I. Task of the Report

In the 14th year of its existence, ICOR can proudly hold its Fifth World Conference. Invigorated, it looks forward to new challenges. In its decision on the Fifth World Conference the ICC wrote in February 2024 inter alia:

“It will evaluate how the decisions of the Fourth World Conference were implemented and draw conclusions and develop visions. How the ICOR can fulfill its tasks in the face of the comprehensive crisis-ridden character of the imperialist world system, the three great dangers to human existence – the environmental catastrophe, the threat of world war and fascism…. It will deal with a number of controversies to make progress on the path of gradual unification.” (Decision Concept 5th WC)

The Report was collectively prepared by the ICC, with the exception of its members in Asia, and is based on the ICC meetings of the entire period and the progress reports from three of the four continental coordinations and the report of the comrades in charge of Middle East coordination. In the last phase of its work, the ICC was confronted with particular burdens owing to attacks. In a comprehensive effort it took a stand on these attacks in a “Polemic of the ICC of ICOR” against the via internet disseminated pamphlet of CPI (ML) Red Star, “CPI (ML) Red Star’s Polemic within ICOR and with the MLPD”. This ICC document is an integral part of the report. Questions dealt with in detail there are not repeated here, but we will refer the reader to the relevant passages.

The strong participation in the Fifth World Conference, the reach of and interest in the seminar “Lenin’s Teachings Are Alive” show how lively, attractive and future-oriented ICOR is. However, in proportion to the challenges in the imperialist world system of today, ICOR is still a small force. The objective obsoleteness of the imperialist world system and the subjective prerequisites must be brought into line with each other! This concerns the class consciousness of the international working class as well as the consciousness and activity of the broad masses, the strength of the revolutionary movement and its Marxist-Leninist parties and international formations. The Fifth World Conference must make a forward-looking contribution to this. The report is intended to serve and stimulate this discussion. At the end of the debate the plenum votes on whether the World Conference accepts or rejects this Report in conjunction with discussion about it.

II. The development of the world situation and the overall development of the ICOR since 2021

The Fourth World Conference in 2021 prepared ICOR to expect rapid, often unforeseeable changes, and also revolutionary developments, working-class and mass struggles, and great challenges. In a 6-point program for practical coordination and cooperation, contained in the Final Resolution, the Fourth World Conference geared ICOR to the future work. (The Final Resolution of that conference is published on the website.)

In no ICOR period since 2010 have there been so many qualitative leaps in the economic and political development of the world, in such a concentration, as in the period 2021 to 2024. Particular focal points are the imperialist wars, the global environmental catastrophe, and the worldwide tendency towards fascism. Part III of the Founding Resolution of the ICOR characterizes the yardstick for assessment:

“On the basis of a clear ideological-political minimum consensus it pursues the unity of revolutionary action in connection with a lively process of discussion and clarification in order to deepen and broaden the foundations in terms of content.”

The growing danger and proliferation of imperialist wars: The ICOR positioned itself on each of the annual days of struggle against imperialist wars (9 May, 5/6 August and 1 September). Today’s hotbeds of war must be seen against the backdrop of the imperialist law of armed conflicts. On Anti-War Day 2022 we came to the conclusion that it is no longer sufficient to speak in general terms of a growing danger of war. We wrote: “After the defeat of fascism in World War II, the workers and the broad masses hoped that this would be the last great war on earth. 77 years later, almost all imperialists are actively preparing a Third World War!”

Today, this goes as far as the danger of a nuclear Third World War. The inter-imperialist competition in the emergent multipolar world increasingly focuses on the rivalry between the imperialist superpower USA and Chinese imperialism. Both are fighting to expand the number of their partners in ever new or expanded alliances such as NATO, the EU, BRICS, the Shanghai Conference, etc.

The outbreak of the Ukraine war shook the world. The ICOR quickly positioned itself. With two resolutions, a declaration and many debates, the ICOR organizations signing them took a clear position: the attack by imperialist Russia, which violates international law, must be fundamentally criticized; in terms of its character, however, the Ukraine war is an unjust, imperialist war on both sides. Our solidarity belongs to the working class and the broad masses on both sides. With remarkable steadfastness, the Russian and Ukrainian ICOR organizations have adhered to Lenin’s principles of proletarian internationalism and on imperialist wars, and have continued their work even under the enormously difficult conditions of martial law. They deserve all our respect!

In the international working-class movement there is an extensive debate on this issue. On the one hand, even organizations with a revolutionary self-understanding are calling for the support of Ukraine, which is, however, an extended arm of imperialist NATO. On the other hand, initiated by the revisionist and neo-revisionist camp there are growing demands for the support of Russia, which is said to have been forced into the war in self-defense. In contrast, the ICOR resolution of 14 February 2022 stated:

“Forces that portray Russia’s foreign policy as ‘anti-imperialist’ and call for its protection by a peace movement are dangerous confusers. This is betrayal of the peace struggle and weakens the necessary international struggle for peace.” The resolution of 4 March 2022 issues the call: “ICOR flies Lenin’s flag of proletarian internationalism and the right of self-determination of nations! Long live the friendship between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples!”

But of course, the international discussion also has an influence on ICOR, and there are differences of opinion that should be frankly discussed at the World Conference and resolved.

