429th Meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP)
General Assembly
Date: 24 June 2026
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k1q/k1qg1ykeeq
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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Chair · Panda [0:07]:

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I declare open the 429th meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people. The provisional agenda for the meeting has been distributed by the Secretariat for your consideration. The provisional agenda is now put forward for adoption. If I hear no objections, the agenda is adopted. Your Excellencies, I would like to provide a quick recap on the activities of the Committee and the Bureau. Since the start of the year. The Committee Bureau has delivered two statements at the Security Council quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. One on 28 February, delivered by the Vice Chair, Jaime Hermida Castillo, warning that lasting peace cannot be achieved while annexation, occupation, and humanitarian restrictions persist. And the second one on 28th April, delivered by Vice Chair Omar Hadi, where the Council was warned about the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Including the Palestinian question, and condemned the continuing settler violence in the occupied West Bank. We have also issued two press releases to date, one on 17 February condemning Israeli actions undermining Palestinian land rights in the occupied West Bank, and the other on the 4th of June condemning the order to implement the eviction of the Palestinian community of Khan al-Ahmar in the so-called E1 area in the occupied West Bank. The Committee Bureau also denounced the escalating Israeli settler violence and impunity in which this order and the settlement expansion is taking place. A delegation from the Bureau has also held fruitful bilateral meetings with authorities in the following countries: Havana, Cuba, in February, to engage on political actions in support of the rights of the Palestinian people; and in Paris, Brussels, and Madrid in May. The discussions in the European capitals focused on the role of the European Union and key member states in sustaining momentum generated by the 2025 International Conference on the Two-State Solution and the New York Declaration, and in ensuring that attention to the question of Palestine is not displaced by other conflicts or agenda items. The first Committee civil society consultations in 2026 was held in Brussels on May 6th to strengthen dialogue with groups working on the question of Palestine and to identify concrete ways to advance international law and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The meeting focused on Europe's role in promoting peace, accountability and justice, including the responsibilities of the European Union and its member states. The Bureau delegation also visited Asmara, Eritrea in June on the question of Palestine and ways to move forward. The Committee Bureau looks forward to continued engagements with Eritrea. Many of you participated in the Committee events organized here at the United Nations Headquarters. On March 18th, the Committee held a meeting on the margins of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. The discussions focused on how discriminatory laws affecting Palestinian women under Israeli occupation restricted access to justice and essential services, with civil society highlighting their disproportionate impact on conflict and displacement. On the 15th of May, We had a special meeting of the Committee to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Nakba. A total of 83 Member States attended the commemoration and we heard statements from 31 Member States. Thank you all for your participation. As part of these commemorations, the Committee also co-organized with the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine the screening of the film "All That's Left of You" on May 13th. Turning to upcoming activities, I would like to inform you that on the 18th of July, the Committee will hold the 2026 Conference on the Question of Jerusalem in Cairo, Egypt, in collaboration with the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation. The focus of the event will be Jerusalem, the frontline of displacement and annexation, and the key to just and lasting peace. The important gathering will also bring member states, religious leaders, and policymakers around two main themes: saving the holy city, safeguarding the holistic— the historic status quo at the holy sites, and preserving Palestinian presence, rights, and sovereignty in Jerusalem in the face of displacement and illegal settlement expansion policies. The conference will reaffirm the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem as essential to peace, stability, and religious coexistence. While highlighting the concerns of Christian and Muslim leaders regarding restrictions on freedoms of worship, access to holy sites, and threats to their integrity, it will also assess the impact of Israeli measures on Jerusalem's identity and Palestinian presence, address Israel's ongoing demolitions of Palestinian homes and settlement expansion policies, and discuss international legal responsibilities to protect religious heritage and strengthen support for diplomatic, legal, and advocacy initiatives to preserve the city's character as a hub for religious freedom. All member states of the diplomatic corps present in Cairo have been invited to attend the meeting. Your Excellencies, you can see from this long list that the Bureau continues to be very active in its advocacy for Palestinian rights. We encourage all members and observers to strengthen their cooperation within the Committee and be even more engaged in all our activities. Turning now to Agenda Item 3, I will give the floor to His Excellency Minister Rian Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations. Your Excellency. You have the floor.


State of Palestine · Permanent Observer · Riyad Mansour [9:10]:

