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UNRWA is our Right until Return: Statement by BADIL Resource Center and the Global Palestinian Refugee Network
UNRWA is our Right until Return: Statement by BADIL Resource Center and the Global Palestinian Refugee Network

UNRWA is our Right until Return

Statement by BADIL Resource Center and the Global Palestinian Refugee Network

 

In the Commissioner-General’s 23 April message, Philippe Lazzarini assured Palestine refugees of his commitment to the continuity of UNRWA and the delivery of its services. He also unerringly pointed out that the chronic funding crisis UNRWA faces must be addressed and “that to continue relying almost exclusively on voluntary funding from donors would not be reasonable, given the world and regional dynamics.”[1]

 

However, Commissioner-General (CG) Lazzarini's solution is inconsistent with his previous prescription of the problem; rather it is politically motivated and misleading. The proposed suggestion is to “to maximize partnerships within the broader UN system. Central to this option, is that services could be provided on behalf and under the guidance of UNRWA (…).” and that this would not be detrimental to UNRWA’s mandate.[2] This politically and legally false.

 

First, the proposed solution to involve other UN agencies constitutes an attempt to manage the ongoing financial crisis, not take legitimate steps to resolve it. Second, those other UN agencies’ mandates have no connection to Palestine refugees – and their involvement would signify the initial step in diluting UNRWA’s responsibilities and gradually lead to dismantling it. To make it clear: UNRWA is the only agency explicitly mandated to provide assistance to Palestine refugees, not other UN agencies.

 

Most importantly, UNRWA's assistance to Palestine refugees must not be separated from the political context relevant to the creation of the ongoing Nakba since 1948. CG Lazzarini and supporters of the suggestion to loop in other UN agencies have failed to take into consideration that providing services to Palestine refugees is a component of the international protection they are entitled to until their refugee status is justly resolved. Other agencies might have wealthy budgets, yet they have no mandate to consider the political aspect of Palestine refugees’ plight. To separate the service aspect from the political aspect of UNRWA’s mandate constitutes an alteration not only of the Agency’s mandate but also of its reason for existence.  In other words, the only reason that UNRWA came into being and continues to be necessary is the creation and protracted existence of Palestine refugees.

 

While we appreciate the efforts of the CG Lazzarini, we cannot accept such a proposal that may serve the political aspiration of the USA-Israel strategy to dismantle UNRWA.[3]  According to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 302 of 1949,[4] UNRWA was specifically created to provide for the needs of Palestine refugees until they are able to exercise their right to reparations which includes return, property restitution and compensation as prescribed in UNGA Resolution 194 of 1948.[5]And only when that time comes can UNRWA seek to retire from its responsibilities and obligations to Palestinian refugees. 

 

So, what is the solution to the chronic funding crisis UNRWA faces? The solution is to seek mandatory/compulsory rather than voluntary contributions from member states. This would not only guarantee UNRWA’s core budget but it would also free UNRWA from political manipulation and conditional funding.[6] 

 

In accordance with CG Lazzarini’s promise to Palestine refugees that he “will spare no efforts to advocate for your right to a dignified life until there is a just and lasting political solution to your plight.”,[7] BADIL and the Global Palestinian Refugee Network call on him and the Palestinian leadership to seek a true solution to UNRWA’s chronic funding crisis via the upcoming UNGA session and modify the basis of UNRWA’s funding mechanism from voluntary to mandatory.

 

[1] UNRWA, Message from UNRWA Commissioner-General to Palestine Refugees, 23 April 2022, available at: https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/message-unrwa-commissioner-general-palestine-refugees

[2] UNRWA, Message from UNRWA Commissioner-General to Palestine Refugees, 23 April 2022, available at: https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/message-unrwa-commissioner-general-palestine-refugees

[3] See BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Understanding the Political Underpinning of UNRWA’s Chronic Funding Crisis (Bethlehem: BADIL 2018), Bulletin No. 27, available at: https://www.badil.org/phocadownloadpap/Badil_docs/bulletins-and-briefs/bulletin-no27-unrwa-financial-crisis.pdf

[4] UN General Assembly, Resolution 302(IV), Assistance to Palestine Refugees, 8 December 1949, A/RES/302(IV), available at: https://www.unrwa.org/content/general-assembly-resolution-302

[5] UN General Assembly, Resolution 194(III), Palestine -- Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator, 11 December 1948, A/RES/194(III), available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4fe2e5672.html

[6] See BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Confronting the Campaign Targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Parameters, Principles and Recommendations for A Palestinian Strategic Plan, (Bethlehem: BADIL, 2018), available at: https://badil.org/cached_uploads/view/2021/04/20/unrwa-crisis-determination-of-principles-and-proposal-of-a-palestinian-strategic-plan-badil-sep-2018-eng-1618907779.pdfSee also BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, USA-UNRWA Framework Agreement: Assistance or Securitization, , (Bethlehem: BADIL, 2022), Working Paper No. 29, available at: https://badil.org/cached_uploads/view/2022/02/21/wp-29-unrwa-eng-1645448404.pdf

[7] UNRWA, Message from UNRWA Commissioner-General to Palestine Refugees, 23 April 2022, available at: https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements/message-unrwa-commissioner-general-palestine-refugees