Remarks by H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly

at the Plenary Meeting on Agenda Item 34 entitled, “The Situation in the Middle East” and Agenda Item 35 entitled, “Question of Palestine”

[As Delivered]

28 November 2023

Honourable Ministers,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

The Question of Palestine has lingered on the General Assembly’s agenda for 76 years.

Over the decades, numerous resolutions have been adopted, instruments established, and international law invoked to end the vicious cycle of violence in the Middle East.

Yet, politics have again grown fraught and the loss of civilian life agonizingly rife as – unfortunately – we all are witnessing in recent weeks.

The horrifyingly lethal attack by Hamas on 7 October has deepened the divisions, while Israel’s response in placing Gaza under siege has only hastened the urgency to achieve a peaceful and just solution to the situation in the region – for a secure and better future for the peoples of the region, in which Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace and security within internationally agreed borders.

The longer the fear, distrust, appetite for revenge, hatred, and anxiety fester and deepen further – the more lethal the psychological chasm grows and the darker the shadow it will cast over generations to come.

One could be forgiven for asking: where does this end?

Excellencies,

It is time to acknowledge that the divisions we perpetuate in this Hall are deeply connected to the hopelessness that millions will inevitably feel outside these walls – should we continue to fail in finding common ground, to engage with each other respectfully and in good faith, and to gain traction towards better outcomes.

Sustained security and stability in the Middle East cannot and will not be achieved without a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace.

The only viable way to break the endless cycle of conflict, violence and mutual pain and suffering is through a two-State solution – in line with the relevant United Nations General Assembly resolutions.

Just as the Assembly agreed in 1947 to collectively address this issue, it must now take seriously and uphold its responsibility to support the two sides to peacefully resolve this conflict.

This means working much harder to build the consensus needed for Peace.

It means forging new avenues for direct dialogue between the parties, fostering respect for General Assembly resolutions and supporting all efforts that build on previous agreements.

We must therefore do our utmost to seek all viable outcomes – for the sake of the many innocent civilians who have paid and currently are paying the ultimate price of our continued failure to unify.

At all costs, we must do our part to avert any regional conflagration.

Distinguished Delegates,

In this context, I welcome the temporary ceasefire that allowed for the release of hostages over the weekend, and access to much needed humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza and all affected areas.

I share the deep relief this must bring to the affected and their families.

This agreement offered a breakthrough for hope. But it is not nearly enough.

I strongly call, yet again, for the humane treatment and immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.

I reiterate my call for a longer-term humanitarian ceasefire so food, water and desperately needed medical aid can reach all those in need in the Gaza Strip and all affected areas.

Humanitarian aid corridors must remain open and secure, and more assistance simply must be allowed to enter Gaza and all affected areas.

I strongly condemn the indiscriminate damage caused to UNRWA schools that are now housing more than 1 million internally displaced persons.  

It is unthinkable that in the prosecution of this war, contrary to the rules of war, schools are no longer inviolable, nor are they used exclusively for their intended purpose – that is, education.

Under international law, the protection of civilians is and must remain paramount.

I therefore urge Member States to provide sustainable and predictable support to UNRWA as it works to rebuild and valiantly address the biggest humanitarian crisis since its establishment.

And I reiterate my solemn tribute to all the brave UNRWA staff and other humanitarian workers who gave their lives trying to attenuate massive human suffering in the search for lasting peace.

Excellencies,

Amid this carnage and extraordinary loss and sacrifice, we must find our way back to rebuild trust.

Trust that the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – that all human beings are born free and equal, that all deserve a life free from fear and want – were not written in vain.

Trust that the UN Charter and international law – the pillars of our multilateral system and foundation for our efforts to chart a more peaceful tomorrow – remain intact.

Trust that parents and relatives on both sides of this conflict – and throughout the Middle East – will be able to put their children to bed each night in safety. I repeat, in safety.

Ralph Bunche – who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for his work as a UN mediator – had similar aspirations when he expressed his hope for “morality in the relations among nations.”

I reiterate, in his words, that “there be, in our time, at long last, a world at Peace in which we, the people, may for once begin to make full use of the great good that is in us.”

As President of the General Assembly, I remain at your service should any nation or leader desire my assistance in facilitating dialogue towards this end.

I thank you.