Thank you very much, my dear brother Ambassador Panda, for giving a very extensive report about the activities and the work of the Committee since the beginning of the year. And as you see, from this extensive activity, which will continue until we get to September and beyond. It is based on a plan that we've adopted when we had the retreat in December of last year as to how to keep the question of Palestine alive in the international agenda. We are aware of all of the activities that have taken place to have a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, to have humanitarian assistance to scale, to stop the forced displacement, to begin the early recovery and temporary housing, durable temporary housing, before beginning of the reconstruction of Gaza, and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces from Gaza, and to open the door for a political horizon that allow the Palestinian people to attain their inalienable rights including their right to self-determination, statehood, and all aspects of their rights. And of course, in that regard, you know, we were engaging with our Muslim and Arab brothers, the Committee of Eight, and with the guarantor of the agreement of the 20 points of President Trump, and to implement Security Council Resolution 2803. So we were engaged in all of these things, but yet not to forget that the question of Palestine, which reached as of last September 22nd a phenomenal point when we had at the summit in the General Assembly co-chaired by the President of France and the leadership of Saudi Arabia on the two-state solution and the adoption of the New York Declaration, which is a roadmap. If you want to study it in details along with the annexes, you will see that Every minute detail related to a just comprehensive solution that is fair to the Palestinian people and also to Israel is contained in that historic document. So that we were working on trying to harmonize between the 2803 resolution and the global consensus on the two-state solution and the New York Declaration, and also the recognition of the states, because when 160 countries recognize the State of Palestine, among them we reached the point of 30 countries in Europe, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, that recognize the state, and there is only left 14 countries in Europe that have not recognized the State of Palestine. From among those who recognize the State of Palestine is France, UK, you add to it Canada, Australia, and many others such as Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, and to name the rest of them. So we are reaching a moment that the global consensus is saying there is no solution except the two state solution, which requires to end this illegal occupation according to the articulation of the ICJ. Now, based on that vision, the plan that we have adopted in the Committee, we need to intensify our activities as a Committee because it is the only committee with a mandate from the General Assembly of its kind that is working actively through peaceful methods, through political methods, through diplomatic methods under international law provisions and the Charter of the United Nations in order to allow the Palestinian people to attain their inalienable rights, including their right to self-determination, statehood, and the right of the refugees, which is the core mandate of this committee. And then we decided that we should intensify the effort of the committee in all possible angles in order to keep the question of Palestine on top of the table. The acting chair or the vice chair of the committee just gave you quickly a summary of some of these activities, but let me concentrate in the last month and a half in the Security Council. I think that there was during this month and the tail end of last month at least 5, maybe 6 meetings related to the question of Palestine that took place in the Security Council. The main thrust of these meetings In addition to the implementation of Phase 1 and to move into Phase 2 in 2803 as it relates to Gaza, we shifted into opposing the very bold, dangerous, irresponsible, illegal, immoral policies and practices of Israel in the West Bank. And the terrorism of the settlers, the annexation, the settlement enterprise. In this connection, the heart of that policy from the Israeli government is to make E1 plan a reality, in which to sever from Jerusalem through Ma'ale Adumim settlement then to the Khan al-Ahmar, all the way to the Jordan River to cut the occupied West Bank into two parts, north and south, divided by exclusive Jewish highway for the Jews, not allowed for the Palestinians, as another expression of exercising apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory. And that, from the vision of this extreme current Israeli government after the genocide in Gaza, is not to allow the contiguity of the land of the State of Palestine in the West Bank, and therefore their dream that there will not be a Palestinian state and the Palestinian people will not exercise self-determination. That is the plan. So in these meetings in the Security Council, There was heavy emphasis in not allowing, in the eve of the election campaign in Israel, that E1 plan to be implemented. In addition to the aggressive policies against Holy Jerusalem and trying really to, to make it difficult for the custodianship of Jordan into the holy site in Jerusalem possible by, you know, antagonism, by desecration, by storming Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Haram al-Sharif in order to create a situation to try to change also the reality in occupied East Jerusalem. So one of the meetings that we succeeded in doing in the Security Council, that there was informal consultation on E1 plans, and it was a very constructive discussion, as I was told by our colleagues and friends in the Security Council, in which there was unanimity against annexation. And by doing so, opposition to E1. And it was proposed in that meeting, since we all agree the 15th, why don't we announce in any form or shape statement to the media indicating that there is unanimity among members of the Security Council against annexation. Of course, that, you know, was not adopted, but we had also outside the Security Council— as we often, you know, resorted to during the first year and second year of the war of genocide against our people in Gaza. The Arab group and the Muslim group called for a press conference, and many people attended, many ambassadors, including members of this committee, to indicate that if we do not agree on product inside the Security Council officially, we agree on a product by— supported by a large number of ambassadors and countries outside the Security Council. And we've done this also more than one time as it relates, for example, to Onurwa, in which the coalition of 118 countries in defense of Onurwa Often we agreed on a statement, we assembled 70, 80, 100 ambassadors who are supportive of that statement to speak to the media, to read the statement that reflects the position of that collective in shielding and defending Onur Waqf. So these are some of the examples, and we were afraid that Prime Minister Netanyahu might put in the market the bids for companies to begin the implementation of E1 to connect occupied East Jerusalem with Ma'ale Adumim. And I think that pressure contributed until this moment from— for not seeing action by the Israeli government, and we hope we succeed in not allowing them to take, you know, such steps. Now, of course, we are happy that there is an agreement, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Gulf, because the 100 war in the Gulf took attention away from the question of Palestine and the efforts for implementing completely Phase 1 and moving into Phase 2, and we hope now that the quietness in the Gulf region would allow for intensifying the efforts in the question of Palestine so that we can move in the correct direction for seeing the elements that I started with, with regard to the ceasefire being permanent, humanitarian assistance to scale, no force transfer, beginning of the reconstruction, the initial stage and the following stage, and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and beginning to concentrate on the political horizon to be congruent with the essence of the New York Declaration. So we are not there, but we hope that we are moving in this direction. And I believe that the Committee of Eight, which issued many statements during the course of a month and a half, emphasizing the same elements that we are talking about—opposing annexation, opposing settlement enterprise, opposing settler terrorism, opposing, you know, those who want to go back to fighting in the Gaza Strip because the ceasefire is fragile, and pushing in the direction of the political horizon. So we are grateful to all of them, and we are grateful, as I said, to the four guarantier countries—Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, and the United States—for trying to implement all elements of Resolution 2803. And we work very closely with our friends and Arabs and Muslims and all friends that would be channeling their efforts in that direction. So this is the political situation that we are going through. We're looking forward to this very important international annual conference in Jerusalem, in Egypt. It was not selected— Egypt was not selected by accident. Egypt is the biggest Arab country. It is, you know, adjacent to the southern part of the State of Palestine, the Gaza Strip. It is, you know, in the forefront of defending the implementation of the national rights of the Palestinian people in 2803. Jerusalem is extremely important not only to all the Arabs and the Muslims, but also there is a special role for our brothers in Jordan. And so therefore to have the conference about Jerusalem now and in Egypt so close to Palestine is not that only we are consumed with Gaza and what's happening in the West Bank, but we are not forgetting about Jerusalem. Jerusalem, so to complete the circle of the three components of the land of the State of Palestine. So we're looking forward to it. We are mixing religious spiritual leaders, Muslims and Christians in Palestine and in Egypt, along with intellectuals, experts, leaders in the different aspects of what what Jerusalem means to the Arab culture, to heritage, not only of the region but also to the Muslim countries. Jerusalem is something that is huge in our tradition, in our culture, not only for the Palestinians but also for the 2 billion Muslims along with the half a billion of the Arab nations and many other countries. So this is where we are. Our work is not finished. Now we will be done the end of July. We know that August is a month that isn't much, that could be— there are not much activities, and we express our solidarity with the hot weather, you know, with the capitals in Europe, they're jumping into the rivers and the sea to cool down. The temperature is unprecedented between 102 to 110 in cities like Paris, Madrid, London, and other countries in Europe. But we are ready for the Angawa, and we are ready also to go to Spain And we are grateful to Spain to have an international seminar on media, but to be creative and maybe to end people who are legends in movies, in theaters, the cultural aspect, to concentrate on journalists from Europe with the idea that they have the right to go and visit the occupied Palestinian territories, especially Gaza. To objectively report on the reality of the Palestinian people. That would be in October. So that we will continue the march until the conditions change where we see an opening of a door to begin the accelerated process of the implementation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, the end of this illegal occupation, the independence of the State of Palestine on the 4th of June, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital and to create an environment in our region as stated in the New York Declaration where there will be an environment that all states in the region— of the region can live in peace and harmony with each other. We are not there yet, but we will not lose sight of that very lofty objective, which is a key— it is the essence of the mandate of the Committee. We are grateful for the Committee for all this hard work they do. We take them from spending time on issues related to their domestic nations and they devote it to Palestine. We are grateful for them. The Chairman, the Vice Chairs, all of you, and also for the Division, which we know the financial reality of the UN, so we're asking from them to work extra time because these are unusual moments that we are going through. We need all of us to to do much more than we do normally because Palestine needs extra work from all of you, and I know that you will not hesitate to give Palestine the extra effort in order, you know, that collectively we can finish this last question that has been on the agenda of the UN. Its inception is to give freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people in their own independent sovereign state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. I'll stop here, Mr. Chairman. If there are any questions, I'll be more than delighted to respond to it. Thank you.


