The Quartet (European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States) was constituted in November 2001 as a means to coordinate international peace efforts. Since then it has worked to advance the peace process in line with a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Quartet has issued several critical plans and statements that guide its peace-making efforts. In particular:
The Road Map Peace Plan
On April 30, 2003, the Quartet presented “A Performance- Based Roadmap to a Permanent Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” The plan called on the two sides to take specific steps at each of the plan’s three phases.
Phase I: April 30, 2003 – May 2003
Phase I outlined a comprehensive list of obligations for each side. These include:
• The Palestinians must end violence and the two sides must restart security cooperation based on the Tenet plan.
• Palestinians must “undertake comprehensive political reform,” including drafting a constitution, building Palestinian institutions and strengthening governance.
• Israel must “take all necessary steps to normalize Palestinian life,” withdraw from land held since September 28, 2000, freeze all settlement activity and dismantle outposts erected since 2001.
Phase II: June 2003 – December 2003
Phase II would be focused on the creation of a Palestinian state with “provisional borders and attributes of sovereignty.”
• The Quartet will determine the transition into Phase II based on both sides’ progress on Phase I steps.
• Begins after Palestinian elections and ends with creation of independent Palestinian state with provisional borders.
• Builds on the institution- building of Phase I.
• Includes an international conference to support the Palestinian economy and lead to a provisional Palestinian state. This conference would revive multilateral engagement and aim for a comprehensive peace settlement.
Phase III: 2004 – 2005
Phase III would be focused on coming to a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians on a two-state solution and reaching a comprehensive regional peace.
• Transition into this phase dependent on Quartet’s “consensus judgment,” which includes monitoring of both sides’ actions.
• Convenes a second international conference to reach a permanent solution on final status issues, including the issues of borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements, and a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace.
• Continues institution-building and security efforts.
Palestinian Government Policies
Following the Hamas victory in parliamentary elections in January 2006, the Quartet laid out the terms to which it expected all members of a Palestinian government to adhere. It also stated that future donations to any Palestinian government would inevitably be determined by adherence to these principles. These include:
• The recognition of Israel;
• A commitment to nonviolence and;
• An adherence to all previous international agreements reached, including the Road Map.
On February 2, 2007, during Saudi-led negotiations to end Hamas-Fatah fighting, and again following the formation of the national unity government on March 17, 2007, the Quartet reiterated this stance toward a Palestinian government.
For additional information about the Quartet, see our Background Basics entitled, “Understanding the Quartet.”