The threat of world war is intensifying with the Middle East/Western Asia as epicenter. This is where the inter-imperialist contradictions are concentrated. Conducting a murderous and uncompromising war, Zionist, imperialist Israel has taken the more than 70 years of persecution, expulsion and oppression of the Palestinian people to the extreme, up to genocide. The ICOR has practiced solidarity with the Palestinian people since its founding and made this an obligatory basis with the resolution at the Fourth World Conference. A detailed report accounting for the realization is contained in the “Polemic …”.1

On the development of the global environmental catastrophe: The dramatic development towards the global destruction of the unity of humankind and nature challenged us to make a more precise assessment and position the strategic solution in socialism. This is necessary because the global environmental movement has grown, but the vast majority of activists still cling to the capitalist system:

“The destruction of the environment has developed to the beginning of a global environmental catastrophe. The imperialist world system is to blame, so threatening the existence of the working class and the oppressed of the world as well as all non-human living creatures. … ICOR stands for the active society-changing struggle of the broad masses against all illusions in bourgeois reform programs. However, we also fight against all fatalism and alarmism. Only the determined struggle for socialism can reconsolidate the unity of humanity and nature, while imperialism inevitably destroys the natural foundations of human life.” (Call for the Environmental Day of Struggle 2023)

On the mounting danger of fascism: With the rapid increase in the destabilization of the imperialist world system, the upsurge of struggles of the working class and the broad masses in many countries, the law-governed tendency of imperialism towards “internal reaction” is intensifying. Dismantling of bourgeois democratic rights and liberties, fascistization of the state apparatuses, systematic encouragement of counterrevolutionary fascist organizations and their terror – all this leads to increased repression, anticommunist incitement, state terror against the revolutionary and working-class movement as well as the militant mass movements. The ICOR has recognized this danger, positioned itself, and taken up the struggle against it from the very beginning. However, it must attach increased importance to the protection of the individual organizations, their representatives, and the cross-border cooperation!

The organizations are increasingly promoting the building of the proletarian united front against fascism and war in their countries. ICOR as a whole has made a great contribution through its successful cooperation in the building of the anti-imperialist and anti-fascist united front, affirmed by the Fourth World Congress.2

The core issues of the changes in the imperialist world system and the conclusions to be drawn from them were and are, among others, at the center of the ideological-political discussion in ICOR. Since the Third and Fourth World Conferences, the ICOR has been actively discussing the changes in the imperialist world system, in particular the thesis of the emergence of new-imperialist countries. Each World Conference ended with the commitment to continue this discussion openly and comradely. We go into more detail about the fulfillment of this task in the “Polemic …”.3

III. The ICOR resolutions – a central method of unification to provide orientation for practical cooperation and coordination

Since its founding, the resolutions of ICOR have been a hallmark. The ICOR can proudly say that in retrospect not a single one of its resolutions and statements was wrong or contained misjudgments. The decision not to have them issued by a small leading body, but discussed by the entire membership, which introduces amendments and adopts the resolutions, has developed into a strong asset. This results in a broad discussion and involvement of all member organizations that wish to participate. A particularly positive development in recent years has been that more and more member organizations are taking responsibility for drafting resolutions and that numerous suggestions for improvement are made for each resolution.

One organization criticized the fact that resolutions are not sent out again to everyone for approval after the changes. However, this would delay publication enormously. Nevertheless, the criticism led to the idea that, depending on the Office’s capacity, an information letter would be sent out concerning the disputes over a resolution. In addition, organizations have the right to withdraw their consent on account of changes, which was the case twice.

As not all organizations were always willing and able to comment on all topics due to the growing number of drafts, per decision of the ICC a distinction now is made between resolutions (approval 50 + 1) and statements (by at least 20% of the organizations). This makes a greater variety of publications possible. The World Conference should discuss whether this option will be retained and, if so, included in the Statute.

The guiding principle in each case is to assess new developments on the basis of the existing ICOR consensus and to align the joint work. It must always be borne in mind that the Statute stipulates: Controversial ideological-political questions cannot be decided by majority vote. In one case, this was violated when a draft resolution with non-agreed assessments (new-imperialist countries, fascist Iran, etc.) was issued in the absence of the Main Coordinator. Several organizations protested vigilantly against this. A self-critical statement was then made, a new draft sent out, and finally the declaration on Anti-War Day 2024 could be adopted.

In the last three years the ICOR has published 28 resolutions or statements, all of which have been published on the website: Resolutions were concerned primarily with military conflicts and the growing danger of world war (10). In particular, the resolutions also bring important international workers’ struggles and mass struggles, often only worth a marginal note in the bourgeois mass media, into the public eye. They provide important insights into the questions, demands and forms with which such struggles are developing today, and into the work of revolutionary organizations and parties.

For example, the resolution on the mass struggles in Kazakhstan at the beginning of 2022 highlights the initiating role played by industrial workers: “Mass protests against those in power spread …, triggered by the doubling of prices for liquefied gas. Industrial workers, especially oil, gas and steel workers, went on strike, blocking roads and organizing rallies. The struggles began in the west of the country and spread explosively throughout the country….”

And the resolution on solidarity with the popular uprising in Iran in autumn 2022 states about the background: “From March 2021 till March 2022, there were 4000 workers’ struggles, from industrial sectors such as oil, gas, petrochemical, in steel plants, from sugar cane workers at Haft Tapeh to truck drivers, nurses and teachers. Trade union demands were raised in the protests, as well as demands directed against the privatization of factories, educational institutions and basic urban services.”

The biggest controversy over resolutions developed in 2023 with regard to the Palestinian liberation struggle. The ICOR fundamentally positioned itself with the resolution of the Fourth World Conference in 2021. In 2022 it continued the lively debate with the new method of an online journal, which was very well received. However, the struggle for a resolution after 7 October 2023 dragged on for three months. Despite all the common ground in the solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle, controversies persist among the parties about the assessment of the individual forces of the movement. They concern mainly the assessment of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the question whether one voices criticism of them publicly. There is also a debate about the relation to the state of Israel and the consent of the socialist Soviet Union to its establishment. Thirdly, the assessment of the political forces, of the working class in Israel, and the practicing of proletarian internationalism towards it are controversial. After occasional aggravations among the members, the ICOR realized a proletarian culture of debate based on solidarity, struggling for a consensus in two further resolutions, both of which were quickly adopted, and achieving a growing capacity for practical cooperation while respectfully discussing existing ideological-political differences.4

Up-to-date calls were published for each of the joint international days of struggle: May Day, International Women’s Day, Anti-War Day and the International Environmental Day of Struggle. New in our call for the 2023 International Women’s Day was that the original signees by name were women representatives of ICOR parties and associated women’s organizations from all continents, which was very much welcomed.

