Mr. Chair,
Let me start by expressing our appreciation for UNRWA's work and paying tribute to the effort and bravery of their dedicated staff, who are working in an extremely difficult context.
Mr. Chair,
More than seventy years have passed since the Palestinian exodus began.
In such a lifelong time, there have been countless Palestinian people who were born, grown up, aged, and even died in camps. It is so unfair when they have to go through such ordeals and miserable journeys.
Recent reports from UNRWA continued to emphasize that hostilities, heightened tensions, and violence have exacerbated the already dire situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Under these circumstances, UNRWA has proven to be an essential provider of vital services to millions of Palestinian refugees, and an important element in stabilising the situation in the region.
Before this conflict is resolved, it is of the utmost importance that UNRWA can continue its services, including providing healthcare for all refugees and education for young Palestinian children, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, but also in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Therefore, we strongly support the renewal of UNRWA's mandate.
Yet the extension of the mandate alone is not sufficient. Financial stability is also crucial for the continuation of its lifeline services. We call upon all the donors to guarantee predictable and sustained funding for the UNRWA by providing regular and multi-year contributions, and by allocating expenses for UNRWA operational costs from the regular budget of the United Nations.
At the same time, it is equally important to support the natural development of the Palestinian economy to ease the plights of the Palestinian people. All barriers to economic development, including occupation policies that limit movement and transportation of goods, must be removed.
In the long term, providing essential services to the refugees should not be the alternative to finding a just, comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict.
Security and stability cannot be achieved in the Middle East without granting the Palestinian people their legitimate rights. The two-state solution remains the only realistic path to a sustainable peace.
In this connection, we would like to underscore our firm support for the establishment of the State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, with secure and internationally recognized borders on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, in accordance with international law, the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions.
I thank you./.