Chair · Panda [28:56]:

I thank His Excellency Minister Mansour for his remarks. Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Let's now discuss Agenda Item 4, on the recommendation, on request, on a request by a member state to join the Committee as an observer. We received a note verbale from the Permanent Mission of Chile informing on Chile's decision to withdraw its membership from the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian people in requesting to be granted observer status. The Bureau considered and endorsed this request at its meeting held on the 4th of June. The matter is now before the Committee for its consideration. In accordance with the established procedures, should the Committee decide to approve this request, The chair of the committee will communicate this decision to the President of the General Assembly, requesting that the matter be brought to the attention of the Assembly. I will invite any comments at this stage before committee members take a decision by acclamation on Chile's request. Are there any members who wish to take the floor and comment on this request? There are no members who wish to take the floor. I take it that the committee has accepted the request by Chile. To be accepted as an observer to the committee. It is so decided. This information will be communicated to the President of the General Assembly for the Assembly's information.


State of Palestine · Permanent Observer · Riyad Mansour [31:13]:

Mr. Chairman, may I say something? Mr. Excellency Minister, thank you very much. We respect, you know, the wish of the committee in this issue. We welcomed the joining of Chile to be a full member of the committee. We appreciate that, and that was, you know, an investment in peace and preserving the two-state solution. And we respect their desire, the new desire of being an observer. And I tell them as friends, there is not much fundamental difference between a full member and an observer member. So we appreciate the fact that Chile is just only making a slight adjustment for their own reasoning, but we are very happy that they are still an observer in this committee. And, you know, as you see, everything is open for discussion among full members and observers, the 50 of you, and you can be as active as you wish, whether you are a full member or an observer member, and you can be as not active as you wish, whether you are a full member or an observer member. The most important thing is to remain as part of the 50 members and observers of this committee that is working for the attainment of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination. Self-determination, statehood, and the right of the refugees. I know the policy of Chile is that, and they honor and respect international law, because self-determination is a key enshrined principle in the Charter of the UN. The Palestinian people should not be denied the right of self-determination, including independence and statehood. And Chile is recognizing the State of Palestine. We have a very active embassy in Chile, and we have a large community of Palestinian Chileans, and we know how active they are, how influential they are, and how closely they work for any administration that the Chilean people select. Through democratic elections. So I just wanted to say that so that no one can try to distort the true position of Chile, which we respect and honour. And I will stop there, and I think our colleagues from Chilean delegation do understand exactly what I mean. Thank you, Mr Chairman.


Chair · Panda [34:23]:

Thank you, His Excellency Minister Mansour, for his intervention and clarification. We are now going to hear from Master Michael Conted, Director of UNRWA Representative Office in New York, who will be briefing us on the situation faced by the agency. Members and observers of the Committee will have the opportunity to ask questions or make their comments after his briefing. And I now invite Master Conteh to take up his seat at the front table. Thank you, Mr. Conte. You have the floor.