IV. The participation of ICOR in the building of the Anti-Imperialist United Front against Fascism, War and Environmental Destruction

In view of the worldwide development to the right, with a growing number of fascist countries, governments or fascist forces, the determined cooperation in the founding and successful building of the Anti-Imperialist United Front against Fascism, War and Environmental Destruction (short name: United Front) was an essential decision of ICOR. This process farsightedly focused on the necessary expansion of the anti-imperialist and anti-fascist forces, which are organizing themselves to oppose the worldwide fascist danger.

The task assigned by the Fourth World Conference was: “We fight for the imperative construction of the anti-imperialist and antifascist international united front and promote the strengthening of the Youth Platform. At present, the construction of the anti-imperialist united front together with the ILPS has come to a standstill. We think that overcoming this situation is a very important matter for ICOR.” (Final Resolution)

Even then, it became apparent that the ILPS was increasingly withdrawing from the consensual agreements. These had been drawn up together with the Founding Chairman of the CPP, Joma Sison. Eventually the ILPS terminated the cooperation, and its representative V. G. insisted on not stating any reason for the move. It proved absolutely right that the Fourth World Conference of ICOR decided to continue the work in any event. This was put into practice and the ICOR thus made a contribution to strengthen and expand the anti-imperialist forces. In September 2023, after an intensive period of preparation, the First World Congress of the International Anti-Imperialist United Front against Fascism, War and Environmental Destruction took place.

The United Front now has over 130 member organizations on 4 continents. The congress had a significantly higher attendance than expected, a great breadth, and openness for in-depth discussions on an equal footing. It adopted a revised call as well as a democratic statute, work program and various resolutions, and elected two Co-Presidents, Monika Gärtner-Engel as representative of ICOR and Edithluz Irene Castro Muñoz/Peru, three youth Co-Presidents from Tunisia, Nepal and Peru, as well as a strong, expanded new Consultative Committee.

The United Front is a broader form of alliance in which, in addition to ICOR member organizations, trade unions, women’s organizations, youth, environmentalists, etc., are members. However, new contacts with revolutionary parties and applications for membership in ICOR have also come from the United Front process (SUCI-C/India). Both organizations work together especially on the ICOR days of struggle and at focal points of the international struggle and enrich each other. Thus the United Front is making the ICOR Lenin Seminar widely known and gaining participants beyond the circle of ICOR organizations. The webinars, in particular, which are held to prepare for the days of struggle, regularly demonstrate the potential and complementary nature of the cooperation, but also the distinctive, independent profile of each organization.

V. The experiences of continental coordination

V.1. Continental Report Africa

The comprehensive crisis-ridden development of the imperialist world system has led to an accelerated destabilization that, along the entire spectrum of our living conditions, affects the way of existence and the future of the masses, worldwide, fascism, the imperialist hotbeds of war, continuous colonialism and the global environmental catastrophe are the great dangers that threaten humanity and which we can and must fight.

The competition between imperialist forces reflects the contradiction between the imperialist countries of the EU, USA, Russia and China.

The main contradiction is still the contradiction between imperialism and its pro-imperialist reactionary regimes on the one hand, and the oppressed peoples on the other in addition to the inter-imperialism contradiction.

Imperialism continues to support the most reactionary regimes on the continent, strengthening its military presence and backing terrorist jihadist groups in order to protect imperialist economic interests.

In the face of popular resistance, imperialism has continued to concentrate its military forces in the heart of Africa since 2011, through military bases controlled by NATO (USA, Germany, France …).

Faced with the NATO offensive, Putin's Russia is also sending military forces to Mali at the request of the new authorities, who are completely violating the sovereignty of their countries by accepting the presence of NATO and Russia.

As for China, it has a double penetration, both economic and military. For the first time in Africa's history, China has built a military base in Djibouti, the role of which is to protect China's growing economic interests in Africa, in particular the Silk Road project.

The reactionary war in Sudan has caused thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries, as well as the most severe refugee crisis in human history, with more than 6 million refugees.

This civil war, like the other wars that have hit Sudan, is a reactionary war between two reactionary pro-imperialist blocs, a war pushed, fuelled and financed by rival imperialist forces to continue exploiting and plundering Sudan, to provoke another division in this great country rich in mineral products, and to put an end to the revolutionary ambitions of the oppressed classes of the Sudanese people.

The DRC is still dragging its feet in torment following projects of imperialist exploitation and domination. The armed conflict there caused more than 10 million deaths and rape is an arm of war there. The richest country in the world in mineral and natural resources is torn in armed conflicts nourished by imperialist forces to plunder the country and deprive the Congolese people from decent live that they deserve.

Against imperialist hegemony and the rule of the comprador puppet regimes in Africa, the popular masses led by the working class continue to struggle and resist in various forms: popular uprisings in Tunisia, Algeria, Togo, Morocco (teachers' strike) Swaziland, protests in Kenya.

Workers' strikes in South Africa, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal. Lesotho and many other countries.

The class struggle is continue to create revolutionary crisis that will enable the communist parties if well organized to lead the revolutions and establish socialism.

Military coups in West Africa

The coups d'état in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, led by petty-bourgeois military commanders, represent a petty-bourgeois response to the frustration of the oppressed African peoples and the refusal of imperialist hegemony in the Sahel countries, but in no way represent a revolutionary solution.

