{"id":270661,"date":"2022-02-08T16:55:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T21:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=270661"},"modified":"2022-02-10T09:47:43","modified_gmt":"2022-02-10T14:47:43","slug":"rejecting-piecemeal-approaches-secretary-general-says-concrete-steps-urgently-needed-to-achieve-two-state-solution-as-palestinian-rights-committee-begins-2022-session-press-release-ga-pal-1444","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/rejecting-piecemeal-approaches-secretary-general-says-concrete-steps-urgently-needed-to-achieve-two-state-solution-as-palestinian-rights-committee-begins-2022-session-press-release-ga-pal-1444\/","title":{"rendered":"Rejecting Piecemeal Approaches, Secretary-General Says Concrete Steps Urgently Needed to Achieve Two-State Solution, as Palestinian Rights Committee Begins 2022 Session – Press Release (GA\/PAL\/1444)"},"content":{"rendered":"

GA\/PAL\/1444<\/strong>
\n8 FEBRUARY 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fran\u00e7ais\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

video<\/a><\/p>\n

Israel Imposing Apartheid Regime against Palestinians, Speakers Stress,\u00a0Noting 2021 among Deadliest Years in Over a Decade for Civilian Population<\/h4>\n

Intensified efforts are urgently needed to resolve the Israel-Palestine situation with a view to reaching the overall goal of two States living side by side in peace and security, Â鶹APP Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres said today at the first formal meeting of the Palestinian Rights Committee in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no plan B,\u201d he told members of the 25-member entity, known formally as the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, which the General Assembly established in 1975.\u00a0 \u201cTime is running short. \u00a0We cannot lose sight of the long-sought goal of ending the occupation and realizing a two-State solution. \u00a0All parties must take concrete steps to improve the prospects of a negotiated solution and achieve a just and lasting peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Piecemeal approaches to the question of Palestine will only ensure that the underlying issues perpetuating the conflict remain unaddressed, he said, emphasizing that unilateral steps and illegal actions that drive the conflict must stop.\u00a0 Concerned about continued violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he said all settlement activity is illegal and must stop.\u00a0 Continued human rights violations against Palestinians significantly impede their ability to live in security and to develop their communities and economy, he continued, also calling on all parties to preserve the status quo at the holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n

While working towards reviving the political process, he said the international community must support efforts to improve the economic and humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. \u00a0The Â鶹APP Humanitarian Flash Appeal for Gaza has received vital support, reconstruction efforts in Gaza are ongoing and the Organization\u2019s system continues with critical COVID-19 response efforts on the ground.\u00a0 At the same time, concerns remain about the dire fiscal situation facing the Palestinian Authority, which is undermining its institutional stability and ability to provide services to its people.\u00a0 In addition, the existential financial threat facing the Â鶹APP Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is affecting the rights and well-being of Palestine refugees across the region.<\/p>\n

Calling on Member States to increase their financial support to the Palestinian people and their contributions to UNRWA, he said Israeli decisions to increase the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip is not enough. \u00a0For sustainable improvement to lives and livelihoods in Gaza, it is important to expand such steps and work towards a full lifting of the closures in line with Security Council resolution 1860<\/a> (2009).\u00a0 For its part, the Â鶹APP is committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict, he said.<\/p>\n

Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, an observer for the State of Palestine, regretted to note that 2022 has begun the same as 2021, as the occupation continues amid violence, displacement and trauma against the backdrop of a global pandemic.\u00a0 Leading human rights organizations have reached the same conclusions:\u00a0 that Israel is imposing an apartheid regime against the Palestinian people.\u00a0 As such, the international community must be clear:\u00a0 this is not about antisemitism, but about human rights, based on facts and international law.\u00a0 Citing such incidents as the Gaza blockade, she said there is ample proof that war crimes are being committed.\u00a0 Emphasizing that it is time to change this, she said that without action, the situation will become more deplorable as Israel becomes more bold in its impunity.<\/p>\n

