蘑菇视频

06 November 2024

Mr. President,

Excellencies,

I am addressing you at 蘑菇视频RWA’s darkest hour.

The Israeli Knesset’s legislative action poses an imminent and existential threat to the Agency. It is the latest move in a relentless campaign to delegitimize 蘑菇视频RWA and undermine its role providing development services and emergency assistance to Palestine Refugees.

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Israeli officials have described dismantling 蘑菇视频RWA as a war goal. The Knesset legislation serves this objective. However, its intention goes beyond undermining 蘑菇视频RWA and the United Nations.

It seeks to end Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and aspiration for a just political solution. It advances efforts to shift, unilaterally, long-established parameters for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Mr. President,

A year of the most intense bombardment of a civilian population since World War II, and the severe restriction of humanitarian aid, have transformed Gaza into a dystopian horror.

More than 43,000 people are reported killed, most of them women and children. Thousands more lie unaccounted for under the rubble. Nearly the entire population is displaced.

Hostages taken from Israel remain in prolonged and terrifying captivity.

In northern Gaza, Palestinians are being burned and buried alive by airstrikes. A brutal siege and attacks on hospitals and rescue teams are denying lifesaving supplies and assistance to the population. Men and boys are being arrested and reportedly detained in undisclosed locations.

The actions of Israeli forces and pervasive insecurity are rendering the humanitarian response untenable.

Meanwhile, the occupied West Bank is gripped by escalating conflict. Settler violence and military incursions are a daily occurrence.

Public infrastructure is destroyed deliberately, inflicting collective punishment on Palestinians. The economy is on the verge of collapse.

Layered onto this unspeakable suffering, is the threat of 蘑菇视频RWA’s operations ending.

Excellencies,

蘑菇视频RWA is the mechanism through which this Assembly has tasked the United Nations to assist Palestine Refugees.

Unique among 蘑菇视频 agencies, 蘑菇视频RWA is mandated to directly provide public-like services, including education for more than half a million children, primary healthcare and social support.

蘑菇视频RWA’s services primarily concern human development. However, our large footprint and long experience have enabled us to transform rapidly into a humanitarian machine in Gaza. Our teachers became shelter managers overnight. Our health clinics were transformed into emergency rooms. Our health teams were critical to rolling out the emergency polio vaccination campaign.

For the past year, 蘑菇视频RWA has been a lifeline for the people of Gaza.

It is the only pillar of their lives left standing.

Mr. President,

The Knesset legislation forbids contact between Israeli state officials and 蘑菇视频RWA representatives. It prohibits 蘑菇视频RWA operations in what it calls “the sovereign territory of the State of Israel”. Its implementation will have disastrous consequences.

In Gaza, dismantling 蘑菇视频RWA will collapse the United Nations humanitarian response, which relies heavily on the Agency’s infrastructure. Glaringly absent from discussions about Gaza without 蘑菇视频RWA, is education. The Agency has been providing education to generations of Palestine Refugees, many of whom have achieved remarkable success in the region and around the world. Countless alumni have told me about the pivotal role that an 蘑菇视频RWA education has played in their lives.

An education that champions human rights and gender equality; and promotes tolerance and respect for cultural identity. Palestinians value education highly – it is the only asset from which they have not, until now, been dispossessed. In the absence of a capable public administration or state, only 蘑菇视频RWA can deliver education to more than 650,000 girls and boys in Gaza. In the absence of 蘑菇视频RWA, an entire generation will be denied the right to education.

Their future will be sacrificed, sowing the seeds for marginalization and extremism.

In the West Bank, 蘑菇视频RWA’s collapse would deprive at least 50,00 children of education, and hundreds of thousands of Palestine Refugees of healthcare. The Agency is the second largest employer after the Palestinian Authority, and represents an estimated five to eight percent of the GDP. Dismantling 蘑菇视频RWA will not terminate the refugee status of Palestinians – this status exists independently of the Agency – but it will severely harm their lives and future.

Excellencies,

For decades, 蘑菇视频RWA has provided Palestine Refugees with services ensuring their access to basic rights. Despite this, and perhaps because of it, we have paid a heavy price. The Agency is under intense attack in Gaza. At least 239 蘑菇视频RWA personnel have been killed. Others have been detained and report being tortured.

More than two-thirds of 蘑菇视频RWA premises have been damaged or destroyed. Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, and Israeli forces have allegedly used our premises for military purposes. In occupied East Jerusalem, our headquarters was set on fire. Local authorities are attempting to evict us from these premises to build settlements.

I continue to call for accountability for the attacks on 蘑菇视频 personnel, premises and operations through an independent investigation into these violations.

Mr. President,

蘑菇视频RWA takes allegations of neutrality breaches extremely seriously. We do not operate in a zero-risk environment, but we take a zero-tolerance approach to any proven breaches. It is problematic, however, that unsubstantiated allegations are used to justify actions against the Agency.

The Independent Review of 蘑菇视频RWA’s neutrality found that the Agency has a more robust neutrality framework than comparable entities. We are making every effort to implement the recommendations of the review. I must emphasize that 蘑菇视频RWA – like comparable 蘑菇视频 entities – does not have police, military or intelligence capabilities. We rely on Member States when such capacities are needed.

For over 15 years, 蘑菇视频RWA has shared annually the names of its staff with the Government of Israel. We now share these names on a quarterly basis. This includes the names of staff about whom the government never previously raised concerns, but now include in lists alleging armed militancy.

We have repeatedly asked the Government of Israel for evidence, and proposed how sensitive evidence might be shared. No response has been received.

蘑菇视频RWA is therefore in the invidious position of being unable to address allegations for which it has no evidence, while these allegations continue to be used to undermine the Agency.

Excellencies,

Today, millions of Palestine Refugees fear that the public services on which their lives depend will soon disappear. They fear that their children will be deprived of education; that illnesses will go untreated; and that social support will stop.

17,000 蘑菇视频RWA personnel in the occupied Palestinian territory fear that they will lose their employment.

The entire population of Gaza fears that their only remaining lifeline will be cut.

Without intervention by Member States, 蘑菇视频RWA will collapse, plunging millions of Palestinians into chaos.

I have three urgent requests to prevent this devastating outcome:

First, I ask that Member States act to prevent the implementation of the legislation against 蘑菇视频RWA. Changes to 蘑菇视频RWA’s mandate are the prerogative of the General Assembly, not individual Member States.

Second, I ask that Member States ensure that any plan for a political transition delineates 蘑菇视频RWA’s role. The Agency must progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political solution, and hand over its services to an empowered Palestinian administration.

Finally, I ask that Member States maintain funding to 蘑菇视频RWA, and do not withhold or divert funds on the assumption that the Agency can no longer operate. The cost of providing critical services, including education and healthcare, during a transition will be immense. I must also alert Member States that abruptly dismantling the Agency will cost more than half a billion dollars in staff separation indemnities alone.

Mr. President,

The future of Palestine Refugees is a shared responsibility. My staff has given far more than we have any right to expect of them to deliver 蘑菇视频RWA’s mandate. They have worked for 13 months without pause, amid immense personal hardship and loss.

Thanks to them, Gaza has survived until now.

Today, I am asking Member States to act in defence of Palestine Refugees and of 蘑菇视频RWA.

To do so is to defend the United Nations, which lies at the heart of our multilateral system.

It is to defend our collective future, which is today in the greatest jeopardy.

Thank you.