Statement by Ambassador Samuel Žbogar, chargé d’affaires, at the UN General Assembly 4th Committee General Debate on UNRWA, on behalf of the core group of Shared Commitments on UNRWA

Madam Chair,

Let me begin by thanking the Commissioner-General Lazzarini for his statement and his dedication and leadership. I also express appreciation to UNRWA staff members for their continued dedication.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the core group of the “Shared Commitments” in support of UNRWA, consisting of Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Guyana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain and the State of Palestine.

At the outset, we emphasize the vital role of UNRWA in providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees through essential education, health, relief, social services programs and emergency assistance in the occupied Palestinian territory, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic.

UNRWA is and must remain the backbone of the international humanitarian response in Gaza. No organization can replace or substitute UNRWA’s capacity and mandate to serve Palestine refugees and civilians in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance. We therefore condemn all efforts to dismantle the Agency’s operations and prematurely end its mandate before the question of Palestine is resolved in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions. We condemn attacks on UN premises and staff, including those of UNRWA. We demand accountability for all these violations and demand an immediate halt to such illegal and destructive actions. We reiterate our sincere condolences on the loss of 239 UNRWA staff members whose lives were taken while serving the Palestinian people.

Over the past year UNRWA personnel – their teachers, counsellors, medical staff engineers and others – have been a lifeline and the only pillar of hope and sustenance for many civilians in Gaza. We commend all their work and sacrifice in providing assistance and protection to the Palestine refugees and internally displaced Palestinian civilians in this catastrophic and continuously deteriorating humanitarian situation. The relentless efforts of the UNRWA staff demonstrate their sustained commitment to addressing the crisis and tangibly illustrate that the international community has not forgotten Gaza.

Madam Chair,

We deplore the measures being taken by Israel against UNRWA, including the legislation adopted by the Israeli Parliament. We urge the Israeli Government to abide by its international obligations, to respect the privileges and immunities of UNRWA, and to uphold its responsibility to allow and facilitate full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance in all its forms into and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including the provision of urgently needed services to the civilian population.

We have to take the drastically worsening humanitarian situation into account. The IPC classification alert of 8 November stresses that famine thresholds may have already been crossed or else will be in the near future. UNRWA is central to the humanitarian response and these conditions would undoubtedly worsen further if UNRWA is unable to operate in Gaza.

In the post-war Gaza, UNRWA is the only human development agency with the capacity and experience to restore education, health and other essential services on the scale that would be required in Gaza. As asserted by many, including the Secretary-General, there is simply no alternative to this United Nations Agency.

If implemented, the legislation adopted by the Knesset would have grave humanitarian consequences for millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on the Agency’s services in the occupied Palestinian territory. It would be a violation of international law, including Israel’s obligations under the UN Charter. This is an unprecedented measure that would constitute a violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the obligations of Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure the well-being of the civilian population under its occupation. It would also significantly hinder the prospects for renewed peace efforts and the viability of the two-state solution, further exacerbating tensions, insecurity and instability in the region.

Instead of seeking to dismantle the Agency, efforts should be geared towards further strengthening it for the delivery of its mandate. In this context, we welcome the Agency’s commitment to fully implement the recommendations of the Colonna report to improve its functioning and to continue to ensure its independence and neutrality in coordination with host countries and stakeholders. We urge all parties to ensure conducive environment for the implementation of the recommendations. We also urge all parties to enable UNRWA to carry out its mandate, as adopted by the General Assembly, in all areas of operation, with full respect to international humanitarian law, including the protection of UN and humanitarian facilities.

Madam Chair,

UNRWA implements its mandate on behalf of all UN Member States, as established by the UN General Assembly resolution 302 (IV).  UNRWA’s mandate has been robustly reaffirmed and received overwhelming support from the UN Member States for decades. We therefore underline that there can be no unilateral altering or cancellation of UNRWA’s mandate. This is solely the remit of the General Assembly.

Allow me to conclude by reiterating that there is no alternative to UNRWA. We reaffirm the shared commitments on UNRWA with 123 signatories to this date. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing the support necessary to enable Agency to fulfil its full mandate.

Thank you.

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