00:00I now have the honor to give the floor to the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
00:06His Excellency Antonio Guterres, before I will make my statement as a President of the General
00:12Assembly. Please, Secretary-General, you have the floor.
00:16Madam President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, as we meet here today,
00:23the safety and welfare of millions of Palestine refugees hangs in the balance.
00:28In Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians since and despite the ceasefire
00:37announced last October. And living conditions are utterly appalling. Unexploded ordnance,
00:45open sewers, rodent infestations, disease outbreaks, soaring temperatures, widespread displacement.
00:56Families struggle to access safety, shelter, food, clean drinking water, education and health care.
01:04Many are still sleeping out in the open or going to bed hungry.
01:09In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians face relentless settler violence and settlement expansion,
01:16along with home demolitions, land confiscation, displacement orders, movement and access restrictions
01:25and the growing threat of annexation, which would blatantly violate international law.
01:32In Lebanon, despite the present agreement, many are still uprooted following airstrikes and evacuation warnings.
01:40In Syria, Palestine refugees remain displaced after 13 years of conflict, while others return to heavily damaged homes.
01:51And in Jordan, they live on a shoestring.
01:55Excellencies, for generations, Palestine refugees have counted on UNRWA for registration, emergency assistance and essential public services.
02:05I commend Member States for their continued contributions and indispensable support.
02:12But the Agency situation is increasingly precarious.
02:16It faces sweeping restrictions throughout the occupied Palestinian territory.
02:22And a cash shortfall that imperils its work across the region.
02:28Despite painful austerity and cost-control measures, a deficit of a 100 million U.S. dollars prevents the Agency from
02:36meeting its current obligations.
02:39I commend the leadership of Christian Saunders, the Acting Commissioner-General, under these growing pressures.
02:46And I applaud the tireless efforts by UNRWA personnel to keep delivering, under some of the harshest conditions, imaginable.
02:54I have rarely, if ever, seen such dedication.
03:01But let's be real.
03:03They cannot keep going like these without urgent backing and financial support from Member States.
03:10I am deeply concerned about UNRWA's liquidity crisis, which jeopardizes its ability to implement its mandate.
03:19A mandate given by the General Assembly and renewed six months ago with overwhelming Member States support.
03:28A mandate that enables the provision of critical services to 2.6 million people in need.
03:34And a mandate that reflects the international community's continuing responsibility towards Palestine refugees.
03:43The cash shortfall has grave implications for the entire region.
03:49UNRWA is a stabilizing force in an age of instability.
03:55Registering, protecting, protecting, and assisting highly vulnerable populations, and countering the hopelessness that can fuel insecurity.
04:04Its local personnel provide essential public services and support that millions rely upon every day.
04:11As doctors, nurses, counselors, teachers, engineers, engineers, and drivers, they bring deep reserves of community trust.
04:22In Gaza, for example, UNRWA remains the largest primary health care provider.
04:28It conducts immunization campaigns, nutrition screenings, water quality testing, and pest control efforts.
04:36Operates water wells, deceleration systems, and waste management services.
04:42Provides psychological support and emergency learning.
04:46And has a critical role to play in advancing the urgently needed recovery.
04:52Excellencies, I am appalled by continuing efforts to marginalize and undermine UNRWA.
04:59Through disinformation, smear campaigns, legislative actions, operational restrictions, diplomatic roadblocks, and more.
05:10Those actions threatened the well-being of millions of Palestinians.
05:14And they endangered the dedicated women and men working for UNRWA.
05:19Since October 2023, more than 390 of our dear colleagues in Gaza have been killed.
05:29I will never forget their sacrifice.
05:32Many others have been physically injured or left with the trauma and anguish of losing so many loved ones.
05:40Every single one of the agency premises in the Strip has been damaged or destroyed.
05:47For nearly 18 months, none of the international personnel have been allowed to enter the occupied Palestinian territory.
05:54And earlier this year, its headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem were unlawfully seized in a striking and unacceptable violation of
06:05United Nations privileges and immunities.
06:08I condemn these actions in the strongest terms and call for adherence to international law.
06:15All UN premises are inviolable.
06:18And the International Court of Justice has clearly recalled the obligations of Israel in relation to the presence and activities
06:26of the United Nations, including UNRWA.
06:30No organization can replace or substitute the agency's capacity and mandate.
06:38Excellencies, UNRWA has taken decisive steps to ensure its house is in order.
06:43This includes reaffirming its commitment to uphold humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
06:52Updating its policy on outside and political activities.
06:57Fully implementing 40 recommendations of the independent review of UNRWA's neutrality, led by Catherine Colonna in 2024.
07:07And pressing ahead with the other 10.
07:10The agency is also working hard to adapt to new realities, with a sharper focus on building self-reliance and
07:19more sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient ways to deliver services.
07:24Strict cash flow management has largely prevented the loss of jobs for Palestine refugees.
07:31But earlier this year, UNRWA was compelled to reduce its service delivery by 20%.
07:37That meant reducing salaries for most local personnel, keeping 15% of international posts vacant, and exposing Palestine refugees to
07:50more hardship.
07:51Any further cuts could push conditions past the breaking point.
07:57Excellency, UNRWA remains essential to preserving humanitarian coordination conditions necessary for a just and lasting political solution with two states,
08:08Israel and Palestine, living side by side, in peace and security, with secure and recognized borders, with Jerusalem as the
08:17capital of both states.
08:19I am counting on you to keep speaking up for the agency and all those it serves.
08:25Your political support is crucial, but I urge you to match it with the necessary financial resources.
08:32Not next year.
08:34Not next month.
08:36Now.
08:37By sustaining UNRWA's vital work, we can address the needs of Palestine refugees today, uphold international responsibility, and help a
08:47volatile region find its way to a just and peaceful future.
08:53I thank the Secretary.
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