We still witness the perfidious role of international imperialism, particularly French imperialism, which, through subjugation agreements, continues to control the Sahelian states in order to exploit their natural resources such as gold and uranium, oil, manganese, copper, gas, etc.

This situation of over-exploitation continues to deepen the crisis of neo-colonialism in West Africa, particularly in the Sahel countries, which have the highest poverty rates in the world. Despite all the precious riches available in these countries, the brigandage system set up by France since the 1960s is not only holding back the development of the Sahelian states, but is also a source of super-profit for French imperialism and international finance capital.

It was against this backdrop of neo-colonial crisis that the wave of coups d'état occurred, provoking – in some quarters in Africa and elsewhere – "a feeling of joy and euphoria in the streets of Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey". Quite the contrary! For the revolutionary democrats and communists grouped within ICOR Africa, this wave of military putsches cannot be considered a factor in the liberation of the Sahelian peoples. For the simple reason that coups d'état in Africa have always shown their limits and weaknesses. It is remarkable that, to this day, the perpetrators of these military putsches have not taken any decisions capable of challenging the economic base and, above all, the interests of international financial capital, French in particular.

ICOR Africa continue to work and struggle in the continent to gain new affiliates and to strengthen the party building and follow the class struggle and the burning crises and influence their path. The continental coordination met several times in the margin of the ICOR events or in person in different locations or online and did its utmost to preserve unity of ICOR Africa and consolidate its structures. ICOR Africa also contributed in bringing a lot of members to AIAFF and contributed in building ICOR MENA as a new region.

The Continental Coordinator visited several countries in order to meet parties and ICOR members.

ICOR Africa Conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya last May. The conference was very successful. Six parties met for 3 days and deeply discussed on Imperialism in Africa, the crisis of the communist movement in Africa and the necessity of party building and revolutionary struggle for socialism. The conference adopted 8 important resolutions that are published on the website.

The conference adopted a revolutionary plan on supporting communist parties in their party building and a clear plan to visit different subregions and countries of the continent to recruit new members for ICOR and the AIAFF. The plan already started to be implemented and we are gaining new members who expressed their willingness to join ICOR.

The conference also adopted a financial plan to build financial independence.

Before the closing session, the conference elected a continental coordination and discussed the preparations of the ICOR world conference.

In the margin of the conference, the participants conducted a solidarity visit to victims of the floods in slums of Nairobi.

After the conference, ICOR Africa and CPK organized a seminar on Lenin preceded by a press conference in the presence of representatives of the revolutionary mass organizations and progressive parties.

V.2. Continental Report America

In September 2023 ICOR America held its regional conference where it elected its new coordinators, headed by J., Dominican Republic, as Main Coordinator, D. Mexico, as Deputy Continental Coordinator, and M. Peru, responsible for Finances.

An extensive work plan was adopted at this conference.

Despite limitations, we carried out important activities and participated in others. On 31 January of this year, in Peru an important face-to-face/virtual panel discussion on Lenin’s heritage took place in which our Main Coordinator Jovino Núñez participated as panelist. On 8 March 2024 an in-person lecture on the role of women in constructing the new society was organized in Peru. On May Day, the International Workers’ Day, several delegations of ICOR America paid tribute to this important date of the revolutionary struggle in different ways; pictures and videos of this were sent to headquarters. On 30 June 2024 ICOR America held a webinar which dealt with four of the eight topics that will be considered at the Lenin Seminar this coming September. In various countries of the region, solidarity days with the Palestinian people were organized: demonstrations, rallies, lectures, and more.

Other activities: In this period nine (9) meetings took place, including ordinary and extraordinary meetings, all virtual. Bilateral meetings took place between the Main Coordinator and: PSR and BDP (Peru), PCRU (Uruguay), ARP (Brazil), supporters of the Mexican Communist Party (Apoyantes del Partido Comunista Mexicano) and PCCM (Colombia). Solidarity resolutions with Haiti, Palestine and Brazil were passed – Brazil because of the flooding in Rio Grande. Our Main Coordinator traveled to Brazil and Colombia to discuss everything pertaining to the Lenin Seminar with the delegations there. At least one of our delegations took part in every webinar both of ICOR and the Anti-imperialist United Front.

Situation in Latin America

A) Politics

With the exception of a few countries governed by progressive currents, Latin America remains an important sphere of influence for US imperialism in the context of global geopolitics. The influence of the USA on most countries of the region becomes apparent in political, economic, military and cultural respects.

In the military field, the USA has more than 50 military bases in Latin America, most of them in Panama (12), Puerto Rico (12), Colombia (9) and Peru (8); the rest are in Aruba, Costa Rica and El Salvador.

B) Economics

The economic statistics always show a much more critical picture. Latin America’s economy slowed down in 2023 compared with 2022; the slowdown has continued in 2024 at a much faster pace. This slowdown is connected with the crises afflicting the most important economies of the developed world in consequence of imperialist wars for the division of the world and the control of markets, as well as with the usurious banking business, which has generally raised interest rates, but also with the high percentage of the GDP which the states must spend to pay interest on foreign debt.

In Latin America, as in a large part of the world, wealth is concentrated in ever fewer hands, and the overexploitation practiced by the bourgeoisie towards the great masses of workers is cruel.

The richest 10 percent hold 77 percent of the wealth, while the poorest 50 percent get only 1 percent.

C) Social affairs

All this has a direct impact on such important sectors as education, health, and general public investment. More than 32 percent of the Latin American population is affected by poverty and 14 percent by extreme poverty; in tendency this will be further exacerbated in the coming years. Poverty among children, young people and women is much more pronounced. More than 45 percent of children and young people live in poverty, and the poverty rate among women between the ages of 20 and 59 is higher than that for men in all Latin American countries. Hardest hit by poverty, however, are the indigenous and Afro-American populations.

