeting democratic rights and liberties was expressed.
Athens 23/06/2002
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Parties Participated
ALBANIA – Communist Party of Albania
ALGERIA – Algerian Party for Democracy and Socialism
ARGENTINA – Communist Party of Argentina
ARMENIA – Communist Party of Armenia
AUSTRALIA – Communist Party of Aust ralia
AUSTRIA – Communist Party of Austria
BANGLADESH – Communist Party of Bangladesh
BELARUS – Communist Party of Belarus
BELGIUM – Workers’ Party of Belgium
BRAZIL – Communist Party of Brazil
BULGARIA – Bulgarian Communist Party «Georgi Dimitrov»
Communist Party of Bulgaria
CANADA – Communist Party of Canada
COLOMBIA – Colombian Communist Party
FARC-EP, Colombia
CUBA – Communist Party of Cuba
CYPRUS – Progressive Party of the Working People – AKEL
CZECH REPUBLIC – Communist Party of Bohemia Moravia
DENMARK – Communist Party in Denmark
Communist Party of Denmark
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Force of the Revolution of Dominican Republic
EGYPT – Communist Party of Egypt
FINLAND – Communist Party of Finland
GERMANY – German Communist Party
GREECE – Communist Party of Greece
HUNGARY – Hungarian Workers’ Party
IRAN – Tudeh Party of Iran
IRAQ – Iraqi Communist Party
IRELAND – The Workers’ Party of Ireland
ISRAEL – Communist Party of Israel
ITALY – Party of the Communist Refounding
DPR of KOREA – Workers’ Party of Korea
LATVIA – Socialist Party of Latvia
LEBANON – Lebanese Communist Party
LUXEMBOURG – Communist Party of Luxembourg
MEXICO – Popular Socialist Party, Mexico
Party of the Communists, Mexico
MOLDOVA – Party of Communists of Republic of Moldova
NETHERLANDS – New Communist Party of the Netherlands
NORWAY – Communist Party of Norway
PALESTINE – Palestinian People’s Party
POLAND – Party of Polish Communists
ROMANIA – Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Labour Party
RUSSIA – Communist Party of Russian Federation
Communist Workers’ Party of Russia – Revolutionary Party of Communists
Union of Communist Parties – CPSU
Union of Communist Parties – CPSU
SLOVAKIA – Communist Party of Slovakia
SPAIN – United Left of Spain
Communist Party of Spain
Communist Party of People of Spain
SUDAN – Sudanese Communist Party
SYRIA – Syrian Communist Party
Syrian Communist Party
TURKEY – Communist Party of Turkey
UKRAINE – Communist Party of Ukraine
Union of Communists of Ukraine
USA – Communist Party, USA
VENEZUELA – Communist Party of Venezuela
VIETNAM – Communist Party of Vietnam
YUGOSLAVIA – New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
Observer – Peoples’ Republic of CHINA – Communist Party of China
Written Interventions by:
Communist Party of Chile
Communist Party of India
Popular Socialist Party, Mexico
Palestinian Communist Party
Portuguese Communist Party
Labour Socialist Party of Romania
Messages of Greetings by:
Communist Party, Belgium
Communist Party of Britain
French Communist Party
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Party of the Italian Communists
Communist Party of Nepal (UML)
Communist Party of Sri-Lanka
The Labour Party – EMEP, Turkey