By Holy See Mission
Statement byH.E.
Archbishop Celestino MigliorePermanent Observer of the Holy See to the U.NBefore
the Fourth Committeeon
Agenda Item 83: United
Nations Relief and Works Agencyfor
Palestine Refugees in the Near EastNew York, 3
November 2003Mr. Chairman,
My Delegation,
having carefully reviewed the Report of the Commissioner-General of the
United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East,
expresses its praise and appreciation for the work of the Agency during a
time
of crises and challenges.
My delegation
wishes to take this occasion to remember the six employees of UNRWA who
were
tragically killed and to extend sincere condolences and heartfelt
prayers to
UNRWA and to the families of those six employees, who gave their lives
in
service to the Palestinian refugees.
Mr. Chairman,
earlier speakers have spoken about the settlements, curfews, closures,
assassinations, suicide bombers, as well as the impact of these events
on
Palestinians seeking employment, education, and access to medical care.
The
Catholic Church with its humanitarian and social institutions, namely,
the
Pontifical Mission for Palestine working in the region since 1949, Caritas
Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services, report daily on the
trials of the
people served. During the last three years, those agencies have found it
increasingly difficult to carry out their mission.
With the recent
breakdown of the ceasefire the level of violence has increased sharply,
and
Palestinian and Israeli civilians continue to be killed. The Holy See is
convinced that the present conflict in the Middle East will find a
lasting
solution only when there are two independent and sovereign States living
side by
side in peace and security. To this end, questions concerning
Palestinian
refugees and Israeli settlements, for example, or the problem of setting
territorial boundaries and defining the status of the most sacred places
of the
City of Jerusalem, need to be the subject of open dialogue and sincere
negotiation.
Mr. Chairman, my
delegation is of the firm conviction that the international community
must
assist all parties involved to realize that the occupation of the
territories of
the West Bank and Gaza and the terrorist attacks are triggering the
unending
spiral of acts of violence and retaliation which afflict both the
Palestinians
and the Israelis. An integral part of the current “road map” to peace
clearly
calls for a two State solution. It is incumbent upon both parties,
assisted by
the international community, to endorse the “road map” as a tool of
negotiation
and confidence building so that the issues of difference can be
addressed and
accords of resolution produced.
While these
negotiations are now at the crossroads, we must continue to assist those
for
whom violence has become the norm for daily activity. The Pontifical
Mission for
Palestine, for its part, relies heavily on worldwide collaboration to
ameliorate
the suffering of many in the occupied territories. Supported by a number
of
humanitarian organizations from all over the world, it uses their moral
and
financial assistance to promote labor-intensive community development
initiatives which counteract the unemployment in the occupied
territories which
runs at over 60%. The financial support of these collaborators provides
for
education - kindergarten through university.
Mr. Chairman, it
is important to note that Bethlehem University since its founding in
1973 has
graduated 7,617 students. In spite of closures, checkpoints and a
devastated
economy, young people are still seeking an education. The medical needs
of the
refugees are also served by the financial donations of the organizations
noted
above through the established church hospitals and clinics in the
occupied
territories. Life on the ground for the people must continue as the
political
process of the “road map” to peace has to move forward.
Beyond addressing
these significant humanitarian needs noted above, Mr. Chairman, it is
the hope
of my Delegation that any solution found for the multifaceted problems
of the
region will include the question of the Holy City of Jerusalem. In light
of the
numerous incidents of violence and the rigors imposed by closures, the
Holy See
renews its consistent call for “…internationally guaranteed provisions
to ensure
the freedom of religion and of conscience for its inhabitants, as well
as
permanent, free and unhindered access to the holy places by the faithful
of all
religions and nationalities” (A/Res/ES 10-2, 5 May 1997). Current levels
of
violence have caused pilgrims to stay away from the Holy Land, thus
imposing
even more severe economic penalties on all the people of the region,
besides
hindering the right of people from all over the world to visit and pray
at the
religious sites. My Delegation also notes that the local population does
not
have free access to their shrines and holy places.
Mr. Chairman, my
delegation would express the fervent hope that a climate of cooperation
and
friendship will allow us to deal effectively with other difficulties
that the
entire population in the Holy Land face on a daily basis. Many of these
problems, such as the isolation and suffering of various communities,
the
dwindling of the Christian population due to emigration caused by harsh
living
conditions, lack of access to holy shrines and sites, are in some way
connected
to the current conflict, but that should not discourage us from seeking
possible
remedies, from working now to meet the challenges.
As members of the
family of nations, we must continue to work for the success of every
genuine
effort to bring peace to the Holy Land. Only with a just and lasting
peace - not
imposed but secured through negotiation - will legitimate aspirations of
the
people of this Land be fulfilled. Only then will the Holy Land see the
possibility of a bright new future, no longer dissipated by rivalry and
conflict, but firmly based on understanding and cooperation for the good
of all.
The outcome depends greatly on the courageous readiness of those
responsible for
the destiny of this part of the world to move to new attitudes of
compromise and
compliance with the demands of justice.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
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