As can be expected, unemployment in a crisis situation as described above is particularly pronounced and affects more than 15 percent; as in the case of poverty, women and young people are affected most, at over 20 percent.

Most Latin American countries have extremely poor public health systems.

Resistance by the people

As Marxism shows, economic crises lead to social crises and these in turn to political crises. The Latin American peoples fight against having to continue to live under the present conditions of capitalist exploitation and the neocolonial dominance of US imperialism.

The working class is organizing and participates together with other sectors of the population in the struggles for political and economic gains. These important days of struggle have led to the establishment of several, albeit instable, governments with a progressive character, especially in South America.

This is what is happening with Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and partly also Mexico, Bolivia and Colombia. It has to be prevented at all costs that other countries try to follow their example.

However, it is impossible to turn back the wheel of history, and soon the socialist and communist flag of freedom will be flying in Latin America, in all the Americas and in the rest of the world.

V.3. No Continental Report Asia was submitted by the Continental Coordinator

V.4. Continental Report Europe

Developments in Europe: In the EU and Europe, there is an increasingly strong rightward development, and with the European elections, a dangerous growth of fascist influence on the masses has become clear. For example in France, where the National Rally (Rassemblement National) around Marine Le Pen received almost 32 percent. Italy’s fascist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni clearly won the European elections with Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia; successor party to the fascist Italian Social Movement/Movimento Sociale Italiano), getting 28.9 percent – an increase of more than 20 points compared to the 2019 European elections. In Germany, the fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD) won almost 16 percent of the votes. In Austria, the proto-fascist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is the winner of the election. Although Geert Wilders “only” came second in the Netherlands, he still won 17.7 percent and is now part of the new governing coalition. In Poland, in a low turnout, the Confederation (Konfereracja) fascists nevertheless received 12.1 percent of all votes. In Romania, the conservative governing party is first with 53 percent, but the fascists won six seats in the European Parliament.

However, this is not a homogeneous development: in a number of European countries, right-wing governments were voted out of office again, as in Poland. In Greece, Cyprus and Belgium there were successes for left-wing parties (Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Workers’ Party of Belgium (PVDA) – both with around 10 percent each). In the UK, the Conservatives were replaced by Labour, but the proto-fascist party “Reform UK” also won seats in parliament with 14.3 percent.

The consistently rather low voter turnout is an expression of the tendency to reject bourgeois parliamentarism, its parties and institutions: in twelve countries it was below 50 percent (2019: 15). In three countries it was over 70 percent; in some cases it rose (from 28 percent to 58 percent in Cyprus!, also in Denmark, Estonia and others). It was an important step that European ICOR organizations issued their declaration on the European elections with the slogan, Against right-wing development, reaction and fascism and environmental destruction – for socialism, and thus carried out indispensable educational work. The most recent development underlines the challenge for ICOR Europe to strengthen the antifascist struggle and to combine the work for the social interests of the working class, for peace and for the foundations of human life. The (further) forging of a European and worldwide united front against fascism, war, environmental destruction and imperialism must be resolutely tackled. A resolution will be introduced to this end.

As early as 2023, a wave of strikes – especially trade-union strikes – began in many European countries against the shifting of the burden of the crisis and inflation, for a reduction of working hours and more workers’ rights. In November, Hamburg’s dockworkers went on an independent strike for four shifts. One week earlier, the 7th Dockworkers’ Experience Exchange with representatives from the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Greece successfully took place in Hamburg, Germany. The Dockworkers’ Experience Exchange is supported by ICOR Europe and SI Cobas/Italy and provided important support and solidarity work for the strike in the port of Hamburg.

The struggles continued at the beginning of 2024, especially among transport workers (railway workers); new protests such as against the rightward development and against fascists emerged: in Germany there were almost 5 million protesters, hundreds of thousands in Austria, in Hungary. A movement to defend and extend the right to strike is developing across Europe. In December 2023, Finnish trade unions organized a nationwide strike day against the right-wing government’s plans to abridge workers’ rights. One hundred thousand trade-unionists took part. Political strikes are still the exception – such as those against arms race, arms deliveries to Ukraine and Israel, most recently in Greece (14 June) by Cosco dockers and their union ENEDEP. Their slogan: “The dockers of the world as one fist, for freedom for Palestine.”

Since autumn 2023, a solidarity movement of millions of people with the Palestinian liberation struggle has developed in numerous EU and European countries; ICOR organizations have actively participated in it. A very lively, creative Palestine solidarity event was organized by the ICOR Main Coordinator and ICOR Europe in December 2023 in Paris, in which eleven organizations participated.

Mass poverty is spreading in Europe: in the EU, 140 million people (out of 448 million inhabitants) are at risk of poverty! Women are particularly affected! So that the 500 largest European corporations can make record profits: in 2023, they squeezed out 880 billion euros in profits through the exploitation of the workforce.

The EU is pursuing an unprecedented arms race, especially with the Ukraine war and support for the inhumane Israeli warfare in Palestine. In 2022, the EU member states spent a record of 240 billion euros on military expenditure – an increase of 6 percent compared to 2021. The EU itself is advancing the danger of a third, nuclear world war – military chiefs in Europe are calling for a ‘war economy’ and the reintroduction of compulsory service.

The EU and international monopolies are pursuing the unchecked path of the environmental catastrophe that has set in. The EU’s “Green Deal,” which was announced with a lot of propaganda effort, has been a resounding failure. Global warming in Europe has now risen to 2.2 degrees above the level of 1850. Since the last World Conference, ICOR Europe has organized both national environmental struggle days and joint protest and awareness-raising rallies in Paris – most recently in 2023 with 30 to 50 participants from a total of eight different countries.

