Chair,
As we know, UNRWA provides education, healthcare, humanitarian assistance and protection to millions of Palestine refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Today, these essential and life-saving services are needed more than ever.
Yet, we face a critical contradiction: a growing gap between the ambitious mandate we, the Member States, have given UNRWA, and the actual resources we provide to achieve it.
Supporting UNRWA extends far beyond humanitarian duty. It is a critical investment in regional stability and prospects for a future political solution.
The severe and mounting measures constraining UNRWA’s operations include legislative restrictions on their activities and communication with Israeli authorities, the forced departure of international personnel from Palestine, and the seizure and demolition of the UNRWA compound in East Jerusalem. Israel must comply with its obligations under international law, as clarified by the ICJ.
UNRWA’s schools, health centers, and emergency operations provide a vital lifeline to communities under immense pressure. Because no other organization can replicate this work at the necessary scale, Norway remains deeply committed to anchoring its continuous support and engagement.
But, Chair, predictable funding cannot rest on the shoulders of a shrinking group of donors. Our political support for UNRWA must be matched by adequate, predictable and sustained financial contributions. An unfunded mandate is a promise unkept.
At the same time, we recognize that the severity of the current financial situation may require difficult choices. Hence, we should remain open to reforms that can strengthen UNRWA’s financial and operational sustainability.
To this end, we support the Commissioner-General ad interim's efforts to identify necessary adjustments. While we acknowledge the concerns these measures may raise, any changes must ultimately preserve UNRWA’s mandate and its ability to deliver essential services.
Ultimately we - the UN member states - must honour our obligation to enable UNRWA to fulfil the mandate entrusted to it by the UN General Assembly.
Thank you