The Palestine leadership has proven that it is a partner for peace, she said, reiterating its commitment to using all diplomatic means to bring an end to occupation and achieve freedom and rights for all Palestinians.\u00a0 Calling on the international community and civil society to take action to resolve these serious concerns, she asked the Committee to address the root causes of the current injustices and to work towards achieving a just solution, with two States based on General Assembly resolutions.\u00a0 Reiterating an appeal for assistance for UNRWA, she expressed gratitude to the Secretary-General and the Committee for their tireless efforts and anticipated working with members towards achieving peace.<\/p>\n

Cheikh Niang (Senegal), speaking upon his re-election as Committee Chair, thanking members for their hard work and commitment to the Palestinian cause, said the Committee is constantly working to improve and reinvent itself against an ever more uncertain backdrop.\u00a0 In 2021, the Palestinian people faced a particularly challenging year amid the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the further advancement of Israeli settlements, continued movement restrictions and the disproportionate use of force by Israeli security forces, which led to heavy human and material losses in May.\u00a0 As it stands committed to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, the Committee condemns all forms of violence and incitement to hatred, regardless of their perpetrators.<\/p>\n

Urging both parties to return to the negotiating table to pursue a lasting peace through the creation of two sovereign States, he underlined the need to shore up the international community\u2019s commitment to a two-State solution, which requires a relaunch of the peace process.\u00a0 The international community and in particular the Middle East Quartet should support the Palestinian Authority in working to bring an end to the conflict, and in facing such challenges as terrorism, poverty, violence, and exclusion.\u00a0 Warning against any unilateral steps by any party, he underlined the need for respect for the region\u2019s holy sites, as well as the right of Muslim people to prayer at them.\u00a0 Meanwhile, UNRWA also needs support to continue providing critical services in education, health care, humanitarian assistance and sustainable development.\u00a0 The Committee will continue to engage with all stakeholders and support any initiative aimed at realizing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in line with a two-State solution.<\/p>\n

Highlighting some of the work ahead, he said the Committee will hold several virtual events during the session, including one in March on the issue of \u201capartheid\u201d in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, featuring prominent human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. \u00a0Other virtual events include a panel on the margins of the annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women and a discussion on illegal Israeli settlements, with a focus on the case study of Hebron.<\/p>\n

The Committee re-elected Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta (Cuba), Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir (Indonesia), Neville Melvin Gertze (Namibia) and Jaime Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua) as Vice-Chairs.\u00a0 The Committee is still in consultation to fill the vacant posts of Rapporteur and one Vice-Chair.<\/p>\n

Mr.\u00a0Pedroso Cuesta (Cuba), one of the Committee\u2019s newly elected Vice-Chairs, took the floor to stress that resolving the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory requires renewed efforts by the international community.\u00a0 Noting that 2021 was one of the deadliest years for the Palestinian people in more than a decade, he declared: \u00a0\u201cIsrael is criminalizing and attacking civilians and humanitarian workers, and nothing happens.\u201d\u00a0 Emphasizing that the Palestinian people are facing a situation of genuine apartheid, he said it is the global community\u2019s obligation to put an end to such colonial situations.\u00a0 Against that backdrop, he cited the Committee\u2019s 2022 busy programme of work and pledged to work tirelessly towards a two-State solution that will finally ensure the Palestinian people the crucial right to self-determination.<\/p>\n

In other business, the Committee adopted its programme of work for 2022 (document A\/AC.183\/2022\/L.2).<\/p>\n

The Committee will reconvene at a date and time to be announced.<\/p>\n

Discussion<\/u><\/p>\n

Several Committee members took the floor to express their views on the body\u2019s 2022 programme of work and on its mandate more broadly, as well as on the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.<\/p>\n

The representative of\u00a0Egypt<\/u>, congratulating the newly elected and re-elected members of the Bureau, said the Palestinian cause is currently at a critical juncture and facing a range of serious new threats.\u00a0 While neither side currently wishes to see a change in the status quo, recent months have seen increasing Israeli violations at holy sites in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as accelerating settlement activities.\u00a0 The Committee has a role to play in ending that worrying situation, including through its awareness-raising activities and by supporting a return to negotiations, he said.<\/p>\n

