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Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner General Opening statement, UNRWA Advisory Commission (Source)
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18:57
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MP4
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332.9 MB
Teleprompter
OK,
excellent. So
Excellencies, dear member of the advisory commission
First welcome to the Palais des Nations
for the first in person meeting of the advisory commission
since the start of the war in Gaza.
And here I would like to thank the United States for its efforts as chair
of the advisory commission as well as Egypt and
the European Union for their effort as vice chairs.
I would also like to thank Canada for serving as Subcom chair
and Jordan and the European Union for serving as subcom
vice chairs.
We are convening at a time of seismic changes
in the occupied Palestinian territory
and the broader region.
In the last nine months,
we have witnessed unprecedented failures of humanity
in a territory marked by decades of violence.
Palestinian and Israelis have experienced
terrible losses
and suffered
immensely.
Gaza has been decimated
for more than 2 million Gazans.
It is a living hell,
a nightmare
from which they cannot wake
catastrophic levels of hunger across the Gaza Strip As a result of human action,
Children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration
while food and clean water wait in trucks.
The breakdown of civil order has resulted in
rampant looting and smuggling that impedes the delivery
of desperately needed
humanitarian aid.
Gazans are
clanging to life
displaced,
displaced repeatedly
across a ravaged territory
in the shadow of Gaza. Another tragedy is unfolding
in the West Bank.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since October.
Daily attack by Israeli settlers, Military incursions
and the destruction of homes and critical infrastructure
are part of a well oiled system of segregation
and oppression.
On the Israel Lebanon border.
Clashes are intensifying,
threatening full blown war.
Millions of Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territory Lebanon,
Syria and Jordan
are anxious
and afraid.
Most have been living in camps for generations,
often with limited rights
under grinding poverty,
waiting for a political solution
that will bring an end to the plight.
Today,
they're witnessing the greatest Palestinian tragedy
since an
AVA.
And as they have done for 75 years,
they are looking
to UNRWA
for protection
and the fulfilment of basic human rights.
Member of the advisory commission,
UW has been
a driver of human development for Palestine refugees. Since its creation.
It has upheld the rights to education and health
when providing protection and assistance
in the absence of a full fledged state.
By doing so,
the agency has been a force for stability across the region
and a beacon of hope for Palestinians.
Today,
however,
UN W A is staggering under the weight of relentless attacks
in Gaza.
The agency has paid a terrible price.
193 unu
A personnel have been killed.
More than 180 installations have been damaged or destroyed,
killing at least 500 people seeking
United Nations Protection.
UN W A personnel have been detained
alongside other Gazans by the Israeli security forces
and report mistreatment
and torture.
Our premises have been used for military purposes by Israel,
Hamas and other Palestinian armed group.
Our convoys have come under attack.
Despite coordinate movement with Israeli authorities
in the West Bank,
UN was operational. Space
is shrinking.
Israeli security forces have deployed
inside some UN W a facilities during military operation
in the Palestine refugee camps.
Arbitrary measures imposed by Israel severely restrict the presence
and the movement of staff.
Increasingly violent. Protests outside our premises in east Jerusalem
recently culminated in arson
attacks.
These are grotesque,
irresponsible
and dangerous actions
In 30 years of humanitarian work,
I have never encountered such blatant disregard
for the protected statue
of humanitarian workers, facilities and operations
under international law.
Turning a blind eye to these attacks sets a dangerous precedent.
It compromises future humanitarian work
and the rules based international order in other conflict situations.
In addition to these attacks,
we are witnessing a concerted effort to dismantle UN W A,
with the aim of changing the established political
parameters for peace in the occupied Palestinian territory.
This effort includes legislative
proposals that seek to undermine our operation
by threatening eviction from our compound and labelling UN
W A as a terrorist organisation.
The agency
is targeted because of its role in safeguarding the rights of Palestinian refugees
and because it embodies an international commitment to a political solution.
Israel has long been critical of the agency's mandate,
but it now seeks
to end UN W A's operation,
dismissing the agency's status as a United Nations entity supported
by an overwhelming majority
of member states.
If we do not push back,
other UN entities and international organisations will be next
further undermining our multilateral system,
member of the advisory commission.
Amid these extraordinary challenges,
I received serious allegations that several UN W a personnel in Gaza
were involved in the
abhorrent attacks against Israel on October 7th.
If proved true,
this allegation would constitute an appalling
betrayal of Palestine refugees and UW's
critical mandate.
I immediately terminated the appointment of the accused individual,
the Office of Internal Oversight Service
O,
he says of the matter
and the secretary general launched an independent review of
how UN W a upholds neutrality in its work.
The O
US investigation
is ongoing.
Of the 19 cases required for investigation,
one has been closed and the staff member has been reinstated.
Four cases are suspended,
requiring additional evidence.
14 investigations are ongoing.
Separately,
the independent review led by former French Minister
Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna,
concluded that UN
has established policy mechanism and procedures
to ensure compliance with the principle
of neutrality.
The review confirms that the agency has
systems to address alleged neutrality breaches,
including through disciplinary sanctions.
Importantly,
it recognises the complexity
of the environment in which UN W a works.
The report also makes a recommendation to reinforce neutrality
and underscores that upholding neutrality is a shared responsibility.
Un Hua
welcomes the recommendation
and commits to implementing them
with your active engagement as oaths and donor.
The agency has published an updated policy directive on
outside and political activities for local and international personnel.