UNRWA · Director · Michael Conteh [35:30]:

Mr. Chair, thank you very much for the invitation to address this committee. Let me also recognize Minister Mansour and Thank you, Minister, for the emphasis you placed on the efforts to defend and promote UNRWA in your speech. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to address the Committee for the second time. Since my previous briefing, UNRWA has been undergoing a leadership transition. The Secretary-General designated Mr. Christian Saunders to lead the agency ad interim.. And it's fair to say that Commissioner-General Saunders hit the ground running. He started his assignment by field visits in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria. Last week, he briefed the Advisory Commission of UNRWA, which is the agency body that brings together countries advising and assisting with our governance. I will provide some details on the vision that Mr. Saunders is bringing, but before, maybe allow me to start with an overview of the situation of the agency. From a financial point of view, the scale of what we're facing right now is quite unprecedented— continuation of funding restrictions, reductions in foreign aid budget in general, and particularly when it comes to UNRWA. As this committee knows, the agency is a very effective organization. Yet against this background, we've had to implement austerity measures and cost control measures of a fairly extraordinary scale, and despite that, UNRWA continues to face a projected cash flow deficit of approximately $100 million for 2026. The Commissioner-General stressed to UNRWA's Advisory Commission last week that the austerity measures that have been put in place cannot be sustained indefinitely, and there continues to be a disconnect between the overwhelming political support that the agency receives, as we witnessed during the renewal of the mandate at the end of last year, and the financial means that the agency needs and should receive to implement the mandate from the General Assembly. Ladies and gentlemen, this brings me to the fact that UNRWA will be hosting its annual pledging conference. It's coming up next week on Tuesday, and I I'm grateful for the opportunity to flag this to this Committee. We very much hope that this will be a moment not only for the expression of renewed political support—that is important—but also for fresh financial contributions to be announced, because these two things go hand in hand. I would like to encourage all Member States to participate and, where possible, to translate their political support for Palestine refugees into additional financial support for the agency. Next Tuesday, this pledging conference will be held under the auspices of the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General, and it will be an opportunity for Commissioner-General Saunders to lay out elements of his vision. And maybe I can give you a few elements of the— when Mr. Saunders looks forward into the horizon, what the main elements that he would like to present. It is clear that UNRWA must adapt to the reality that I described earlier, but an adaptation that shouldn't be a weakening of the agency or of the implementation of its mandate. And to succeed in doing that, UNRWA needs to align expenditures with realistic income, rationalize our budget over the next 5 to 10 years, think how services can be better delivered, sometimes including closer cooperation with host countries, and we are very grateful to host countries for their support. All of this should happen without reopening of the mandate, which was just renewed. We want to, you know, preserve an element of stability, including political stability, and crucially ensure the continuity of essential services. So in this regard, Mr. Saunders, the Commissioner General, will be presenting a 5- to 10-year plan within 6 months, and I would expect that the pledging conference next week will be an opportunity for him to give a bit more details in this regard. As he does so, I mean, I know that he will maintain the focus, which is so important for him, on the protection aspect of our work, also how we can try to significantly reinforce our work on livelihoods, job creation, economic opportunities, because we need to move from status quo, which has delivered limited changes over the decade. UNRWA remains a key operator in Gaza, for example, its operational capacity needs to be maintained. We have a capacity at UNRWA which is unparalleled, and a staff which constitutes a key asset for future Palestinian civil service. And Mr. Chair, since I mentioned Gaza, allow me to turn to the 5 fields of operations where, you know, the demands placed on the agency remain very high and the needs continue to increase. I mentioned Gaza, as you know, The humanitarian situation has continued to deteriorate despite the announcement of a ceasefire. Military strikes have continued and they pose significant risk to the civilian and operation— humanitarian operations alike. In this context, it's really important to realize that despite all of this, despite all the obstacles, UNRWA remains highly operational and very much at work. For example, UNRWA is one of the largest providers of health services in Gaza. We have over one— every day between 12,000 to 14,000 medical consultations are being provided by agency medical staff. We are also one of the largest providers of emergency learning and psychological support services for children across the Gaza Strip. UNRWA is also the main provider of sanitation services, water distribution in the Gaza Strip, So in short, despite everything, we remain a main provider of public services for the beneficiaries of our operations, for Palestine refugees. And how do we do this? We do it thanks to the commitment and the hard work of more than 11,000 UNRWA personnel, themselves Palestine refugees, most of them teachers, most of them doctors and nurses who are fully at work in Gaza., and they continue working despite the circumstances in which they work. For example, many of you remember that a few weeks ago we commemorated fallen UN staff. Since October of 2023, 392 UNRWA colleagues have been killed in Gaza. This is the largest number of personnel in the agency's history, and it's important to recall the circumstances in which they're serving. I will turn briefly to the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where the situation is becoming graver by the day. We have witnessed in the north of the occupied West Bank large-scale displacement of 33,000 residents from Tulkarem, Nur Shams, Jenin refugee camps. Military orders have extended this displacement until the end of July, and in the face of this situation, UNRWA remains the largest responder to this displacement crisis. We provide, for example, healthcare, to 92% of those displaced, with providing education to 4,200 displaced children in our schools and temporary learning spaces. More generally, the West Bank sees, as was noted earlier in this session, intensifying military operations, rampant violence including by settlers, enormous pressure exerted on the Palestinian Authority, And in this context, UNRWA's work on health, education, social support, protection services remains critical to provide stability to the lives of nearly 1 million Palestinian refugees. In Lebanon, as you know, since the escalation of hostilities in March of this year, UNRWA has activated an emergency response. We operate 2 collective emergency shelters in Siblin, in the Saida area— Saida area, and one in al-Bared in the north. We also continue to provide basic life-saving services in the three camps of the TIR area, and despite the challenging context which has continued, all 60 UNRWA schools remain operational with, with over 37,000 students enrolled through in-person and remote learning modalities. In Syria, we— there are approximately 418,000 Palestinian refugees in the country. Nearly one-third of them remain internally displaced, and 92% of those were assessed as food insecure only last year. So, in this context, we continue— the agency continues to be a critical stabilizing presence. For Palestine refugees across Syria, and we see some encouraging signs of, you know, early recovery effort. For example, in Yarmouk camp, which once was the host to the largest Palestine refugee community in Syria, we are seeing return of families. UNRWA Shelter Rehabilitation Program is assisting 1,100 families to repair damaged homes and rebuild their lives. And in general, for many Palestine refugees in Syria, UNRWA remains not just a provider of essential services, but a source of stability, continuity, and hope. Final words on Jordan, where a country that enjoys stability, but where Palestine refugees, including those— some of them displaced from Syria, continue to rely heavily on UNRWA's education, health, and social protection services. Mr. Chair, in closing, allow me to thank you, and the Committee for your continued support for UNRWA. It is— investing in UNRWA is an investment in human dignity, regional stability, and hope for millions of Palestinian refugees. And Excellencies, I think it's important to keep very high on our mind that the agency remains very operational despite all the circumstances, including in the occupied Palestinian territory.— and remains essential to delivering services to Palestinian refugees at times when the needs have never been higher, and in line with our mandate. And finally, I'm grateful for this opportunity to call on all members of this Committee, and through them all members of the General Assembly, to step up support with new and additional contributions in the context of next week's Pledging Conference. This conference will be another opportunity for Member States to take action, to protect the rights of Palestine refugees, the mandate of UNRWA, and to do everything we can to support regional peace and stability. I thank you, Mr. Chair.


