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P 051416Z NOV 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5294
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF KPAL KWBG
SUBJECT: UNRWA REPORT AND GENERAL DEBATE: SITUATION IN 
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES REMAINS DIRE; NAHR EL-BARED REFUGEE 
CAMP RECONSTRUCTION DEEMED A PRIORITY 
 
¶1. Summary: The UN General Assembly's Special Political and 
Decolonization Committee (the Fourth Committee) held its 
general debate on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency 
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on October 
29-30.  Two UNRWA officials opened the session with reports 
detailing the Agency's 2007 operations and financing.  The 
former highlighted challenges resulting from the humanitarian 
crises in the West Bank and Gaza and in Lebanon, remarked on 
the Annapolis Conference, and called for more funding.  The 
latter noted an anticipated drop in donations in FY2008 due 
to increases in food and energy costs, and staff salaries. 
Twenty-three states spoke during the debate. Several states 
called for more funding, in particular for reconstruction of 
the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon.  Some states 
(Norway, Switzerland) pledged to increase their overall 
contributions.  Many states (Syria, Cuba on behalf of the 
NAM) and the Palestinian Observer Mission accused Israel of 
violating international law.  The Fourth Committee begins 
voting on UNRWA draft resolutions on November 7.  End Summary 
 
UNRWA Report on 2007 Operations 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine 
Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Karen 
Koning-Abuzayd stated that despite the crises in the West 
Bank and Gaza and northern Lebanon, the Agency continued 
facilitating its services.  She said that the ongoing, 
two-year humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank had 
dwarfed earlier calamities. Koning-Abuzayd lamented the 
economic and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian areas, 
attributing it to Israel's closures and restrictions on 
movement.  Concerning the Annapolis Conference, she commented 
that it was too early to assess its effectiveness and 
reiterated the Palestinians' statement that there could be no 
partial or interim agreements. 
 
¶3. On Lebanon, Koning-Abuzayd stated that the 30,000 refugees 
from the destroyed Nahr al-Bared refugee camp would need 
support during the three years of camp reconstruction. She 
highlighted that the number of registered refugees rose to 
4.6 million as of June 30 (a 30 per cent increase in 10 
years).  Regarding funding, she noted that the Agency no 
longer faced a decline in real levels of contributions but 
added that the funding deficit could reach $78 million ($7 
million more than in 2007). 
 
UNRWA Report on Financing 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. Rapporteur of the Working Group of the Financing of UNRWA 
Jonas Jolle (Norway) stated that states' pledges for UNRWA's 
2008 budget were anticipated to fall short of the budgeted 
expenditure due to increases in food and energy prices, as 
well as in staff salaries.  Jolle noted the Agency's 
emergency appeal for $262.4 million (covering 16 months from 
September 2008 to the end of 2009) and called on states to 
support it.  He noted the June 23 Vienna Conference at which 
states launched an appeal for $445 million over a three-year 
period to support Nahr el-Bared reconstruction and stated 
that as of August 31, donations totaled $42.6 million.  Jolle 
highlighted that 70 per cent of registered refugees rely on 
UNRWA for assistance, and that rebuilding the Nahr el-Bared 
refugee camp and providing assistance to the displaced 
refugees remain challenges. 
 
General Debate Highlights 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. Palestinian Observer Mission:  The Palestinian delegate 
stated that despite renewal of the peace process last year, 
it had not resulted in a just solution.  The Palestinian 
delegate said that Israel had offered only "rhetoric and 
intransigence" while violating international law.  In Gaza, 
he deemed the situation "severe," adding that 50 per cent of 
the refugees comprised children and that 80 per cent of 
Palestinians in Gaza lived in poverty.  In the West Bank, the 
Palestinian delegate said that Israel's checkpoints, 
settlements, and road network obstructed refugee access to 
UNRWA.  Concerning Lebanon, he lamented the under-funding of 
Nahr el-Bared reconstruction. 
 
¶6. Lebanon on behalf of the Arab Group: The Group argued that 
Israel imposed indirect taxes on UNRWA and that Israel's 
restrictions on movement prevented UNRWA staff from entering 
East Jerusalem.  It called on the international community to 
address those issues and for Israel to end restrictions on 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001024  002 OF 002 
 
 
UNRWA staff.  On funding, the Group appealed to states to 
provide sufficient donations.  Regarding the West Bank, the 
Group stated that Israel had confiscated 40 per cent of the 
land (destroying 847 houses in the process) and established 
608 roadblocks. 
 
¶7. Israel: Israel noted that in contrast to Western states 
having pledged over 90 per cent to rebuild the Nahr el-Bared 
refugee camp, Arab states had pledged only a fraction. 
Israel reaffirmed its cooperation with UNRWA and added that 
the Palestinians needed to make changes, such as supporting a 
viable Palestinian state. Regarding the UNRWA Report on its 
2007 operations, Israel criticized it for its biased tone and 
use of selective facts, arguing that it had identified Israel 
as the sole cause of the Palestinian situation.  Israel noted 
that it had recently removed 111 roadblocks and four central 
checkpoints in the West Bank. 
 
¶8. Syria and Iran:  Syria stated that the "settlement 
campaign" had grown under Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert 
and that it had established 847 settlements since the 
December 2007 Annapolis Conference.  It called on the UN 
Security Council to have Israel account for its alleged 
murders of UNRWA staff, stating that they had been fully 
documented.  Syria welcomed UNRWA's emergency appeal for 
funding Nahr el-Bared reconstruction. Iran spoke in a right 
of reply in response to Israel's "unsubstantiated allegations 
against it," arguing that it was part of Israel's campaign to 
distract the international community from the "atrocities" it 
has committed. 
 
¶9. Cuba on behalf of the Nonaligned Movement (NAM):  The NAM 
stated that it condemned Israel for conducting extra-judicial 
killings, targeted assassinations, and a psychological terror 
campaign. It also criticized Israel for turning Palestinians 
in Gaza into prisoners.  The NAM reiterated its support for 
the proposal calling on Israel to reimburse the charges it 
levies on UNRWA.  India called on the international 
community, particularly the Quartet (U.S., EU, Russia, and 
the UN), to redouble its efforts to bring peace to the Middle 
East. 
 
¶10. France on behalf of the European Union (EU):  The EU 
urged states, particularly those in the Middle East to honor 
the commitments they made during the June 23 Vienna 
Conference.  The EU welcomed the Annapolis Conference and 
said that it carried the hope of a sustainable solution. 
Switzerland stated that it intended to make specific 
contributions on top of its general contribution, explicitly 
mentioning additional support for Nahr el-Bared 
reconstruction.  It highlighted the Vienna Conference as 
proof of international solidarity with the refugees and 
states affected by the conflict. 
 
UNRWA Draft Resolutions 
----------------------- 
 
¶11. The Fourth Committee will vote on four UNRWA-related 
draft resolutions on November 7, under Agenda item 29.  The 
resolutions are as follows: Assistance to Palestine Refugees; 
Persons Displaced as a Result of the June 1967 and Subsequent 
Hostilities; Operations of UNRWA for Palestine Refugees in 
the Near East; and Palestine Refugees' Properties and Their 
Revenues. 
Khalilzad