The United Nations on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the two-state solution to reach a settlement of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
In an address read on his behalf at a meeting held at UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the UN’s commitment to peace in the region.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to realizing the vision of a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace and security with Jerusalem as the capital of both states,” he told the address of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
In this context, he noted the importance of advancing the cause of peace in order to lay the foundations for a “future where peace, justice, security and dignity for all prevail”.
The UN chief further urged all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to take “immediate actions” to ease tensions and end the cycle of violence.
Referring to the financial difficulties facing the UN agency responsible for aid to Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Mr. Guterres urged donors to provide “predictable and sufficient” funding so that the UN agency can fully discharge its mission.
For his part, the President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi underlined, during this meeting organized on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the importance of the two-way solution States for a lasting peace in the region.
“Our goal is to have a Middle East free from conflict and able to harness the enormous potential of all peoples,” he said, while calling for compromise, direct dialogue and good faith negotiations in this part of the world.
He also urged the international community to show solidarity by providing UNRWA with the necessary means to accomplish its mission, noting that the UN agency suffers from a funding shortfall of more than 600 million dollars.
“At a time when the political will to find a long-term solution seems weak, let us at least ensure sufficient and reliable multi-year funding for UNRWA to enable it to carry out its tasks”, pleaded the senior UN official, during of this meeting chaired by Cheikh Niang, President of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.