Chair · Panda [47:30]:

Thank you, Mr. Conte, for your very important briefing on the challenges faced by UNRWA. And the Committee remains concerned at the dwindling of funds made available to UNRWA to carry out its activities, particularly the provision of health services. I shall now give the floor to our distinguished delegates for comments, questions to our guests. I recognize the distinguished delegate representative of Cuba. You have the floor.


Cuba [48:09]:

Gracias. Thank you, Chair, my dear friend. Chair, we're very grateful for the update provided by Ambassador Mansour on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, as well as the information on the work of UNRWA shared by Mr. Michael Contebbe, Director of UNRWA in New York. Despite the enormous challenges currently being— that it's facing, UNRWA continues to provide humanitarian assistance and plays an essential role in providing refuge, access to drinking water and helping in wastewater management. This work is as essential as it was in 1949 when it was established by a mandate of the General Assembly. We reject the activities of Israel banning UNRWA on its territory and contact with its authorities. It's preventing delivery of humanitarian access and basic services to Gaza and violates the UN Charter. Israel, the occupying power, must immediately enable access for sufficient humanitarian access without conditions or limits to specialized agencies of the UN and must authorize the vital work of UNRWA, which is so indispensable at this time. The attack on UNRWA is a way of attacking Palestinian refugees and those internally displaced in Gaza, preventing them accessing assistance and refuge in the middle of a genocide. This attack, moreover, is an integral part of Israel's attack against the UN and international law. For the millions of Palestinian refugees registered in Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, and Syria, and including in East Jerusalem, as well as in the Gaza Strip, the disastrous situation on the ground and the lack of necessary funds to fund UNRWA points towards an uncertain and worrying future. We would highlight once again the work carried out on the ground by the agency with due recognition for its staff, and we extend our thanks to those that have worked for UNRWA and that have faced indiscriminate attacks against their installations and the civilian population, and we pay tribute to those that have lost their lives in this process. All efforts need to be deployed so that the relevant work of UNRWA can continue, and we call upon member states of the United Nations to show political willingness in order to ensure sufficient funding that is predictable and sustainable for the agency so that it can continue to fulfill the main mandate that we have given to it. Chair, the Palestinian people have been denied their fundamental rights for many years, including their right to life, health, education, food, And they have been submitted to a brutal policy of aggression and extermination, and their inalienable rights to self-determination and to have an independent state that is sovereign on the basis of the two-state solution within the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital have been denied to them, as well as the return of refugees. In this alarming situation, We're continuing to see Israel applying a collective punishment policy that is preventing UNRWA's essential work and preventing them— preventing UNRWA access, affecting all aspects of the lives of Palestinians. We will not allow this barbarous silence to continue. Israel must be held accountable. It won't be possible to bring about a lasting peace and a just peace in the Middle East unless the Palestinian question is solved once and for all. It's essential that the international community act with a sense of urgency, firmness, and determination. Thank you.


Chair · Panda [52:18]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba I see no other request for the floor. Would Mr. Conte— oh, sorry, apologies. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Liberia. You have the floor, sir.


