Oslo, Norway – Minister for Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide has welcomed the report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stating that he is pleased with the findings.
“I welcome the report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Catherine Colonna, on UNRWA’s handling of neutrality issues,” said Minister Eide. He further added, “I am pleased that the report underlines that UNRWA has good procedures in place to ensure neutrality, and that the organization works in line with humanitarian principles.”
However, the report also highlighted areas for improvement. “At the same time, the report states that there is room for improvement. UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini will develop an action plan to follow up on the recommendations,” Eide explained. He affirmed that Norway, along with other donor countries, will work with the UN and UNRWA to implement these recommendations.
In recent months, Norway has emphasized the importance of not punishing the entire organization and all Palestine refugees for the alleged misdeeds of a small number of the organization’s employees. “We have urged donors who suspended their funding when Israel made these allegations to consider the consequences of cutting the support,” Eide stated.
The Minister expressed his satisfaction that several countries, including Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, and Sweden, have already reversed their decisions and resumed funding to UNRWA. He called on countries that have still frozen their contributions to UNRWA to resume funding.
“UNRWA is the lifeline for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, who have been living with war and destruction for more than half a year. The situation is catastrophic. Gaza is in ruins. The population lacks everything, and many are starving. UNRWA’s presence is also crucial for other humanitarian organizations’ efforts in Gaza,” Eide emphasized.
He concluded by stating that UNRWA is much more than a humanitarian organization. “Mandated by the UN General Assembly, UNRWA is the international community’s commitment to Palestine refugees and their rights,” he said.
