Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Saeb Erekat yesterday called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to expedite the completion of the current investigation into allegations of corruption in UNRWA before the end of September.
Erekat said in a press statement on Saturday that the stability of UNRWA and its programs this year is more important in the period leading up to the Fourth Committee and the renewal of the mandate of "UNRWA", within the continued struggle of the Agency in raising funds and donations, and work for the success of the international donor conference at the end Next September in order for the conference to focus on the donations themselves and the needs of refugees.
Erekat expressed regret that the Trump administration has politicized the great work that UNRWA is doing in an effort to eradicate the issue of Palestinian refugees, noting that to avoid cutting US aid to the Agency, more than 40 UN member states have made additional pledges, which means that they recognize the importance of Services provided by the Agency and its important role in maintaining regional stability.
In the same context, Erekat sent identical letters to the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, in which he expressed deep regret that their financial aid was suspended due to unproven allegations, and demanded that they not endanger UNRWA programs even if this was only a temporary measure. By sensitive conditions.
Erekat called for not politicizing the situation and exposing the region to further tension and instability.
“While you have announced your suspension of UNRWA assistance because of the leaked ethics report, you have not yet announced any accountability measures regarding continued and systematic Israeli violations of UN resolutions and international law, and you still allow Israeli settlement goods to enter your markets, and this applies to companies and institutions that are complicit in We expect you and all peace-loving States to take concrete measures of accountability in this direction to promote the realization of the long-awaited inalienable rights of the people of Palestine, first and foremost their right. To self-determination. "
"The need to support and fund UNRWA remains because UN General Assembly Resolution 194 has not yet been implemented, the right of return and compensation has not been materialized, and in the absence of a just political solution to the Palestinian refugee issue, the solution remains central to reaching A just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine as a whole, and the mandate of UNRWA is politically guaranteed to facilitate the repatriation of refugees and compensation based on the commitment of the international community, and therefore renewed its mandate by the General Assembly pending a just solution.
On the other hand, Erekat sent letters to the Arab League represented by its Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yusuf bin Othaimeen in which he expressed the Palestinian leadership´s concern about the timing of the leak of the report on the investigations as the UN General Assembly meeting in September approaches. , And granted UNRWA a mandate for another three years, which is consistent with US and Israeli efforts to dry up the resources of "UNRWA" in preparation for the liquidation of the issue of refugees and resettlement in host countries.
Erekat stressed the Palestinian position not to politicize humanitarian aid, not to link corruption cases to the suspension or suspension of funding, but to strengthen mechanisms of control, accountability and supervision.
He added: "The decision of the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium undermines the rights of Palestinian refugees, and is likely to increase their suffering in light of the already deteriorating financial crisis after the decision of the Trump administration to stop its financial contributions."
Erekat called on the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the countries of the world and urged them to continue to provide financial support as a legal and moral obligation until a just solution to the refugee issue in accordance with UN resolution 194, and vote along with renewing the mandate of UNRWA, and called on them to address the three countries Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium to retreat He stressed that the danger posed by these countries´ decisions could have serious consequences for a possible escalation in reducing international support for UNRWA.
