Palestine refugees – Donor meeting – Press release

MEETING OF PALESTINE DONOR AND HOST GOVERNMENTS

CONCLUDES IN AMMAN

New Pledges of $4.1 Million Announced for UNRWA Fund in 1997

GAZA, 12 June  (UNRWA) — The  aim of the United Nations  Relief and Works Agency  for Palestine  Refugees  in the  Near East  (UNRWA) was  to maintain services for some 3.4 million  Palestine refugees and identify ways of doing so  for as  long as  it was  required, according  to an  agreed statement by delegates at  an informal meeting  of major  donor and  host governments  in Amman.

The  two-day   meeting,  which  concluded yesterday, was attended by representatives of 28 of the Agency's  major donors, including the European Union, host governments and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

In the absence of major contributions in the short term to substantially decrease  the Agency's  current financial  deficit, the donor  community was urged  to re-examine  positively their  contributions  in  the light  of the discussions at the meeting, with a view  to ensuring the continued provision of essential services to the refugees at existing levels.

Several  donors used the  occasion of  the meeting  to announce additional contributions.   Saudi Arabia pledged an  additional amount  of $2.4 million to the Agency for 1997.  Added  to its earlier contribution of $1.2 million, that  represents  a  tripling of  Saudi  Arabia's  contribution  to  UNRWA's General Fund over 1996  levels.  Sweden announced an additional pledge of 10 million Swedish  kronor  (around  $1.2 million)  for education  in  Lebanon, while the  Netherlands  announced a  new  contribution  of 1  million  Dutch guilders ($520,000) — for  a total of $4.1 million in new contributions for the Agency's General Fund in 1997.

In  addition, the  United  States announced  a  new pledge  of  over  $1.4 million for  new projects  in the  Agency's  Peace Implementation  Programme (PIP),  which  directly  support UNRWA's  core  services  in  education  and health.   Denmark announced  its regular  1997 pledge  of 50  million Danish kroner  (around  $7.7  million),  including $3.4  million  for  the Agency's General Fund  and $4.3 million  for specific projects.   Belgium pledged  20 million Belgian francs (around $600,000) for PIP projects, payable in 1998.

In  an opening  address, His  Royal  Highness  Crown Prince El-Hassan Bin Talal  of Jordan said  UNRWA was  facing a "dire situation  after decades of remarkable  service  to  a large displaced Palestinian population in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and  the West Bank  and Gaza."   Many  major donor  countries were "disengaging too soon  from an agenda  of relief and recovery that has not yet  run its course.   Given the proper backing,  UNRWA may yet  provide the  necessary  socio-economic  infrastructure  to  pave  the  way  for  the transition to a just  and comprehensive peace in the  region."  He  said the Agency  had  an  "invaluable  role  to   play  in  educating  and   training Palestinians to administer their own future".

The Commissioner-General  of UNRWA, Peter  Hansen, told participants  that "UNRWA was  established to provide services  to Palestine  refugees, and not to take them away".  He expressed his  hope that delegates would  understand the  magnitude of  the financial  crisis  facing the  Agency and  begin the process  of formulating  strategies  to resolve  its  continuing structural deficit.  He pointed out that since Palestine  refugees were unique, as they had  no homes to which they  could return, it  was essential for UNRWA to be enabled  to  fulfil its  mandate  to  alleviate  their  sufferings, not the increase their hardship.

As'ad Abdul Rahman, member of the Executive Committee of the PLO and  head of its Refugee Department, delivered a  personal message of Chairman  Yasser Arafat.  Mr Arafat urged the  international community to continue and expand its  support for the Agency and  reiterated the full  support of the PLO and the Palestinian Authority for UNRWA.

"The  refugees  see  the  strength  of  UNRWA's  programmes  as  a  direct reflection  of the commitment of  the international community  to a just and comprehensive outcome of  the peace  process", Mr.  Arafat said.   "At  this sensitive time,  it would be disastrous  for the  international community to send a negative signal by cutting back on UNRWA's services."

During  the meeting,  delegates reviewed  the Agency's  current  financial deficit and cash-flow difficulties.  There  was strong support for intensive dialogue  between  UNRWA,  donor  countries  and  host  authorities  in  the preparation of the Agency's biennial budget for 1998-1999.

In  their agreed  statement, delegates  acknowledged the  linkage  between regional peace  and stability and  the maintenance  of UNRWA's role.   Their statement said that "there could be no question  of premature phasing out of UNRWA's mandated responsibilities for the Palestine refugees."

In a  closing statement, the  Commissioner-General said UNRWA continued to play "a vital and  indispensable role in the region", and expressed his hope that "the  spirit of  cooperation at  this meeting  will be  carried forward into the future."

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