Liberia [52:36]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, thank you for also organizing this section, which we take with high level of responsibility. The question of the Palestinian people is so important for us as members of the Security Council and also within the wider United Nations system. The frequency with which the matter returns to the Council reminds us that humanitarian management cannot substitute for political resolution, and that the credibility of multilateral system and action rests on our willingness to uphold international law with consistency and fairness. The position of our delegation is principled and consistent since 2011, when the statehood and membership of Palestine But please honor the United Nations. Liberia has approached this matter from a balanced premise that inalienable rights, dignity, and statehood aspiration of Palestinian people and the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security are not opposing claims, but rather mutually reinforcing.— requirement for a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace. Mr. Chair, Excellency, this position is fully consistent with Liberia's foreign policy, which is anchored in the preservation of sovereignty, the peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law, non-interference, and multilateral cooperation in the service of peace and security. It is also shaped by Liberia's own national experience, which teaches us that conflict rooted in grievances and insecurity cannot be sustainably resolved by force or denial. They require justice, dialogue, political courage, and credible implementation plan. Liberia reaffirms that the only viable and legitimate political horizon remains the two-state solutions: an independent, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine living side by side with the State of Israel, both within secure, internationally recognized borders, in peace, mutual recognition, and security in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The two-state solution is an internationally endorsed framework through which Palestinian self-determination Israel's security can be made durable, enforceable, and mutually sustained. Labora therefore reiterates its call for renewed serious time-bound diplomacy that is anchored in the implementation of relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on the Palestinian question. Finally, Mr. Chair, Liberia commends the Committee for its important work in promoting awareness, mobilizing international support, and advancing the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. Liberia will continue to engage constructively on this matter, and I thank you.


Chair · Panda [56:44]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Liberia I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia. You have the floor, sir.


Indonesia [56:56]:

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for convening this meeting, and also I would like also to thank Minister Mansour and also Mr. Conte for the presentations. I have several questions related to UNRWA. We take note with concerns, of course, for the funding gap needed by the UNRWA on the response to humanitarian situations in the OPT. At the same time, we welcome the pledging conference that will be held in the near future. We also have a problem with the blockage of aid assistance to reach the OPT, because of the weaponization of the bureaucracy, including the difficulties of the health tools and also the life-saving instruments to reach the community. At the same time as well, the healthcare facilities are on heavy pressure, so I would like to invite your comments with the pledging conference. Of course, we we hope that we could reach more funds to fund the needed gap, but at the same time, if you could also share on how you plan, or UNRWA have a roadmap on how to ensure that the aids could reach the community, taking into account all the blockage that are implemented on the ground. Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General.


Chair · Panda [58:44]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia. You have the floor, sir.


Malaysia [58:53]:

Well, thank you, Chair. Thank you to Minister Riyad Mansour of the State of Palestine and Director Contet of UNRWA for your briefings and updates. Malaysia reaffirms our support for UNRWA and its indispensable role in providing humanitarian assistance, healthcare, and other essential services. Well, for us, the mandate and operations of UNRWA must be protected, and this is an obligation that has been further affirmed by the ICJ in its advisory opinion of October 22nd, 2025. Just a brief comment about the Director's reasoning about the pledging conference next week. We look forward To the upcoming UNRWA Pledging Conference, Malaysia intends to demonstrate its commitment at the conference and call on member states in the position to do so to also contribute. I have one question for the Director, which I'd like to hear your views on. Beyond financial contributions, what other forms of support would be most useful to UNRWA? For example, in-kind goods, technical expertise, or other forms of assistance. I'm grateful if we can hear your comments on that. Thank you.


Chair · Panda [1:00:10]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia. Before giving the floor to Mr. Conte to respond, I wish to give the floor to His Excellency Minister Mansour to make an intervention. Your Excellency.


State of Palestine · Permanent Observer · Riyad Mansour [1:00:25]:

