VZCZCXRO0785
RR RUEHIK
DE RUCNDT #1046/01 3211920
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171920Z NOV 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7649
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZJ/HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 USUN NEW YORK 001046 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KPAL PHUM PREL PREF KWBG
SUBJECT: UNGA FOURTH COMMITTEE DEBATE ON UNITED NATIONS 
RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001046  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
 ¶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  November 
2 - 3.  The Commissioner General of UNRWA opened the debate 
with a report detailing the Agency's operations, reform, and 
financing.  The special rapporteur of the working group on 
financing highlighted the shortfalls in the UNRWA operating 
budget.  Twenty six member states and two observer missions 
spoke during the debate.  There was unanimous praise of 
UNRWA's work and multiple calls for more funding for the 
agency.  Arab states and the Palestinian Observer Mission 
used the debate to accuse Israel of violating international 
law. 
 
UNRWA Report on 2008 Operations 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. UNRWA Commissioner-General Karen AbuZayd stated that there 
is a funding shortfall that UNRWA is at risk  of suspending 
essential services.  A 12 million dollar shortfall would mean 
that the agency could run out of money for salaries before 
the end of the year.  AbuZayd said that the "scale and 
intensity of Israel's offensive (December 27, 2008) in Gaza 
were unprecedented in the recent history of the conflict." 
She noted that UNRWA had been active during the conflict in 
providing relief services and is now attempting to rebuild UN 
facilities and homes of the refugees, but is hampered by the 
Israeli "blockade" of Gaza.  AbuZayd described the West Bank 
as a "shattered economic space" due to the separation 
barrier.  She noted that in Lebanon, UNRWA is working towards 
the reconstruction of the Nahr El Bared camp and is working 
with the Lebanese government to help the refugees. 
 
¶3. AbuZayd discussed the reform of UNRWA's managerial 
structure and functions.  She stated that the decades of 
inadequate resources have had an adverse effect on UNRWA's 
management capacity, but the organizational development 
process started in 2006 is yielding positive results.   The 
Commissioner-General stated that she would be retiring at the 
end of 2009 after nine years with the agency. 
 
¶4. In the interactive dialogue after the report of the 
Commissioner-General, the Palestinian Observer, Syria, Egypt 
and Lebanon spoke -- all praised the work of UNRWA and 
attacked Israeli actions.  The Palestinian Observer stated 
that UNRWA allowed Palestinians to survive the "onslaught and 
aggression" committed by Israel in Gaza and asked about 
financial claims against Israel for UNRWA facilities 
destroyed during the conflict.  Lebanon, Syria and Egypt 
noted the Israeli "blockade" of Gaza.  The 
Commissioner-General responded that they are still working 
towards resolution of the compensation claims and that the 
blockade, although legally not considered one even by UNRWA's 
own legal advisor, hampers access of UNRWA staff and 
materials and has significantly slowed services and 
reconstruction. 
 
UNRWA report of Financing 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. The Special Rapporteur of the Working Group of the 
Financing of UNRWA Andreas Lovold (Norway) noted that  demand 
for UNRWA's services continues to grow as while funding 
remains static -  creating a budget gap of 89 million for 
¶2009.  Norway has worked to increase funding from a broader 
base of donors but the funding gap is projected to increase 
to 116 million by 2011, unless a permanent solution for 
funding UNRWA is found. He called  on G-20 members to become 
more involved and the Arab states to honor funding pledges. 
He also advocated that more of UNRWA's funding come from UN 
regular budgets, thus making funding more predictable and 
equitably distributed. 
 
General Debate Highlights 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. Palestinian Observer Mission: The Palestinian Deputy 
Permanent Observer said that 4.7 million Palestinian refugees 
and their descendants continue to be stateless.  She 
expressed hope for resolving the refugee problem in 
accordance with international law and UN resolutions but 
expressed doubt about the chances of that due to Israeli 
action.  The Palestinian delegate called for a rejection of 
Israeli rhetoric denying responsibility for the plight of 
Palestinian refugees. She stated that the Israel "military 
onslaught" on December 2008 and its aftermath, particularly 
the "immoral, inhumane, unlawful blockade" had gravely 
impacted the Palestinian people.  She noted that in December 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001046  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
2008 Israeli forces destroyed the main UNRWA warehouse and UN 
schools "where civilians were known to be sheltering."  She 
concluded by noting that the return of refugees is a core 
final status issue - key to peace in the region. 
 
¶7. Israel: Israel thanked UNRWA for its work and reiterated 
support for its humanitarian mission.  It noted that Israel 
will continue to "do its utmost to facilitate UNRWA's 
operations, subject to the upholding of its own security." 
Israel criticized politicized statements by other delegations 
whose governments are not engaged in supporting UNRWA in ways 
that could improve the conditions of Palestinian refugees on 
the ground.  Israel called on UNRWA officials not to exceed 
the humanitarian mission by becoming involved in activities 
of a controversial political nature, stating that this 
undermines its neutrality and harms its humanitarian role. 
Israel noted that it was prevented from addressing the 60th 
anniversary of UNRWA commemorative event.  Israel noted that 
the thousands of rockets fired at Israeli civilians from Gaza 
and Hamas's placement of weapons in the midst of civilian 
populations and near UN facilities deliberately endangered 
civilians.  Israel reiterated that its goal is to resolve the 
refugee problem and continue negotiations, but that the 
Palestinian Authority will not resume bilateral peace talks. 
 
