Tomorrow, Monday, the meetings of the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will begin at the United Nations headquarters in the Swiss city of Geneva, with the participation of about 30 permanent member states, representatives of the Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees, the donor countries to the agency, the European Community, and the League of Arab States.

Ahmed Abu Holi, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said that the meetings of the UNRWA Advisory Commission are being held amid international, UN, regional and Arab warnings about the dangers of Israeli legislation that undermines its mandate, the major challenges facing its work in operational, financial and political contexts, and its immediate and future impact on the lives of Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation, and on UNRWA’s mandate and the stability of the region.

He added that the Advisory Committee will discuss the serious Israeli measures, including attacks on its buildings and staff, and the new legislation adopted by the Israeli Knesset last October, regarding banning its activities and cutting off communications with it, and canceling the 1967 bilateral agreements, which violate the UN Charter and its resolutions, and the impact of Israeli laws on the implementation of UNRWA’s mandate issued by the General Assembly.

He stressed that the members of the Advisory Committee will discuss during the meetings the mechanisms for continuing UNRWA's work in its five areas of operation, and limiting the impact of laws on its mandate, including moving towards preventing Israel from implementing its laws.

Abu Holi continued: UNRWA's operations in the Gaza Strip, one year after the Gaza war, will be present at the meetings, and will provide a briefing on its operations in the Gaza Strip, its emergency humanitarian interventions, including its relief, health and educational services, the challenges facing its work in light of the Israeli occupation forces targeting its employees, facilities and shelters, and the future impact of Israeli laws on its emergency humanitarian interventions.

He added that the reforms adopted by UNRWA in the work of its programmes and the extent of their response to the previous recommendations issued by the Advisory Commission will be discussed, in addition to reviewing the progress made in implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the External Review Group (the Colonna Report), including the amended implementation plan and the results framework.

Abu Holi stated that the Palestinian delegation will stress the need to take action to confront Israeli legislation and oblige Israel not to implement it and respect UNRWA’s mandate, privileges and diplomatic immunity. He urged UNRWA to create new windows to mobilize financial resources to cover the financial deficit in its 2024 budget and ensure financial stability, and urged member states to sign multi-year funding agreements with UNRWA to secure adequate and sustainable funding.

Abu Holi warned against attempts to dismantle UNRWA and end its work, and against implementing Israeli laws that would affect its mandate and its five areas of operation, as well as the work of its educational, health and relief programmes, and the security and stability of the region, stressing that there is no alternative to UNRWA, and it will continue its duties until a political solution is found for the refugee issue in accordance with the relevant UN resolutions, most notably resolutions 194 and 302.