– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

26 September 2019

His Excellency Mr. Secretary-General,

Ministers,

Excellenices,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to be here today, and I thank the Foreign Ministers of Jordan and Sweden for hosting this important event.

I am encouraged by the level of participation here today which is demonstrative of the support you provide year-round to United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA).

We thank the representatives of host countries here today for your empathy and solidarity with the Palestinian refugees.

We thank the donors here today. Your actions ensure that UNRWA is operational and that the needs of Palestinian refugees are met.

UNRWA upholds the basic human rights of Palestinian refugees. It is on the ground ensuring access to high quality education and health care to 5.4 million Palestinian refugees, protecting Palestinian refugees from poverty.

By providing innovative and cost-effective assistance, UNRWA contributes to stability across the region.

Excellencies,

Let us not forget that UNRWA is a product of the General Assembly. Therefore, each of us has a responsibility to follow through on our commitments in order to safeguard the agency against the serious political and financial challenges it faces.

In the Seventy-Fourth Session of the General Assembly, we will consider the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate.  We must re-commit to UNWRA until a lasting political solution is found to the underlying conflict.

Let us not forget that UNRWA is a product of the General Assembly. Therefore, each of us has a responsibility to follow through on our commitments in order to safeguard the agency against the serious political and financial challenges it faces.

Tijjani Muhammad Bande

President of the UN General Assembly

I would like to express my strongest support for a two-state solution where Palestine and Israel live side-by-side in peace and security.

The International Community has the responsibility to fulfill its many related UN Resolutions in support of the aspirations and rights of the Palestinian people.

I welcome today’s strategic discussion among UNRWA’s key partners.

I look forward to working with all of you to ensure a smooth renewal of UNRWA’s mandate, for a full three years and without changes.

I am confident that by striving together we will deliver for all.

Thank you.