Thank you very much. I want to thank all those who took the floor, you know, to say what they said and the support that they expressed. And I am also delighted that there is the voice of the Security Council, as our colleague from Liberia shared with us his thinking. As we speak, The Security Council is convening a meeting on the report of the Secretary-General on violence against children, and my understanding, there is about 97 speakers on the speakers list, which demonstrates how the international community is outraged about the violence against children in many areas of the world, but there was a significant portion of it about the crimes committed by Israel, the occupying power, especially in the Gaza Strip. And we are grateful and we express our appreciation to the Secretary-General for listing Israeli army and Israeli officials for allowing these crimes to take place, and it is a form of exposing them from the highest authority of the Secretariat of the UN, the Secretary-General, and his representative delivered, you know, the report today at the beginning of the meeting in the Security Council, which we appreciate that. She was exposed to vicious and uncalled-for, not proper attack from the Israeli ambassador. We stand with her and with the Secretary-General against these things, and we as an Arab group, we have a unified position that we conveyed to the Secretary-General this afternoon, standing with him and with Vanessa, his representative on violence against children in areas of armed conflict, instead of the Israeli representative, of reviewing their policies vis-à-vis harming Palestinian children, they are doubling down in attacking the Secretary-General, insulting him, considering him as persona non grata, and also insulting, you know, his representative who is leading this file in the Secretariat of the United Nations. The other issue is that, you know, I'm happy to see my friend, you know, the Representative of Onurwa sharing with us. The pledging conference on the 29th is a very important meeting here, and we appeal to everyone to attend, and those who are able to pledge for help to Onurwa to do so, because you heard the report that they are need until the end of the year about $100 million. It doesn't seem like a huge amount of money, and I think that there are many generous and well-to-do countries among us here and outside this room in the international community. We are grateful to those those who are pledging and covering most of the budget of AUNRWA, and we welcome those who will add and step to the plate to meet this gap. And of course, you know that the representative of AUNRWA will deal with the help in kind and obstacles in the path. I remember when we had a meeting in Indonesia, I met with 100 representatives from civil societies who wanted to help Gaza, and I said that one of the ways for you to do that is through UNRWA, other ways in the medical field, also through the Red Crescent, the Palestinian Red Crescent. And if you want to see to make sure that these help to reach the people, contact them directly. Because, you know, us as politicians, you know, I am not in the technical field of how to make sure to see that ambulances and medicine and what have you to reach Gaza. But if you talk to the doctors and the administration of the Palestine Red Crescent or to the field officers of UNRWA, they can tell you the details of how it is done and they can give you assurances that your support would reach them. I think that he will dwell on that issue more than me because he knows the subject better than me. And let me also add that I said I jumped into the Cairo Conference at almost the end of next month, but I skipped the meeting that is taking place on violence against children in the Security Council, and it is important, and the report of the SG, and then there is a significant portion of it related to what is happening with Palestinian children and the Honourable Pledging Conference. And also on the 30th of this month, the last day, there will be the quarterly meeting on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334, which is known as the resolution on settlements. Settlements. And that resolution is very important, which was adopted in 2016, in which it indicated that settlements are illegal and Israel has to stop all these settlements activities. And it also indicated that the UN does not recognize any border other than the 4th of June of 1967. Which means including East Jerusalem as an occupied territory, unless the two parties through negotiation decide otherwise. So it's not only Israel has the veto on the borders, we also have the veto, and if we agree to make any adjustment, it has to be done mutually. But if there is no agreement, the borders are the 4th of June of 1967. 1967, among other things. And also that there is operative paragraph 5, which is very important, that talks that all of you are obliged to differentiate in your relationship between Israeli proper and the occupied territory. And if there are illegal things, as such as settlements and products of an illegal thing, the settlements to take that into account in the differentiation. It did not say— did not tell you not to deal with it, but it is giving you an advance advice to differentiate. If wines are made in the settlements and the settlements are illegal, those wines in that settlement are illegal, and therefore the advice: don't buy stolen stuff. If you go to a supermarket, when they put the sign on top of it, these are stolen stuff. They're not telling you not to buy it, but they're telling you it is stolen. So they leave it up to your conscience and to your morality whether to buy stolen stuff or not. In this case, whatever comes from settlements is illegal and you should not entertain it, you should boycott it. So that the discussion on the 30th of this month, as we complete this month, is very important in the Security Council, and I believe it is an open debate. It happens every 3 months, and the Secretary-General submits sometimes written reports, sometimes verbal reports about the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2334. Before we move into the conference on Jerusalem in Egypt, which I understand that almost everything is complete in terms of the details, the participants, and we're looking forward for that conference because Jerusalem— we cannot forget about Jerusalem as we cover all other occupied parts of the State of Palestine. I just wanted to add these Mr. Chairman, because the colleagues who spoke from the Security Council and from Indonesia and Malaysia, they raised issues that I'm trying to help my friend from Honuaora in responding to them. And I agree with them. I hope we see all of you and much more in the 29th, in the pledging conference of Honuaora. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


Chair · Panda [1:10:09]:

I thank His Excellency Minister Mansour for his intervention. I now give the floor to Mr. Conte to respond to the comments and on questions raised by member states. Mr. Conte, you have the floor.


UNRWA · Director · Michael Conteh [1:10:23]:

Mr. Chair, thank you very much, and I'd like to thank wholeheartedly Minister Mansour for his important words. If I may, Minister, just one point of correction on the date of the pledging conference, which will be on the 30th of June, Tuesday next week. Yeah, I think the Council is on the 29th. Council 29th and the pledging conference here. Exactly. So, 30th of June is when we're looking forward to seeing all of you in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. Indeed, many generous countries, as the Minister said. We're looking forward to that. And I take this opportunity, of course, to express my gratitude to the distinguished representative of Malaysia for the generous reference to the intention of his country to demonstrate its commitment and calling on other countries to do the same in this occasion. And the distinguished representative also asked what forms of support other than financial support could be helpful. Of course, Any form of support will be helpful. It starts at the level, of course, of political backing for the work of the agency that was manifested last year in the renewal of the mandate in the General Assembly. This is manifested in the statements we hear today in this Committee, in the Security Council as well, and I take this opportunity to recognize and thank the representative of Liberia for his words today and also the support by his delegation and his permanent representative in the Security Council. So political support, of course, is where it all starts, but as I said in my presentation, it really is inseparable from the practical and financial support that we receive. The $100 million shortfall I described, Is, you know, at the end of the day, this is the money that serves to pay the salaries of our staff, of the 25,000 Palestinian colleagues on the ground in the 5 fields of operations that do the work I described earlier. So this is, of course, a very key element of our requirements. Other forms of assistance are very much appreciated as well. And maybe my office can follow up with your mission to give the contacts of our colleagues back in headquarters in the fundraising and partnership division that can help more specifically with the channeling of other forms of assistance. But as Minister Mansour said, I think your Your question also points to a very important contribution that UNRWA can make, which is about our ability to ensure the smooth delivery of assistance. And that also brings me to the comment made by the distinguished representative of Indonesia about the blockage of aid and how to ensure that you know, aid will reach the intended beneficiaries. I mean, it is very correct, and sadly so, that the challenge is not only about funding assistance, it's also about ensuring that, you know, assistance can reach those who need it. And indeed, in Gaza, we have seen many instances of humanitarian operations being severely constrained with inability to bring in sufficient supplies, and that continues to affect every aspect of the response. And here I'm speaking not only about UNRWA, but of course about the whole UN community and humanitarian agencies. As we know, I mean, we have seen cases of humanitarian partners needing to prioritize scarce full allocations for only the most critical life-saving like life-saving services, and these are very difficult, difficult operations to handle because even when fuel is available, for example, you have shortages of lubricants, restrictions on spare parts, which all of which continue to undermine the operation of generators and other infrastructure, which is really essential. So this is a very multifaceted issue there. Having said all of that, you will Recall how I emphasized in my presentation the role of our 11,000 Palestinian staff on the ground and how much they are, in our view, a key contribution, of course, to the delivery of services to beneficiaries in Gaza, but also more broadly to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803, of the New York Declaration that Minister Mansour also emphasized a number of times in his remarks, because their presence, their— the fact that they are so well connected with the communities enables us to do at least two things. I mean, one in the short term is to scale up life-saving aid and essential services, but also in the medium to long term, this contributes, like I said, to building a civil service for a future independent Palestinian state. But on a day-to-day basis, these 11,000 staff, they are, you know, the backbone of our distribution networks through the Gaza Strip. And for example, the restrictions that you mentioned mean that since March of last year, UNRWA has been unable to bring food into the Gaza Strip, and we've left it to other operators, in particular the World Food Programme, to sort of centralize the UN response in this regard. But on the ground, the reality is that the staff, the infrastructure that we have, the logistical capabilities mean that we are an indispensable agent and operator of distributing assistance, and we remain very central to these elements. So I hope that, you know, that's also where The support that continues for operations and the financial support that we receive and hope to receive even more in the context of the pledging conference will contribute to make a real difference in the way, you know, aid can be channeled and distributed in Gaza. Before closing, I also want to appreciate the remarks made by the distinguished representative of Cuba with respect to supporting the work of the agency. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.


