New York, 9 February 2022 (TDI): Speech by the Secretary-General at the Opening of the 2022 Session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, continues to pose a significant challenge to international peace and security.
The promise of the independence of the Palestinian state remains unfulfilled.
All parties must take concrete steps that will enable a return to the path of meaningful negotiations and, ultimately, a just and lasting peace.https://t.co/8ORrKx835M
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 9, 2022
Unfulfilled is the promise of an independent Palestinian state. Political, economic, and security conditions in the occupied Palestinian Territories are deteriorating as Palestinians continue to suffer from dispossession, violence, and insecurity.
Our collective efforts to resolve the conflict and end the occupation must be intensified in accordance with UN resolutions, international law, and bilateral agreements.
It is the goal of both sides to see peace within secure and recognized borders based on pre-1967 lines, with the capital of both states being Jerusalem.
 There is no Plan B.
The recent engagement between senior Israeli and Palestinian officials has encouraged me.
Both sides should extend their contact in order to address underlying political issues.
As long as the Palestinian question is treated piecemeal, the underlying problems that cause the conflict will remain unaddressed. Illegal actions and unilateral actions that contribute to the intensification of the conflict must cease.
It is unacceptable to use violence to resolve a conflict. The Secretary-General stated that he was gravely concerned about the unabated violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including settler violence and military operations that have resulted in numerous deaths.
The parties must solidify the cessation of hostilities and support economic development in Gaza. The Palestinian leadership must place considerable emphasis on maintaining calm, strengthening Palestinian institutions, restoring hope, and preventing the escalation of violence.
Identically, illegal settlements, demolitions, and evictions continue, including in East Jerusalem, undermining international humanitarian and human rights law and eroding prospects for a negotiated settlement.
Settlements are illegal in every respect. They must be ceased.
The constant violation of Palestinian human rights makes it impossible for them to live in peace and develop their economies and communities.
In addition, all parties should maintain the status quo at the Holy Sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.
As the international community works to revive the political process, it is imperative to support efforts to improve economic and humanitarian conditions in the occupied Palestinian Territories.
A number of UN initiatives have been implemented on the ground, including the UN Humanitarian Flash Appeal, Gaza reconstruction efforts, and the COVID-19 response.
The fact that the Palestinian Authority faces a dire fiscal situation continues to concern me since it undermines the stability of its institutions and its ability to provide services to its citizens.
Additionally, UNRWA’s existential financial crisis is adversely affecting the rights and well-being of Palestinian refugees throughout the region. As a member of the United Nations, he urged all member states to bolster their financial support for the Palestinian people and contribute more to UNRWA, a critical pillar of regional stability.
In addition, he enunciated that he would like to point out that Israel recently increased the movement of goods and people into and out of Gaza. It is significant to extend such steps and work toward a full lifting of the debilitating closures in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1860.
Time is running out.
We cannot lose sight of the long-sought goal of ending the occupation and achieving a two-state solution.
The parties must produce a concerted effort to facilitate a return to the path of meaningful negotiations and, ultimately, the achievement of an honorable and lasting peace.
In order to resolve the conflict, the United Nations is committed to supporting both Palestinians and Israelis.
Let us reaffirm our shared commitment to this goal.