The reactionary EU violates its own ‘human rights’ every day with its deadly migration policy in the Mediterranean, the further expansion of “Fortress Europe” and cooperation with the most reactionary and fascist regimes against further migration. In the last ten years, in the Mediterranean alone 28,900 people have been killed while fleeing.

Practical work of the ECC/European Coordinators

After the corona pandemic, the ECC and ICOR Europe intensified again (mutual) visits, organized annual ECC meetings as well as semi-annual workshops of the European Coordinators. Our Swiss comrades of the MLGS organized a visit in fall 2023 to a day of strike/protest of SI Cobas and other grassroots unions in Italy and their struggle against shifting the burden of crisis, inflation, war. A resolution in favor of a day of strike and struggle coordinated Europe-wide against shifting the burden of crisis and war was introduced and adopted – however, this process took several months because some member organizations did not reply at all or replied very late. A resolution against the reactionary refugee policy did not get the necessary quorum. And further visits took place – such as to UC Lyon, France, by the ECC, where we were informed about their building work.

Initiatives are being developed for the Lenin year 2024: Rode Morgen/NL organizes various educational events, rallies and focuses on it in their newspaper; the MLPD organized a commemoration rally in Gelsenkirchen on the occasion of his date of death; the UC Lyon carries out educational events, too, and thinks about designing flags and banners for it; the MLGS Switzerland organized a walk with 70 participants “in Lenin’s footsteps …;” we made use of the ECC meeting in March 2024 in Switzerland to carry out a public commemoration at “Lenin’s house.” We know about initiatives for contributions/kick-off speeches from France, Germany, Turkey, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Switzerland for the Lenin Seminar. Brigadists (including translators) are promised until now, other than from the MLPD, from Rode Morgen/the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and PR B-H.

In tasks of the practical coordination and cooperation we want to collaborate more closely with the organizations of the International Miners’ Coordination, the Automotive Workers’ Conference, the Dockworkers’ Experience Exchange as well as the World Women’s Conference of Grassroots Women. For the tasks of aid and support in party building we suggest visits, takeover of sponsorships and real exchange of experience on site. Still on the agenda are an ICOR “youth seminar” and the “Balkans meeting,” which has already been planned for quite some time.

V.5. The building of the Middle East Coordination

In the period since the last conference the MENA region was again a flashpoint of inter-imperialist conflicts and a center of revolutionary processes of world-historical significance. The regional work and concentration of ICOR was continued in this period through close cooperation between the ICC and those responsible for the region.

Following the Fourth World Conference, the popular uprising in Iran in September 2022, which took hold of the entire country in the wake of the murder of the Kurdish woman Jina Amini and was led by the workers, women and oppressed nations, was an event of world-political significance on which ICOR took a clear position and initiated a solidarity campaign. ICOR organizations expressed practical solidarity in the struggle against the mullah regime for a democratic-antifascist revolution on the way to socialism, taking part in numerous mass demonstrations and organizing rallies of their own or solidarity with the prisoners. In association with Iranian exile organizations, the Regional Coordination, in cooperation with the Europe Coordination, organized an ICOR seminar of the popular uprising in Iran in Hamburg. In addition, a detailed report on the revolutionary and progressive organizations of Iran was passed on to the ICC.

The start of the reactionary, unjust war in Sudan in April 2023, which is viewed by the progressive forces of the North African country as genocide on the population, was a further occasion for ICOR to react quickly with a resolution and educational work. Contacts were established with the Sudanese Communist Party, which is an active participant in the country’s resistance committees, and the materials of ICOR were passed on to them. The last Continental Conference Africa set the goal of developing ICOR contacts in Sudan and South Sudan.

Kurdistan is a perpetual hotspot in the Middle East where for many years a liberation war against imperialism, colonialism and fascist political Islamism has been waged. The persisting attacks of the occupiers and the brutal oppression by the Turkish bourgeoisie in South Kurdistan and Northern and Eastern Syria are in the focus of ICOR, whose member organizations actively fight against Turkish fascism. Resolutions and calls for days of action against the attacks of the occupiers on all parts of Kurdistan and Northern and Eastern Syria are part of the ICOR’s political response capacity.

The 7th of October 2023 and the situation in Palestine caused the biggest stir in world politics. Palestine’s struggle for liberation embodies the revolutionary dynamics of the region in the biggest way. Since being founded ICOR has devoted its attention to it. Days of action like Nakba Day belong to the agenda of ICOR. On the initiative of the Africa Coordination a Palestine brochure containing the positions of the ICOR parties was published and sent to the progressive and revolutionary representatives of Palestine. During this time, exchanges with Palestinian representatives were maintained by various member organizations also on behalf of ICOR. The 7th of October sparked off a broad discussion in the ranks of ICOR which was resolved by positioning ICOR in the spirit of the promotion of secular democratic forces.

During this period, plans for the next MENA conference in the region also were developed, but were postponed until after the preparatory seminar because of the political developments and the intensive time required. In close consultation and cooperation between MC, Africa Coordination and those responsible for the region these plans are put into practice.

VI. ICOR as organization for practical collaboration, coordination and cooperation

From the very beginning, ICOR was built as an organization of practical cooperation and coordination. Joint days of struggle, formulation of positions, support for cross-border struggles and alliances and, in the past few years, increasingly also joint actions on the continents are part of the “DNA” of ICOR and at the same time the basis for our gradual ideological and political unification on more and more issues. The joint ICOR days of struggle continue to be highlights of our work. In this regard, the programmatic basis of the ICOR is that each organization decides for itself whether and to what extent it participates in activities. However, the promised activity must then be binding and reliable! It is now standard practice for the ICOR to issue a call for every ICOR day of struggle and to hold a webinar together with the United Front to prepare for it.