Chair · Panda [1:17:54]:

If there are no further comments or questions, I will thank once again Mr. Conte, Director of the UNRWA Representative Office in New York. The Committee has been a steadfast advocate of UNRWA. The agency's essential services to Palestinian refugees remain a vital lifeline for millions across the Middle East. You may be assured of the Committee's continued and unwavering support for your activities and mandate. I thank you. Let us now move to Agenda Item 6. I shall now give the floor to our distinguished delegates for interventions and remarks. Please limit your interventions to 3 minutes to allow time for everyone to have the floor. I give the floor I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of representative of Venezuela, followed by Namibia.


Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) [1:19:13]:

Senhor Presidente.

Chair, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, consistent with its longstanding principled position, reaffirms its firm commitment to the just Palestinian cause and expresses its deepest solidarity with the Palestinian people. In their legitimate struggle for the full realization of their inalienable rights. Venezuela remains committed to promoting international efforts aimed at implementing United Nations resolutions calling for a sovereign State of Palestine within the pre-1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the two-state solution. And on Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, as well as the other relevant resolutions of that principal organ and of the General Assembly. Mr. Chairman, Venezuela recognizes the longstanding contribution of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, to the welfare, human development, and protection of Palestinian refugees. Venezuela rejects any attempt aimed at preventing UNRWA from implementing its mandate and continuing to carry out its work effectively on the ground. It likewise rejects deliberate attacks against the personnel and facilities of this agency. In Palestine, the Charter of the United Nations, human rights, and international law in general are being violated, as has been documented by the Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories. It is important to monitor the role of transnational corporations in the Palestinian genocide. We cannot continue to fail in protecting the civilian population, both in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The international community must be consistent in its functions and priorities and thereby uphold the multilateral and security system of the United Nations acting decisively to prevent further massacres and famine against the Palestinian people. Mr. Chairman, an important step for the Middle East peace process would be effective support for the admission of Palestine as a full member state of the United Nations. The right to negotiate peace on an equal footing is a step that must be taken as soon as possible in order to overcome the occupation. There can be no lasting peace where repression and annexation persist. Peace requires respect for human dignity and for the self-determination of peoples. As a member of this committee, Venezuela reiterates its firm commitment to working for the cause of the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. We are convinced that there will be no peace in the Middle East until such time as a definitive a solution to this issue is achieved. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.


Chair · Panda [1:22:17]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Venezuela. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Namibia.


Namibia [1:22:27]:

Thank you, Chairperson, for convening this timely meeting at a time of profound crisis in the Middle East as the region is engulfed by escalating cycles of violence unprecedented humanitarian suffering, especially in Palestine. For over 7 decades, the Palestinian people have endured tremendous hardship. It seems that the world has grown accustomed to the state of affairs, but this very committee has stood firm in its support of Palestine and the cause of self-determination. We reiterate our unequivocal support for the two-state a solution, which is not a matter of political convenience. It is a matter of justice, legality, rooted in the UN Charter. Today, Gaza stands as a stark indictment of the international community's failure. The scale of violence and destruction, the staggering civilian casualties and obstruction of humanitarian assistance constitute a humanitarian catastrophe that should shock the conscience of humanity. Namibia therefore demands a genuine and sustained ceasefire as Israeli deadly strikes in Gaza continue unabated. We demand the full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and unhindered humanitarian access. The Palestinian people are entitled to dignity, security, and self-determination, not as a concession but as an inalienable right. Namibia congratulates this Bureau, or the Bureau of this Committee, and the Secretariat for all the work undertaken since the beginning of the year and wishes them strength and courage for the months ahead. I thank you.


Chair · Panda [1:24:15]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Namibia. I see no other request for the floor, and we are reaching our last agenda item for today. Are there any other matters to be raised? There are no other matters to be discussed, and I thank all the participants in this meeting The meeting stands adjourned.