The 18th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties (IMCWP) was held in Hanoi, capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, on October 28-29, 2016 under the theme: “Capitalist Crisis and Imperialist Offensive – Strategy and Tactics of the Communist and Workers’ Parties in the Struggle for Peace, Workers’ and Peoples’ Rights [and] Socialism.” The meeting was attended by 58 communist and workers’ parties from around the world. Delegates attending this meeting from the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) included the party’s Secretary General, Adel Amer and member of the party’s Political Bureau, MK Abdallah Abu-Ma’aruf (Hadash – Joint List).
On the morning of October 28, the international meeting was inaugurated by Hoang Binh Quan, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) Central Committee and Head of its Commission for External Relations. In his opening remarks to welcome all delegates, Quan noted how “although the Cold War belongs to the past, the world today is becoming increasingly unstable, and indeed vulnerable to unprecedented dangers. The strategy of military intervention and the propagation of ‘color revolutions’ being practiced by the US and its allies has caused disastrous plights for peoples in the Middle East and other regions, has triggered terrorism and has directly led to the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. Strategic rivalry among major powers is becoming increasingly exacerbated. Military expenses and the development of new weapons are on the rise. Tension in territorial and sovereignty disputes is escalating, threatening peace and stability in various regions. Neo-fascism, religious and national extremism, xenophobia and racism, are increasing dangerously in many countries. In the face of the discontent and widespread protest by people in many countries, the bourgeoisie and reactionary forces have stepped up their anti-communist activities, have launched offensive operations against the left and progressive forces, have strengthened their manipulation and control of the mass media, and have split and depoliticized people’s movements. Populism tends to find more fertile ground in many places. Under such circumstances, the struggle for peace and socialism, for the independence and sovereignty of nations and for the interests of the working people is facing new tasks, demands, and requirements more urgent than ever before.”
Comrade Quan went on to say: “In fact, we are witnessing a world in which the correlation of forces is increasingly changing from those of the past, and which is characterized by upheavals in socio-economic structures and working conditions, new environments of communications and political awareness, as well as methods for mass mobilization and operation. While standing steadfastly on the bedrock of Marxist-Leninism and the goals of socialism, the new situation demands from us innovative strategies and methods for our struggle, suitable to the specific conditions of each country. Such an approach is nothing more than the essence of communist dialectics.”
After Quan’s opening address, the plenary session began during which, for a day and a half, 58 parties presented their understanding of the meeting’s main theme. Among those who addressed the session were comrade Amer of the CPI who described the extreme right-wing government of Israel as “a combination of corporate capital, right wing ideology, and a rabid form of chauvinism and racism.”
On the afternoon of October 29, a working group composed of delegates from 19 parties which was unanimously approved during the plenary session convened to word the appeal of the 18th International Meeting of the Communist and Workers Parties. The main thrust of the appeal is related to the forthcoming centenary of the Great October Revolution. It calls upon communist and workers’ parties to intensify their theoretical and practical work and conduct exchanges on building socialism in the 21st century and, specifically, to work together towards the joint commemoration of 100th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution: to highlight its historical significance in paving the way for a new period in human history; to emphasize the contribution of socialism in advancing the struggle of workers and peoples for their emancipation; and to strengthen the struggle for peace, social progress and socialism. The appeal also calls upon all communist and workers’ parties to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Das Capital by Karl Marx.
The 19th international meeting of communist and workers’ parties will be held in Moscow next year.
