The donors meeting recommended, in a statement today, Sunday, the international community to increase its economic and financial assistance to the Palestinians, including contributing to the strengthening of the Palestinian National Authority and its reform efforts, as well as to UNRWA, other partners in development, humanitarian relief and civil society. Palestinian.
The meeting, which was held in New York, welcomed the progress made in implementing the reform agenda, which was recently approved and started by the Palestinian government.
The final statement of the head of the International Liaison Committee on Palestine, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anneken Hoetveldt, stated that the ministerial-level meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York last Thursday focused on how to preserve what has been achieved , in addition to discussing mechanisms to preserve the two-state solution. And push the peace process and nation-building forward.
The statement called on Israel to take steps to improve the situation on the ground, encourage Palestinian trade, improve access and movement and take concrete steps to enable Palestinian economic activity, unleashing the potential of the Palestinian economy, particularly in Gaza and Area C.
He noted Israel´s failure to implement a number of previous meetings´ commitments, especially with regard to holding the joint economic committee, reviewing fuel processing fees, and updating the A1/A2 lists that no longer reflect the economic realities on the ground and discussions over the Karama crossing fees.
The statement also urged the need to reconsider the Paris Economic Agreement, and the need to achieve greater transparency in financial transactions between the two, calling for the activation of the joint economic committee.
He stressed the need to achieve progress in providing gas to the Gaza Strip and setting standards for developing solar energy in Area C, as well as discussing the implementation of vital projects in the water and sanitation sector.
The statement stated that the meeting took place in the context of a difficult and deteriorating situation on the ground, and both rapporteurs and members of the committee focused on increasing settled violence and ongoing settlement expansion, as well as division, as major obstacles to progress towards a two-state solution. The meeting also pointed out the impact of the absence of a political horizon on the current situation.
The meeting was held in the presence of 30 countries and international institutions, with the participation of Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh, who urged the international community to take measures to protect the two-state solution and recognize the State of Palestine, stressing that without ending the Occupation, most reform steps will be difficult to achieve, and that economic steps are important but must be within a political framework.
Donors meeting recommends the international community to increase its support for the Palestinians