On the basis of our resolutions and calls for the days of struggle, since the Fourth World Conference we were present with delegations at the UN environmental summits in Glasgow (2021) and Dubai (2023). Our comrades from Egypt advised us not to appear in Egypt (2022) due to the strong repression in that country. At the UN environmental summits, the contradictions also increasingly unfold between the imperialist states and those already affected by the grave effects of the global environmental catastrophe, for example the Pacific island states. In Dubai, 2,456 representatives of the oil, gas and coal industries officially participated. This whole greenwashing itself has now become a huge branch of business that includes a considerable part of the NGOs in its strategy. Anyone who does not submit to this mainstream is caught in the crosshairs of repression.

A common highlight of the Environmental Day of Struggle is now the joint appearance of European and African ICOR organizations in Paris, the site of the failed Paris Climate Agreement. These joint activities of up to ten organizations each prove to be a step forward in the stating of positions, in protest and, above all, in fraternization.

The solidarity day with the Palestinian liberation struggle decided at the Fourth ICOR World Conference took place on 30 March 2023 and was carried out by a number of organizations. A total of twelve ICOR members and three organizations from the region published articles in the online journal and took a clear position for solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle. The planned follow-up issue with statements on the positions published there, in order to advance the discussion, could not be published through today. We made an international call for Nakba Day on 15 May 2024, which was widely taken up. ICOR Europe appeared together at the mass solidarity demonstration in Brussels on 19 May 2024. ICOR and the United Front supported the dock workers’ blockades in Italy and Greece against (arms) deliveries to Israel and publicized them internationally. In the meantime, well over 70,000 euros have been collected for the “Gaza Shall Live” fundraising campaign in Europe.

While International Women’s Day, May Day, and increasingly also the Environmental Day of Struggle have a firm place in the work of most ICOR members, at times it was only a minority that carried out actions on the day of struggle against fascism and war. But since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and the acute danger of a Third World War this entails, our work against militarism, war and fascism has taken a significant upturn. On the initiative of SI Cobas Italy as member organization of the United Front, together we organized an international day of struggle against imperialist wars on the second anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war. The call drew a remarkable response with 53 signees. The protests and demonstrations held in many countries were evidence of the close solidarity and mutual enrichment of the United Front and ICOR.

The necessary reporting and international discussion refer not only to joint days of struggle, but also particularly to the special developments in the individual countries from the workers’ struggles, the farmers’ movements, etc. The joint revolutionary progress of knowledge can only emerge from the fundamental unity of theory and practice.

VII. ICOR work to strengthen the international coordinating bodies of the working-class and people’s movements

The Fourth ICOR World Conference took a number of decisions to promote “international working-class coordination, currently for the 3rd International Miners’ Conference in 2023, and the world women’s process, currently for the 3rd World Women’s Conference in Tunisia in 2022. We strive for the World Peasants’ Conference in 2023.”5

39 delegates from 19 countries took part in the Third International Miners’ Conference in Germany in September 2023. A further 30 delegates from 18 countries were unable to attend because the German government refused them a visa. The conference had thus grown compared to 2017 in India, also because more ICOR members made the mobilization of miners their cause than was the case six years ago. Above all, however, the conference went beyond previous conferences. “During the 1st and 2nd Miners’ Conferences in 2013 and 2017 important foundations for the coordination of our struggles have been laid and the rich experiences associated with that have been evaluated. But today we commit ourselves to take even more responsibility for each other in the future.”6 An important step towards this was the forming of four preparatory groups for continental coordinations. The work of the ICOR members among the miners in the respective countries is an essential basis for this commitment to become reality now.

At the 7th International Dockworkers’ Experience Exchange in October 2023 in Germany, with participants from four countries, it became clear: “There is a great desire not just to stop at the exchange of experiences, but to make a leap towards binding international and national cooperation.”7 ICOR Europe played an important role here.

The ICOR members also made an important contribution to the successful Third World Women’s Conference of grassroots women in Tunisia in 2022, especially the ICOR organization of the host country Tunisia. For the first time we organized an ICOR Women’s Conference in advance. “More than 80 women from 16 countries and 18 organizations enriched the discussion with their contributions and experiences in an atmosphere of solidarity and contributed to a deeper understanding of the issues of women’s liberation. Important conclusions were drawn about the situation of women’s movements worldwide and the tasks of revolutionary women.”8 This was an important preparation for the World Women’s Conference. However, the planned and agreed continuity of the work with the ICOR women was not maintained. This cooperation can be revived and developed to a higher level when the second theoretical seminar of the World Women takes place in Nepal in 2025.

At the end of November 2025, the Third International Automotive Workers’ Conference will take place in India. With our cooperation and the work done by the ICOR organizations in the countries to organize the automotive workers and their families, we are laying the foundations for its success.

VIII. Consolidation of the work of the ICC

In the last four years, despite all changes9 the working ICC has grown together more and more closely and effectively as a trusting collective – unfortunately lately without the Asia coordinator, but always in close liaison with the other ICOR member organizations in Asia. The inclusion as guest of those responsible for development in the MENA region also has proven its value.

The ICC met seven times altogether.

From the very beginning, in light of the attacks by CPI (ML) Red Star, spread internationally in the internet, the ICC decided not to get involved in a “battle in the internet”. Instead, carefully – and as far as possible personally – the ICOR organizations were informed, answers were provided and discussed. The collective answer of the working ICC in form of its “Polemic…” will be presented by us for discussion to all ICOR organizations and those outside ICOR who received the slanderous pamphlet. A thorough investigation of all accusations was made for this, and above all a position was taken in regard to their ideological-political content. The MLPD has also published its position and is making it available to all those who were recipients of the CPI (ML) Red Star polemic. The Fifth World Conference is called upon to take a position on the content and method of these attacks and draw conclusions.

