United Nations General Assembly

Explanation of Vote delivered by H.E. Mr. Olivier Maes Ambassador,
Permanent Representative of Luxembourg on behalf of the members of the core group of shared commitments on UNRWA

Mister President,

I have the honor to deliver this explanation of vote on behalf of the members of the core group of shared commitments on UNRWA, namely Algeria, Belgium, Brazil, Guyana, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kuwait, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, State of Palestine, Türkiye and my own country, Luxembourg.

We reaffirm our full support to the shared commitments, which gathered the support of more than 120 signatories.

We welcome and support international efforts towards a just and sustainable political solution to the question of Palestine, including the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which culminated in the endorsement of the New York Declaration by the General Assembly on 12 September. The New York Declaration underlines UNRWA’s indispensable role, while it also affirms that UNRWA shall hand over its public-like services in the occupied Palestinian territory to empowered and prepared Palestinian institutions upon the achievement of a just solution to the Palestinian refugee issue to be agreed upon in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194.

We also welcome the Advisory Opinion given by the International Court of Justice on 22 October on the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations, other international organizations and third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Court’s authoritative determinations reaffirm the obligation of Israel, as the occupying Power, to allow UNRWA to operate in accordance with international humanitarian law and the UN Charter. The ICJ also reaffirms that UNRWA remains the backbone of all humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip.

We welcome the leadership by Secretary-General Guterres, including by mandating an independent review, which provided the Colonna Report, and the Strategic Assessment on UNRWA, which reaffirms UNRWA’s unique, indispensable and outstanding role. We welcome the ongoing process of implementation of the Colonna Report recommendations and regular information provided by the Agency in this regard.

Mister President,

Today’s votes come at a crucial time. We welcome the ceasefire in Gaza and the work of the mediators – Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States. In Gaza, UNRWA remains a lifeline, delivering emergency humanitarian aid, providing shelter, ensuring access to essential health care and education services, and it is a vital support for any viable political plan and stabilization in a post-ceasefire period. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, UNRWA also remains vital for refugee communities and as a support to the Palestinian government. And in its other areas of operation – Jordan, Lebanon and Syria – UNRWA remains an indispensable partner to host authorities for a wide range of social services.

Yet, the Agency faces severe obstacles and challenges. Israeli legislation negatively impacting UNRWA remains in place despite clear and repeated calls by the UN membership for the reversal of such decisions. The General Assembly cannot accept that a United Nations Agency, created by and a subsidiary organ of the Assembly, is blocked from fulfilling its mandate. We reiterate our demand to Israel to reverse this legislation and refrain from pursuing further legislative proposals violating international law, UN resolutions and Israel’s Charter obligations.

The Agency’s financial challenges also remain acute. We urge Member States to increase their financial support to UNRWA to ensure the continuity of its operations to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to millions of Palestine refugees in its five fields of operation.

Mister President,

UNRWA has the necessary expertise, capacity and workforce for the immediate scaling up of humanitarian aid into and inside Gaza, and for addressing the increasingly dire humanitarian conditions of Palestine refugees in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the face of the Israeli occupation’s escalating violations and settler attacks. It has also the necessary expertise, capacity and workforce for restoring basic public services during the period of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction. It is an Agency that enjoys public trust. From healthcare provided to mothers, education for hundreds of thousands of children, training for youth and services for community, and humanitarian relief in times of emergency and crisis, UNRWA is part and parcel of the communities it serves and the broader societies within which they exist. Its personnel, databases and premises provide a solid foundation for capacity building of Palestinian State institutions. UNRWA’s role is therefore key for achieving the Two-State Solution.

Mister President,

For all these reasons, it is obvious that UNRWA remains essential and indispensable. We therefore fully support the extension of UNRWA’s mandate through the adoption of the resolution entitled “Assistance to Palestine refugees”, as well as the adoption of the resolution on the operations of UNRWA, under agenda item 49. We urge all delegations to join us in voting in favor of those resolutions.

In closing, we would like to convey our deepest appreciation to UNRWA’s leadership, including Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, and to UNRWA’s staff for their continued dedication to the Agency’s crucial mandate in a very challenging context.

Thank you.