OIC Holds High-Level Consultations with UNRWA Advisory Commission Delegation
Date: 02/03/2017
A delegation from the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) held consultations with the OIC General Secretariat, on Thursday, 2 March 2017, on finding possible ways to boost financial contributions to support the Agency’s budget and mobilize enough financial resources to serve Palestinian refugees.
The Assistant Secretary General for Palestine and Al-Quds Affairs, Ambassador Samir Bakr at the meeting emphasized the importance of UNRWA’s role as a demonstration of the humanitarian obligation as well as political and legal responsibility of the international community towards the issue of Palestinian refugees. He also assured of the OIC’s continuous support for UNRWA to play its vital role in line with the mandate given to it by the UN General Assembly of serving this large segment of Palestinians, and keeping alive and active their vital issue as part of the UN’s responsibility until it is resolved in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
For his part, the Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, Ambassador Hesham Yousef, assured of the OIC’s readiness to cooperate with UNRWA to organize some activities to boost Member States’ response to its growing needs by increasing their financial contributions to its budget pursuant to the resolutions of the Islamic Summit and Council of Foreign Ministers.
The visiting delegation gave a detailed explanation of the past role and efforts of Advisory Commission. Discussions were also held on several proposals that would be included in the report to be submitted by the Commission to the UN Secretary General in mid-March 2017. The delegation was headed by H.E. Ambassador Manuel Bessler, Assistant Director General, Head of Humanitarian Aid Department and Head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA). Also in the delegation were Ambassador Hassan Oluswi, Director General of Multilateral Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and Mr Robert Hart, Director of Operations at UNRWA in the Gaza Strip and other accompanying delegations.
Intergovernmental organization or multilateral-Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Document Sources: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Subject: Assistance
Publication Date: 03/03/2017