Since the Fourth World Conference the ICC has informed the ICOR members in 17 information letters and circulars and at least 205 individual letters and has organized the discussion process within ICOR.

The work of the ICC and the Main Coordinator is only possible because the ICOR Office untiringly handles the mail, maintains the website, and draws up proposals and drafts. Since the tasks of ICOR have grown substantially since the Fourth World Conference, the ICOR Office, too, has grown and now has a younger staff. They all work as unpaid volunteers in addition to pursuing an occupation (or as pensioners) and doing active work among the rank and file; they donate most of their travel expenses, an important contribution to ICOR and its financial strengthening. On a normal basis they do about 150 hours of work per week for ICOR.

The volume of mail to be handled has grown significantly.

The Main Coordinator develops close contact with the organizations and of course with the ICC. That includes a brisk correspondence, phone calls and visits.

The strengthening of the Continental Coordinations, the successful Continental Conferences for Europe, Africa, Asia and America since the Fourth ICOR World Conference represent a great advance in the work of ICOR.

If new admissions formerly were organized mainly by the ICC, in the meantime they are the responsibility of the CCCs and are quickly and successfully processed by them as a rule. We fundamentally criticized the CCC Asia for serious violations of the “open-door policy” of ICOR laid down in the Founding Resolution.10 Drawing on the increased potential, in accordance with the Statute the Fifth World Conference will prudently conduct the elections of reliable, responsible representatives who show initiative and are closely linked with the member organizations of ICOR.

IX. The ICOR website

We were largely able to fulfill the assigned task: “We boost the visibility of the ICOR website with regular monthly contributions of all member organizations and with video/picture/audio contributions, and build it up as a medium of organizing coordination and cooperation.”11 The website can only realize the aspiration to be “a medium of organizing coordination and cooperation” through the active work of the member organizations.

Different visitors Number of visits

The website was redesigned and renewed with the goals confirmed by the ICC: a more attractive appearance, a better structure with a clear distinction between ICOR Official, member contributions and guest contributions, as well as good readability on mobile devices. A design agency was commissioned for this purpose. These goals were creatively achieved. Turkish, Portuguese, Arabic and Farsi have been added to the selectable languages, alongside English, German, Spanish, French and Russian. The website is easy to read on mobile phones, tablets, etc.

X. Lenin Year of ICOR and seminar “Lenin’s Teachings Are Alive”

The Fourth World Conference decided: “In the year 2024, 100 years after Lenin, the ICOR will pay tribute to his legacy and work with a seminar.” At the beginning of 2024 we reaffirmed this in a resolution:

“We ICOR organizations are determined to study and disseminate the teachings of Lenin. … We ICOR organizations have set ourselves the goal of realizing the application of Lenin’s teachings to today’s imperialist world, whereby the building of strong Marxist-Leninist parties as revolutionary leadership is an urgent task. We ICOR organizations stand up in our countries for the conviction that socialism is the social solution to put an end to the permanent state of crises, wars and destruction of the natural environment by the imperialist world system.”12

Since then, this plan has been resolutely put into practice – naturally in accordance with the different capacities of the individual parties and organizations. To this end, public discussion events, study movements, seminars and militant actions have taken place in many countries.

Focusing on Lenin’s teachings today is not revolutionary pathos or nostalgic ritual, but a vital necessity in order to strengthen our parties and multiply the consciousness of socialism among the masses. The Lenin Seminar as a theoretical seminar with a lively practical connection to the present day also takes into account the reality of ideological confusion among broad masses, including the working class. The decades-long ideological bombardment with anticommunism, revisionism, reformism or post-modernism unmistakably has left its mark with the influence of bourgeois ideology on the thinking, feeling and acting of the world’s masses. This coincides with a problem of the international revolutionary movement, which is to underestimate the ideological struggle in comparison to economic analyses and political activities. The seminar “Lenin's Teachings Are Alive” is a declaration of war on bourgeois ideology and at the same time a commitment to the self-transformation of the international revolutionary and working-class movement.

XI. Payment of dues and financial independence of ICOR

ICOR was able to preserve and further improve its financial independence and stability.

XII. Outlook

The intensification of all fundamental contradictions in the world makes the necessity of the international socialist revolution all the clearer. The only future of humankind lies in socialism and communism! Lenin’s definition of “imperialism as moribund capitalism” has been emphatically confirmed. But the subjective preconditions for worldwide revolutionary developments do not yet exist. This also applies to a new Communist International, which historically would be on the agenda. With the building of the ICOR we are entering new historical territory. Our decision to develop practical cooperation on unified issues on the basis of a minimum consensus, and to strengthen trust and gradual ideological-political unification in the process, is without alternative and has proven totally correct. The ICOR is aware of its responsibility for this and will strengthen its construction as an international organization in the spirit of Lenin’s emphasis on the gigantic significance of revolutionary organization:

“In its struggle for power the proletariat has no other weapon but organisation. Disunited by the rule of anarchic competition in the bourgeois world, ground down by forced labour for capital, constantly thrust back to the ‘lower depths’ of utter destitution, savagery, and degeneration, the proletariat can, and inevitably will, become an invincible force only through its ideological unification on the principles of Marxism being reinforced by the material unity of organisation, which welds millions of toilers into an army of the working class. Neither the senile rule of the Russian autocracy nor the senescent rule of international capital will be able to withstand this army. It will more and more firmly close its ranks, in spite of all zigzags and backward steps, in spite of the opportunist phrasemongering…, in spite of the self-satisfied exaltation of the retrograde circle spirit…”13

Forward with the ICOR!

Forward with socialism!