{"id":245616,"date":"2021-02-04T23:40:29","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T04:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=245616"},"modified":"2021-03-15T11:04:08","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T15:04:08","slug":"unilateral-actions-could-jeopardize-resumption-of-peace-talks-secretary-general-warns-as-palestinian-rights-committee-holds-first-2021-meeting-press-release-ga-pal-1435","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/unilateral-actions-could-jeopardize-resumption-of-peace-talks-secretary-general-warns-as-palestinian-rights-committee-holds-first-2021-meeting-press-release-ga-pal-1435\/","title":{"rendered":"Unilateral Actions Could Jeopardize Resumption of Peace Talks, Secretary-General Warns, as Palestinian Rights Committee Holds First 2021 Meeting – Press Release (GA\/PAL\/1435)"},"content":{"rendered":"
GA\/PAL\/1435<\/strong>
\n4 FEBRUARY 2021<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Fran\u00e7ais<\/a><\/p>\n

Video<\/a><\/p>\n

Following are UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\u2019 remarks to the opening meeting of the 2021\u00a0session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, held today:<\/p>\n

I was very honoured to preside over the beginning of this year\u2019s first meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.\u00a0 My congratulations to the Chair, Ambassador Cheikh Niang\u00a0(Senegal), and other members of the Bureau, on your election.<\/p>\n

The unresolved question of Palestine underlines the continued importance of the Committee.\u00a0 This is affirmed by the General Assembly\u2019s adoption, last December and by large majorities, of all the resolutions on the question of Palestine recommended by the Committee.<\/p>\n

The year 2021\u00a0presents tremendous tests and opportunities across the board.\u00a0 It challenges us to reinvent how we make and sustain peace, while confronting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 The pandemic has had a severe impact on the Palestinians, particularly in Gaza.\u00a0 The public health system has been pushed to the brink due to the occupation and the fragile socioeconomic, humanitarian and political situation.<\/p>\n

The Â鶹APP and its partners are supporting the Palestinian Government\u2019s work to control the spread of the pandemic.\u00a0 Through the efforts of the World Health Organization\u00a0(WHO) and the Â鶹APP Children\u2019s Fund\u00a0(UNICEF), the Â鶹APP is also supporting the Government\u2019s preparedness to receive and administer vaccines.<\/p>\n

The Special Coordinator [for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland,] continues to encourage Israel to help address the priority needs of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory \u2014 and to support COVID-19 vaccine availability more generally, which is in line with Israel\u2019s obligations under international law.<\/p>\n

The Â鶹APP remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict and bring an end to the suffering.\u00a0 I reiterate my call on the Government of Israel to immediately halt all settlement activity, which is a major obstacle to the achievement of a two-State solution, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.<\/p>\n

Persistent acts of violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, as well as Israeli movement and access restrictions and other violations of international humanitarian and human rights law exacerbate mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians and drive us further from peace.<\/p>\n

The Committee plays an important role in mobilizing international opinion and assisting Palestinians and Israelis to re-engage in meaningful negotiations.\u00a0 The long-agreed goal is clear:\u00a0 To end the occupation and realize a two-State solution on the basis of the pre-1967\u00a0borders, in line with international law, relevant Â鶹APP resolutions and bilateral agreements, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.<\/p>\n

[Palestinian] President Mahmoud Abbas\u2019s call for an international peace conference under the auspices of the Â鶹APP, and an expanded Middle East Quartet with considered preparation and involvement by the key parties, provide a positive opportunity to advance peace in the region.<\/p>\n

I call on the parties to refrain from unilateral acts that can jeopardize the possibility of restarting the peace process.\u00a0 I welcome the Presidential decree issued by President Mahmoud Abbas to hold legislative, presidential and Palestinian National Council elections this year.<\/p>\n

The holding of elections in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, will be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity.\u00a0 It will give renewed legitimacy to national institutions, including a democratically elected Parliament and Government in Palestine.\u00a0 Elections are a vital part of building a democratic Palestinian State founded on the rule of law with equal rights for all.\u00a0 The Committee\u2019s support to these efforts will be crucial.<\/p>\n

I also commend the Committee\u2019s efforts to mobilize support for the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East\u00a0(UNRWA) in a way that is sustainable, predictable and long-term \u2014 as Palestinian refugees need and deserve.<\/p>\n

Let me conclude by restating the important advocacy role of the Committee.\u00a0 Together, let us strive to uphold the values of the Â鶹APP Charter as our shared framework of cooperation for the realization of the rights of Israelis and Palestinians, the Middle East region and beyond.<\/p>\n

For information media. Not an official record.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

GA\/PAL\/1435 4 FEBRUARY 2021 Fran\u00e7ais Video Following are UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres\u2019 remarks to the opening meeting of the 2021\u00a0session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, held today: I was very honoured to preside over the beginning of this year\u2019s first meeting of the Committee on the […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"template-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1329,2805,4389],"document-source":[1753,5352,6169,1877,2529],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[1945,2065,4317,2533,1801,2349,1749,1797,1905,6245],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6541],"class_list":["post-245616","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-release","document-category-video","document-category-webcast","document-source-ceirpp","document-source-secretary-general","document-source-united-nations-department-of-global-communications","document-source-united-nations-special-coordinator-for-the-middle-east-peace-process-unsco","document-source-world-health-organization-who","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-electoral-issues","document-subject-governance","document-subject-health","document-subject-inalienable-rights-of-the-palestinian-people","document-subject-living-conditions","document-subject-palestine-question","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-peace-proposals-and-efforts","document-subject-violence","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/245616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/245616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=245616"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=245616"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=245616"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=245616"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=245616"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=245616"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=245616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}