¶8. The Palestinian Observer Mission exercised a right of 
reply to respond to Israel's statement saying that the 
Palestinian delegate was "surprised by Israel's support of 
UNRWA despite the restrictions on staff, destruction of 
facilities and taxing of goods."  The Palestinian delegate 
also stated that Israel was not barred from the 60 year 
anniversary of UNRWA, but chose not to participate as they 
were not accorded a speaking role in line with the criteria 
established by the UNRWA Advisory Commission. 
 
¶9. Senior Area Advisor Laura Ross delivered the United States 
statement, emphasizing that the US is the largest donor to 
UNRWA, and  supports the Palestinians, including refugees, 
through USAID projects and direct budget assistance to the 
Palestinian Authority.  Ross noted the importance of UNRWA 
focusing on the humanitarian principles of neutrality and 
impartiality in its highly charged working environment in 
order to fulfill its mandate.  She said the US views UNRWA's 
role as important in encouraging stability and moderation in 
the region and promoting the human development of the 
Palestinian refugees.  Ross stated that the U.S. remains 
concerned about the chronic shortfalls in UNRWA's budget and 
their effect on UNRWA's ability to provide humanitarian 
assistance, and accordingly asked states to redouble efforts 
to secure funding for UNRWA. 
 
¶10. Sweden (EU Presidency): The EU noted that UNRWA has 
improved  the living conditions and human dignity of millions 
of Palestinian refugees and their communities over the last 
60 years.  It stated that the EU is the largest donor to 
UNRWA, contributing over 60 percent of the budget.  It 
condemned the shelling of UNRWA facilities in Gaza during the 
conflict and deplored the civilian casualties.  It called for 
the immediate and unconditional opening of the crossings for 
the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to 
and from Gaza. 
 
¶11. Egypt (NAM chair):  Egypt began by noting the inalienable 
right of return and fair compensation for the Palestinian 
people according to General Assembly Resolution 194. Egypt 
expressed concerned with Israel's illegal occupation and 
systematic violations to international humanitarian and human 
rights law, and UN resolutions, citing in particular the 
targeting of UNRWA's personnel and obstruction of General 
Assembly-mandated activities.  Egypt said living conditions, 
particularly in Gaza, suffer as "a result of the continuing 
punitive measures and blockade imposed by Israel and its 
military aggression, which caused the death and injury of 
thousands of Palestinians and widespread damage and 
destruction to Palestinian civilian infrastructure and UN 
facilities".  Accordingly the NAM called for reconstruction 
to begin immediately and the sustained and permanent opening 
of Gaza's border crossings. 
 
¶12. Lebanon and Syria: Lebanon noted that the fact that 
Palestinian refugees had been uprooted from their homeland 
and unable to return their homes for 60 years is more 
important than the funding of UNRWA and must be the focus of 
the international community.  Lebanon stated that Israel is 
fully responsible for the suffering of the Palestinian 
refugees and the international community must hold "Israel 
accountable to its obligations under international law, 
including humanitarian law and human rights law."  Lebanon 
said that Israel should bear financial responsibility for the 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001046  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
damages incurred by Israel's "deliberate attacks" on UNRWA 
facilities, and condemned the "blockade" of Gaza and the 
disruption of humanitarian access in the West Bank.  It 
welcomed UNRWA's commitment to organizational development 
through the reform and strengthening of its management 
structure and processes. Syria stated that Israel has flouted 
all resolutions passed by the UN on the issue of refugees and 
has prevented the application of resolution 184 by 
introducing "alien settlers from all parts of the world, in 
order to dominate the homes, territories, and country of the 
Palestine people."  Syria claimed that Israel turns a "deaf 
ear" to established facts in United Nations reports such as 
the Goldstone report and refuses to pay compensation for 
bombarding UN buildings.  Syria stated that it spent 150 
million dollars in 2009 for education, social and health 
services, food provisions and security for refugees. 
 
¶13. The following additional countries spoke during the 
debate: Cuba, South Africa, Switzerland, United Arab 
Emirates, Qatar, Norway, Vietnam, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, 
Kuwait, Turkey, the Holy See, Mexico on behalf of the Rio 
group, Senegal, Japan, Sudan, China, Morocco, India and 
Australia.  Australia condemned "all the Hamas actions that 
deliberately endanger civilian lives."  Norway stated that 
the final status issue of right of return remains unsolved, 
leaving millions in encampments with no end to their 
situation in sight.  It noted that even if a peace process 
was established and a solution to the refugee issue found, 
UNRWA services would be needed for at least another 15 years. 
Wolff