Concluding Speech of the Presiding Committee

Dear Comrades,

More than 30 delegations from the sphere of initiators traveled here for the foundation of the ICOR. In their discussions and contributions about the struggle and the situation in their countries they have once more impressively underlined how necessary the foundation of this international organization of practical cooperation of revolutionary parties and organizations is.

We have come to know very much about each other, we won more insights into the experiences and problems of the comrades of the participating organizations. Since we are now common members in one organization, though it has only a coordinating character, these are the problems of us all too, for which we all take over the responsibility.

The necessity of the ICOR was underlined by the overwhelming decision for its foundation.

The composition of this meeting was representative, as far as the ideological trends within ICOR are concerned, but as well, as the regional composition of ICOR is concerned. But naturally it was not comprehensive. Many difficulties have mounted. They have prevented more comrades from taking part in this founding conference. This demands that after the conference we now inform all the others and take even more pains that they are included in the ICOR process on a basis of equality in the future.

The discussion altogether was in a spirit of great solidarity. It was factual and always oriented towards solving the problems, even though sometimes there were some discrepancies. In the end one could feel that everybody here wants the ICOR. I relate this also explicitly to those who for the first withdrew from voting to discuss matters with their leading bodies and parties first. They have taken part in the preparatory conferences or the preparatory discussions. In the run-up to the ICOR and in the realization they contributed in many ways so that this meeting can take place. I would be very glad if the parties and organizations of these comrades, based on the evaluation of this assembly, would decide to fully take part in the ICOR again and to make their contribution in this joint international activity.

Naturally, in this meeting single problems have occurred which give a hint that we will have to prepare future meetings even better. Maybe we should improve and formulate more precisely one or the other passage in our rules of procedure. It is important that we evaluate this thoroughly. It was the first time that we met in such a composition, with so different experiences, and have come to terms with such different ideological-political opinions and with such different styles of work in the single parties. This is a very great achievement; one realizes that in very question one meets very different practical and organizational experiences. Therefore, it was necessary to respect the different experiences, but naturally endeavor to reach solutions by consensus, to have decisions how we can jointly take action then.

I am of the firm conviction that in the next world conference even more organizations will make use of the opportunity to make motions about the documents. We have gained much experience, and this will help us to get things settled in the future even better.

Naturally there are organizations, too, who are standing outside the ICOR and are watching what we have done here. It will be important to inform these organizations well and to convince them of the correct way which we have taken. We should let them take part as much as possible in the joint activities. We should downright invite them for that, even though they are not members of the ICOR yet, as the message of greetings form the PCR Uruguay proposed. We should accept such proposals and actively spread the spirit of the ICOR in the international revolutionary and workers’ movement, for to further promote the process of unification on a revolutionary basis in practice too.

We are not only a common organization, but we should be the main carrier of practical cooperation with the revolutionaries of the world. After constituting of the elected new ICC the ICOR has to tackle the next phase of building-up. The participants up to now in the preparatory process for the foundation of the ICOR who could not be present at the founding conference will be given the opportunity to affirm their membership on the basis of the documents. We will have to win over new members for the ICOR. Therefore, we will do publicity work for the project of the ICOR and fill this thought with practical life.

We have made decisions about the joint days of struggle, about the support for the World Women's Conference etc. I believe that all these first practical steps also will be a test how we succeed in realizing the decisions of the ICOR in practice.

We will probably make one or the other mistake doing that, we will have contradictions too. But in this conference we have proven that with a proletarian culture of debate, unified rules and joint will, we are able to overcome and solve such problems.

For three years now I have been involved as person in charge in the process and I can assure you that this founding conference is a giant step from the first discussions to how we have been working together here. This is not self-evident. Each meeting was a step forward, at each stage there were new points in common, but new contradictions as well. The biggest instance of mutuality really was the founding conference, and I am of the firm conviction that this direction will consolidate further.

Personally I want to add the remark: I have felt very comfortable amongst all these comrades, a number of whom I did not know yet. We have struggled, but have united as well. The best friends have disputes. It is important that the dispute consolidates the friendship and that we do not quarrel so as not to be able to look into each other’s eyes. I must honestly say that this solidarity of the comrades has touched me much and gives me much hope. From here new impulses are spreading for all of us, for practicing a new stage of proletarian internationalism, a stage where we have a common organization. From that arises a new power, and we have got to know and won new friends.

At the end of this assembly I want to say thank you, first of all to the International Preparatory Group, which has prepared this meeting ideologically-politically, organizationally and practically in the main very well. This applies to the comrades of the ORC Congo, the CPI(ML)India, the MLKP Turkey/North Kurdistan, the SKMC Czech Republic, the PML del Peru and the MLPD. Many thanks to this preparatory group!

I want to say thank you for the outstanding work of the different multilateral organizational teams. In the end they made it possible in practice for us to do such good work here, that we have been nourished well, that security was guaranteed and that the whole setting was fine.

I want to say thank you to the presiding committee, which in this composition from the ORC Congo, MLKP Turkey, CPI/ML India, BP(NK-T) North Kurdistan/Turkey, PCMLM Bolivia and MLPD from Germany naturally has not cooperated before, but in an intensive work in each break sat together and took pains to realize our common rules of procedure, agenda and our plans. This was not always easy. I enjoyed it a lot. It was a superb atmosphere and cooperation; all this has led the conference successfully to the goal that we had aimed at. Many thanks to the comrades of the presiding committee.!

And many thanks to the comrades delegates for their good contributions and the atmosphere. They have come from far and near, have taken their time, were not afraid of expenses or hardships, and prepared themselves to make their contributions here. The delegates who have taken part here naturally are our main envoys to the organizations. You must carry the thought of ICOR into your organizations, you must represent what has commonly come into being here and has been passed.

In the end I want to especially congratulate the secretaries and the translators, who first made possible our communication despite the many mother tongues.

Dear Comrades, I want to conclude this meeting with our joint slogan:

Workers of all countries, unite!

Workers of all countries and oppressed peoples, unite!

Long live international solidarity!

Long live the ICOR – forward to socialism!