{"id":286109,"date":"2023-03-18T16:47:43","date_gmt":"2023-03-18T20:47:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&p=286109"},"modified":"2023-03-27T16:49:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T20:49:37","slug":"unrwa-statement-on-joint-un-watch-institute-for-monitoring-peace-and-cultural-tolerance-in-school-education-impact-se-report","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/unrwa-statement-on-joint-un-watch-institute-for-monitoring-peace-and-cultural-tolerance-in-school-education-impact-se-report\/","title":{"rendered":"UNRWA Statement on Joint UN Watch-Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

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18 March 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n
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AMMAN<\/strong><\/p>\n

This week, two organisations released a report criticizing and questioning – once again – the Agency\u2019s adherence to UN values and humanitarian principles, including neutrality.<\/p>\n

\u201cUNRWA takes each allegation extremely seriously, no matter the source. Investigations are now underway. Should any misconduct be found, UNRWA will take the necessary disciplinary or administrative actions,\u201d said Ms. Stenseth, UNRWA\u2019s Deputy Commissioner-General, during a briefing to the Agency\u2019s close partners. She also reiterated the full commitment of UNRWA to upholding UN values and humanitarian principles, including neutrality. She confirmed the Agency\u2019s zero-tolerance position towards hatred and the promotion of violence.<\/p>\n

This latest report parallels these organisations\u2019 previous attempts to sensationalize, overstate and sometimes give misguided conclusions derived from what a credible academic\u00a0organisation<\/a>\u00a0described as methodologies\u00a0\u201c<\/em>marked by generalising and exaggerated conclusions based on methodological shortcomings<\/em>.\u201d<\/em><\/a>\u00a0This latest report follows the same pattern. It, for example, does not hesitate, without any verification, to portray people who left the organization more than a decade ago as current UNRWA staff.<\/p>\n

Ms. Stenseth confirmed to partners that UNRWA undertakes a range of prevention measures, and that its teams are constantly reminded of their obligations and responsibilities as UN staff. \u00a0They receive regular in-person training sessions and mandatory online courses on humanitarian principles, social media use, and ethics. In addition, UNRWA undertakes regular and meticulous reviews of all textbooks and learning materials. This is despite significant financial challenges at UNRWA, including the limited number of investigators in the Agency.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Deputy Commissioner-General provided partners with context and background -not included in the report- namely the volatility across the region, recurrent escalations and conflicts, the occupation and multiple crises that create heightened political tensions. She also briefed on the engagement of the Agency with UNESCO, the World Bank and other institutions through the \u201cEducation Expert Advisory Group\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ms. Stenseth concluded that this and previous similar reports have never been submitted to UNRWA for comments prior to publishing, in the way that any credible research organisation would invariably require.<\/p>\n

ENDs-\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notes to Editors\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n