Press Release - Third ICOR World Conference successfully held

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The Third World Conference of the ICOR (International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations) took place recently in Germany. The Conference was attended by delegates for 31 member organizations from 27 countries (Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Colombia, Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey/Kurdistan, Ukraine, Venezuela) as well as seven guest delegations (France, Iran, Turkey, Uruguay and Friends of ICOR from Greece, Portugal and France). The ICOR has grown since the Second World Conference in 2014 in quantity and quality and today has 50 member organizations from 42 countries. The Conference received 11 messages of greetings from ICOR organizations that were unable to attend, from alliances of the international working-class, women’s and youth movements, and from friendly parties and organizations, including the CPA (ML) (Communist Party of Australia [Marxist-Leninists]).

Starting from the introductory speech of the Main Coordinator, Monika Gärtner-Engel, and the Work Report of the ICC (International Coordinating Committee) the Conference intensely discussed the imperialist world system’s severe susceptibility to crises and the far-reaching changes in the international situation. These findings and conclusions were put down in a comprehensive Closing Resolution. All delegations made constructive, well-informed and controversial but objective contributions to the debate. A respectful culture of debate informed by a spirit of solidarity prevailed throughout the Conference. The Closing Resolution of the Conference states:
“All fundamental contradictions of the imperialist world system have intensified.(… ) The international situation has undergone far-reaching changes. Among the imperialist powers there have been significant shifts in the power relations. Today's imperialist world is multipolar. US imperialism remains to be the strongest imperialist great power and the main warmonger. At the same time other imperialist great powers like China are developing, which are calling this supremacy into question with a lasting effect. The inter-imperialist contradictions have clearly intensified. The ICOR parties and organizations resolutely and consistently oppose all imperialist powers and US imperialism as the enemy of all peoples; in the imperialist countries, they see the main enemy in their own countries.”

The Third World Conference agreed that the governments’ shift to the right and the strengthening of ultra-reactionary up to fascist forces must be taken very seriously. Nevertheless it observed: “However, at the same time, imperialist policies are meeting with growing discontent worldwide. (…). The 3rd World Conference is preparing itself for unexpected events, upheavals, a significant upswing of class and mass struggles and of the struggle for national liberation, democracy and freedom. These struggles will only gain the perspective of socialism if there is a considerable strengthening of the subjective factor, of building consciousness, of raising the level of class consciousness. A growing number of people are raising the question of a societal alternative and must be given an answer! (…)

The building of strong revolutionary Marxist-Leninist parties with close ties to the masses in the single countries and their union in the ICOR as a part of the development of the subjective factor have utmost priority.” (Closing Resolution of the 3rd ICOR World Conference)

The Work Report of the ICC was unanimously approved; an in-depth, critical and self-critical discussion about the financial independence of the ICOR set standards for future donation activities and financing projects and the reliable payment of membership contributions. The Conference could fully finance itself owing also to the contributions of all delegations to the conference costs. The Conference elected a new International Coordinating Committee and an auditing commission. Monika Gärtner-Engel from the MLPD was elected Main Coordinator and Sanjay Singhvi from CPI (ML) Red Star was reelected Deputy Main Coordinator.

As product of its several days of consultations the World Conference unanimously adopted a Closing Resolution with 10 points as a program for work (see www.icor.info).

This program includes the initiative for an anti-imperialist, antifascist united front “joining forces especially against the increased danger of war, the governments’ shift to the right, the fascization of the state apparatuses; racism and chauvinism; the threatening environmental catastrophe; for the struggle for democracy and freedom, unwavering solidarity against growing repression; support of working-class struggles, struggles for women's rights, antifascist activities.” (Closing Resolution of the 3rd ICOR World Conference)

An evening opening ceremony and an optimistic celebration to close the Conference deepened the mutual trust and the spirit of optimism among all participants.

The Third World Conference honored comrade Stefan Engel, who as first, and long-standing, Main Coordinator significantly molded the founding of the ICOR, its first years of construction, its ideological-political foundations and its far-sightedness, principles and culture of debate.

In 14 adopted resolutions on current political issues the ICOR addressed important struggles in Palestine, Rojava (West Kurdistan), Morocco, Iran, Turkey, India, Myanmar and Catalonia.

All delegations returned to their continents invigorated with the self-commitment of the Closing Resolution:

“A hundred years after the October Revolution the ICOR will use as yardstick for its work what Lenin said:

‘For internationalism consists of deeds and not phrases, not expressions of solidarity, not resolutions.’” (“The Crisis Has Matured”, Lenin, Collected Works, Vol. 26, p. 81)

Further Conference materials will be published continually in 5 languages on the ICOR website. (www.icor.info)

Monika Gärtner-Engel, ICOR Main Coordinator