Overview
The United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People was convened by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People at the United Nations Office at Vienna on 31 March and 1 April. The theme of the Seminar was “Speeding up relief, recovery and reconstruction in post-war Gaza”. The Seminar reviewed the pressing immediate and longer-term humanitarian and development needs in the Gaza Strip, and in particular, Gaza’s severe housing, fuel, power, environmental and water crises, which greatly intensified in the wake of the war of 2014. Some 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, while power cuts of up to 18 hours a day are commonplace. The Seminar aimed at strengthening cooperation between all parties involved in efforts towards Gaza’s reconstruction and economic development: the Palestinian Government, intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations, key donors, as well as the private sector. It also strived to identify the obstacles to Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.
OPENING SESSION
Mr. Yury Fedotov, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, reading out a message of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Mr. Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Director-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria
Mr. Fodé Seck, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
Mr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, Senior Advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas, Representative of the State of Palestine
PLENARY I – “Immediate and longer-term humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip”
Mr. Nasser Qatami, Deputy Minister of Labour, State of Palestine, Ramallah (Arabic)
Ms. Katleen Maes, Head of Office, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Gaza
Mr. Ahmed Sourani, Resilience development expert, Gaza (Arabic)
Ms. Eva Pilipp, Special Coordinator for Palestine, Society for Austro-Arab Relations, Vienna (English)
Mr. Robert Turner (presenting via VTC), Director of Operations, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Gaza
Mr. John Gatt-Rutter, European Union Representative, (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA), Jerusalem
Ms. Katleen Maes, Head of Office, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Gaza
Mr. Ahmed Sourani, Resilience development expert, Gaza
Ms. Eva Pilipp, Special Coordinator for Palestine, Society for Austro-Arab Relations, Vienna
Mr. Robert Turner (presenting via VTC), Director of Operations, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Gaza
Mr. John Gatt-Rutter, European Union Representative, (West Bank and Gaza Strip, UNRWA), Jerusalem
PLENARY II : “Looking ahead: prioritizing reconstruction tasks”
Mr. Michael Neuwirth, Coordination Officer, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Jerusalem
Mr. Haitham Ghanem (presenting via Skype), Project Manager, Sunshine4Palestine Association, Manager of the Palestinian Branch, Gaza (English)
Mr. Simon Henderson, Baker Fellow and Director, Gulf and Energy Policy Program, The Washington Institute, Washington, D.C.
Ms. June Kunugi, Special Representative, United Nations Children’s Fund, Jerusalem (English)
Mr. Shaddad Attili, Former Minister in-charge of the Palestinian Water Authority, Ramallah (English)
Mr. Fuad Bateh, International Advisor on water and environment, Barcelona
Mr. Geoffrey Aronson, Former Director of Research and Publications, Foundation for Middle East Peace, Washington, D.C. (English)
Ms. Barbara Capone, Chief Executive Officer and Project Leader, Sunshine4Palestine Association, Vienna
Ms. June Kunugi, Special Representative, United Nations Children’s Fund, Jerusalem
Mr. Fuad Bateh, International Advisor on water and environment, Barcelona
Ms. Barbara Capone, Chief Executive Officer and Project Leader, Sunshine4Palestine Association, Vienna
PLENARY III – “Strengthening cooperation by all parties to provide relief, promote reconstruction and reignite economic development”
Mr. Mohammad Shtayyeh, President, Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction, Ramallah
Mr. Frode Mauring, Special Representative of the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme, Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, Jerusalem (English)
Mr. Samer Salameh, Deputy Minister of Labour, State of Palestine, Ramallah (Arabic)
Mr. Rachid Bencherif, Head, Grants Unit, The OPEC Fund for International Development, Vienna
Ms. Dana Erekat, Special Advisor to the Minister, Head of Aid Management and Coordination Directorate, Ministry of Planning and Administrative Development, State of Palestine, Ramallah
Mr. Frode Mauring, Special Representative of the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme, Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, Jerusalem
Mr. Rachid Bencherif, Head, Grants Unit, The OPEC Fund for International Development, Vienna