Egypt: UNRWA embodies int’l commitment to right of Palestinian refugees to return home

CAIRO – 23 September 2022: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) embodies the legal and political commitments of the international community to the right of the Palestinian refugees to return home, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Thursday.

Shoukry’s remarks were made during a ministerial meeting for UNRWA on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, attended by ministers and high-level officials, including Secretary-General of the UN António Guterres.

Shoukry affirmed the importance of holding this UNRWA ministerial meeting as it delivers a collective message in support of the agency in light of the acute crisis it faces regarding securing the required funding for its work.

 

Shoukry also highlighted the necessity to pay attention for the potential consequences of this crisis on the work of the agency and the situation of Palestinian refugees in the countries of the region, which already face numerous challenges and crises.

The top Egyptian diplomat also underscored Egypt’s supportive stance to any solution that would preserve the current programs of the agency and develop its activities as long as this solution adheres to the agency’s work mandate and the legal status of Palestinian refugees, the statement said.

He affirmed that the true solution to this issue is represented in relaunching the peace process in accordance with the two-state solution and the relevant international legitimacy resolutions.

Egypt has repeatedly affirmed the necessity of ending the current stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process to achieve the Palestinian people’s aspirations in establishing their independent state.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met with Shoukry on Thursday, during which he expressed his country’s appreciation for the Egyptian efforts to support the Palestinian cause, the Egyptian ministry said.

This includes efforts to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation and contribute to completing the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, Shtayyeh said.

The Palestinian premier also hailed Egypt’s efforts to help resume the peace process through various international frameworks, including the Munich Group (Munich Format) that held a ministerial meeting on Wednesday in New York city to discuss the issue.