India<\/u>\u2019s representative said his delegation has long supported the international community\u2019s quest for a two-State solution, as reflected by its support to UNRWA and its bilateral work with the Palestinian Authority.\u00a0 Voicing concern over the deteriorating situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he warned against unilateral measures that alter the situation on the ground and pose serious challenges to the resumption of peace talks.\u00a0 Urging the parties to focus on constructive measures, he reiterated India\u2019s calls for a resumption of dialogue leading to the establishment of two sovereign States living side by side in line with international agreements and pre-1967 borders.<\/p>\n

The representative of\u00a0Tunisia<\/u>\u00a0echoed other speakers in calling for an end to the long-standing Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian State.\u00a0 Expressing support for the Committee\u2019s 2022 programme of work, he welcomed its openness to hearing the voices of civil society members, non-governmental organizations, women leaders, and a range of other crucial stakeholders, while pledging Tunisia\u2019s support for its planned activities and events over the course of the year.<\/p>\n

The representative of\u00a0Indonesia<\/u>, pointing out that the situation on the ground remains extremely distant from the vision of a two-State solution, urged the international community to redouble its concerted efforts to achieve that goal.\u00a0 As a member of the Bureau, he pledged his country\u2019s unwavering support to the Palestinian people and vowed to work in defence of their inalienable rights.<\/p>\n

Lebanon<\/u>\u2019s delegate noted the Committee\u2019s outstanding efforts to keep the Palestinian question in the spotlight through conferences, seminars, workshops and activities, as reflected in its programme of work for 2022.\u00a0 Commending efforts to increase the world\u2019s attention and interest in the situation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to shine a spotlight on the daily struggle of Palestinians, he said the Israeli practices of house demolitions, uprooting Palestinians from their homes, arbitrary detention and daily humiliation and aggression continue unabated.\u00a0 \u201cDespite international efforts, multiple peace initiatives and relevant Â鶹APP resolutions, the reality on the ground for the Palestinians has worsened over the last 70\u00a0years,\u201d he said, as Israel continues to disregard international law.<\/p>\n

The representative of\u00a0China<\/u>, joining other speakers in commending the Committee\u2019s efforts to carry out its mandate, said 2022 marks the seventy-fifth year that the Question of Palestine will feature on the Â鶹APP agenda.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s hope that 2022 will not be another year without much progress on this file,\u201d he said, urging the two parties to engage in direct negotiations as soon as possible and voicing support for efforts to enhance the Palestinian Authority\u2019s authority in such areas as security and financing.\u00a0 Settlement expansion, evictions and forced demolitions \u2014 as well as violence against civilians \u2014 only further erodes mutual trust and exacerbates the situation.\u00a0 In that context, he called for the urgent holding of an international peace conference under the auspices of the Â鶹APP and expressed his country\u2019s support for a two-State solution and the peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel.<\/p>\n

Also speaking were the representatives of Jordan, Turkey, Bangladesh and Venezuela.<\/p>\n

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

GA\/PAL\/1444 8 FEBRUARY 2022 Fran\u00e7ais\u00a0 video Israel Imposing Apartheid Regime against Palestinians, Speakers Stress,\u00a0Noting 2021 among Deadliest Years in Over a Decade for Civilian Population Intensified efforts are urgently needed to resolve the Israel-Palestine situation with a view to reaching the overall goal of two States living side by side in peace and security, United […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"template-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[5334,759,882,885,897,909,933,1179,1182,1218],"document-category":[1329,2805,4389],"document-source":[1753,5352,6169,1817],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2517,1945,5358,1937,2005,2533,2401,1801,1961,2185,2349,1749,1797,1745,2137,6245],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6541],"class_list":["post-270661","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","country-bangladesh","country-china","country-india","country-indonesia","country-israel","country-jordan","country-lebanon","country-tunisia","country-turkiye","country-venezuela","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-relief-and-works-agency-for-palestine-refugees-in-the-near-east-unrwa","document-subject-access-and-movement","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-ClosuresCurfewsBlockades","document-subject-economic-issues","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-health","document-subject-holy-places","document-subject-inalienable-rights-of-the-palestinian-people","document-subject-jerusalem","document-subject-legal-issues","document-subject-living-conditions","document-subject-palestine-question","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","document-subject-settlements","document-subject-violence","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-french"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/270661","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\/270661\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=270661"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=270661"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=270661"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=270661"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=270661"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=270661"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=270661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}