The policy reiterates that while staff have a
right to their personal views and convictions,
they cannot represent
a government or a political party,
nor hold any high or public office.
Membership in any militant or armed group or entity
is prohibited.
You will hear more from my deputy for operational support
about implementation
of the Corona
Um recommendation. In fact, later today,
member of the advisory commission I have warned repeatedly
in this forum that UN W A's funding model
is incompatible
with its mandate to provide public services.
More than a decade of chronic underfunding
has depleted our financial reserves
together
with severe austerity measures.
This has eroded the quality of our services.
Palestinian refugees now
have short medical consultation
with UN
W a doctors seeing an average of 72 patients
a day.
UN Our classrooms are more crowded
with more enrollment
and less funding
to open new classes or hire more teachers,
the agency is increasingly less able to support the poorest
and most vulnerable Palestine refugees, requiring food
and cash assistance.
A strong resistance to change
stemming from the lack of any progress towards a viable political solution
has not allowed the agency
to adapt to its financial reality.
Weakened by snowballing financial deficits carried from one year to the next,
the agency nearly imploded
earlier this year
in the wake of the allegation against individual staff members,
16 member states temporarily suspended funding to the agency,
amounting
to half
the expected funding for the year.
We have worked tirelessly with partners to restore confidence in the agency.
Almost all partners have resumed funding
and I am immensely grateful for your trust and support.
However,
the fundamental fiscal challenge remains
UN W A lacks the resources to deliver its mandate.
The agency's ability to operate beyond August
will depend on member state disbursing plan funds
and providing new contribution to the core budget
for the humanitarian emergency in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Driven primarily by the war in Gaza,
we are appealing for $1.2
billion to cover critical human
needs
until the end of the year.
As of today,
the appeal is only 18% funded.
Meanwhile,
the emergency appeal for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan
remains also less than 20% funded
member of the advisory commission, UN W A,
is the backbone of the human
response in Gaza.
The agency will remain essential for viable transition from ceasefire to day after
it will play a key role in providing essential services,
notably primary health care and education
to a shattered population.
Before the war,
Wa met 70 to 80% of primary health care needs in Gaza
throughout the war,
at least six out of 22 UN
W a health centres have operated continuously.
In addition to nearly 100 mobile health teams.
Our extensive network and deep integration into the community allow us
to rapidly introduce and scale up services
such as mental health and trauma care,
which are crucial in the transitional phase.
Education
is another priority in Gaza,
where every second person is a child.
Palestinian communities value education highly
evidenced by a 98% of literacy rate.
Education
was the only investment from which they could not be dispossessed.
Girls and Children
have now lost almost three
of the last four school years to the conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today,
more than 630,000 deeply traumatised Children
are living in the rubble without access
to education.
300,000 of them were enrolled in nearly 290 wa
schools
before the war.
Children who are out of schools are at risk of violence and
exploitation,
child labour, early marriage and recruitment by armed group.
Without decisive intervention to resume education,
we will condemn an
entire generation to poverty
and sow the seeds of hatred, resentment
and future
conflict.
Together with the partners including UNICEF,
UNESCO and the Palestinian Authority,
we have put together a plan to resume learning in Gaza.
The plan starts
with a systemic,
systematic provision of mental health
and psychosocial support services,
transitions
to fostering literacy
and numeracy in informal setting like shelters
and culminates
in the return to formal education
in rebuild schools.
Member of the advisory commission on what was
created 75 years ago as a temporary agency
a stop
gap measure pending a political answer to the question of Palestine.
The agency exists today
because the political solution does not.
It exists in lieu of a state that can deliver critical public services.
If the international
community truly commits to a political solution,
U
can resume its intended role supporting a time bound transition,
delivering education, primary health care
and social support.
It can do so
until a Palestinian administration takes over the services
absorbing
onwards. Palestinian personnel, a civil servant
member of the advisory commission.
Let me conclude with free request.
First,
I urge you to safeguard UN W A's critical role,
both now and within the framework of a transition.
The notion that the agency can be dismantled without triggering the collapse of the
response in Gaza
and causing chaos in its fields of operation
is naive at best.
As a member of the Aviary Commission,
you know
un's value and the indispensable role it plays in the lives of millions.
The agency
must be allowed to continue providing services until a political solution
is at hand.
Second,
we must kill up and enhance our service delivery to Palestine refugees.
For this,
we must cultivate
and maintain strong partnerships.
These partnerships must build on our respective strengths
and complement on what's mandate,
not undermine it.
This effort to meet overwhelming needs must be matched by adequate, predictable
and flexible funding from member states.
Third,
I seek your support as donors and hosts
in implementing the recommendation of the colona
report
Upholding neutrality is responsible for the survival
of this agency
and the continuity of its vital work.
It is a shared responsibility.
The advisory commission must play its part if we are to succeed,
including by implementing the recommendation directed
at the
at the advisory Commission.
In closing,
I appeal to all and donors to engage fully
in strategic discussions about the future
of this agency.
The region and the world have changed drastically since we last met.
The pressures on the agency today are greater than ever before.
If the status quo is maintained,
the agency will crumble and millions of vulnerable Children, women and men
will pay a heavy price.
I hope that our discussion at this meeting of the advisory Commission
will reflect the urgency and significance of the existential crisis
we are confronting.
Thank you, Mr Chair.
Thank you, Mr Lazzarini, for your statement.