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Remarks by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, at the Meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC)

New York, 22 September 2022

Excellencies and distinguished delegates, Prime Minister Shtayyeh, Director General Ushpiz,

I wish to thank the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt and her team, for organizing this meeting.

At the last meeting of the AHLC, many expressed their view that economic steps alone are not a substitute for a legitimate political process that will resolve the core issues driving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather, economic steps must be anchored within a political framework.

As such, the Chair’s Summary from the last meeting called on partners to “work with the Parties to prepare a political package of incremental, durable, and meaningful steps with commitments for their implementation.”

In our report to this session, we have put forward such a package. Each element of the package is designed to connect immediate, achievable steps to the broader goal of creating a political horizon.

Allow me to elaborate briefly on the four key recommendations in our report:

First, the drivers of the conflict must be addressed. This requires the parties to significantly reduce tensions and violence across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including settler-related violence. The militant activity in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank must stop. Unilateral steps that undermine peace should also stop—in particular, settlement advancements, including outposts, demolitions, and displacement. I urge all relevant parties to deal with the contentious issues related to Jerusalem and ensure full respect for the status quo.

Second, efforts to strengthen Palestinian institutions and address the challenge of the Palestinian governance are required. This requires strengthening the fiscal health of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in line with World Bank and IMF recommendations. It also requires strengthening the PA’s political legitimacy and accountability through democratic reforms and opening of the civic space, and holding free and fair elections across the OPT, as well as restoring the effectiveness and credibility of Palestinian security forces.

Third, improving access, movement, and trade would create space for the Palestinian economy to grow. Steps should be taken to increase access for Palestinians to land and resources in Area C in the West Bank. This should include further reducing restrictions and barriers, and other structural impediments to trade, while further increasing permits for Palestinian development. Development of economic activity in Area C for Palestinians is essential if the fiscal reforms we recommend are to be made meaningful and create a difference.

In Gaza, the increase in the number of worker permits to the highest level since 2007 is positive. At the same time, a more comprehensive approach to easing restrictions on the movement of people and goods should be developed. Re-linking the economies of the West Bank and Gaza Strip should be a related objective, with efforts needed by all parties.

Fourth, the parties should engage each other to re-envision their economic and administrative relationship. Progress in this area could attract much-needed investments and promote growth in both economies. Given the expansion of permits for Palestinian workers in Israel, accelerating reforms to the permit regime should be a priority. Resolving longstanding fiscal files, is a high priority. Enhancing cooperation between the parties’ Ministries of Finance and monetary authorities will be of high significance

Excellencies and distinguished delegates,

This ambitious reform agenda must be met with robust support from international partners.

Creating a political horizon toward a two-State reality is urgently needed. Prime Minister Lapid’s stated commitment to two-States today in the General Assembly was an important reaffirmation. While we know this reality cannot happen overnight, the immediate steps we urge the parties and donors to take now should be deliberately linked to this political goal. Our package of recommendations – addressing security issues, Palestinian governance, access and movement, Palestinian access in Area C, and the institutional relationship between Israel and the PA – are all linked to important unresolved final status issues. Progress in these areas – given the right political meaning – can restore a political horizon and provide much-needed time get back to meaningful negotiations.

Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Yair Lapid,

Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel

The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Yair Lapid, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel. They discussed cooperation between Israel and the United Nations, including efforts to combat antisemitism. They also exchanged views on the way forward for the Middle East Peace Process.

New York, 20 September 2022

Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine

The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine.

The Secretary-General and President Abbas discussed developments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and collective efforts to mobilize resources in support of UNRWA.

The Secretary-General and President Abbas reaffirmed their shared commitment to efforts towards achieving a two-State solution, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of Israel and Palestine, in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions and prior agreements.

New York, 19 September 2022

Press Release

UN report: Ensuring the readiness of the Palestinian Authority (PA) for statehood is an urgent priority.

The widening gap between the stalled political track and the progress achieved since the PA’s founding is reaching the point of unsustainability, putting at great risk the historic accomplishments in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

Friday, 16 September 2022, Jerusalem – A newly published United Nations report identifies a package of strategic elements that, if implemented by the parties and their partners, can contribute to reversing the current negative trajectory on the ground, strengthening the Palestinian economy and Palestinian institutions, and maintaining the viability of the two-State solution until such time that formal negotiations can recommence.

Such a package is detailed in this report and includes the following four elements:
(i) addressing the continuing drivers of conflict and instability; (ii) strengthening Palestinian institutions and addressing the challenge of Palestinian governance; (iii) improving access, movement, and trade and thereby creating space for the Palestinian economy to grow; and finally (iv) better aligning the framework of economic and administrative relationships with the economic transformations of the past decades.

The report, issued by the office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) for the upcoming meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) in New York on 22 September 2022, warns of the growing gap between the stalled political path and negative trajectory on the ground, and the progress achieved since the PA’s founding, which is reaching the point of unsustainability, and is putting at risk the historic accomplishments in the OPT. It calls for giving urgent priority to ensuring the readiness of the PA for statehood.

The report notes that some promising measures have been taken by the Government of Israel over the past year, particularly easing restrictions on the movement of people and goods into and out of the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, there has been dramatic increase in the number of Palestinian workers crossing into Israel. The report highlights that as of the 2^nd quarter of 2022, around 210,500 Palestinians worked in Israel and in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. This represents a 50% increase in the number of commuters since 2019.

In Gaza, the report notes that as of mid-September 2022, around 15,500 permits had been issued for Gaza-based workers, traders, and businessmen to commute to Israel. This new flow of income has helped many households in Gaza pay off debts, make essential purchases, buy more food, and obtain medical treatments. However, it stresses that more needs to be done and the link between such economic steps and a two-State horizon needs to be clear and consistent.

The report also warns of the current fragmentation of the OPT, which is shrinking the space for growth of the Palestinian economy, fueling humanitarian needs and conflict, and undermining the viability of a future Palestinian State. It outlines steps to further ease Israeli movement and access restrictions in the West Bank and Gaza and improve Palestinian access to land and resources, better link the economies of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and address the internal Palestinian divide.

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, stated that “there are strategic initiatives which the parties can take, together as well as independently, and with support from international partners, to strengthen the PA, create the necessary space for a viable Palestinian economy, and improve the humanitarian, development, fiscal, and governance situation of Palestinians.” He added that “these initiatives together would help rebalance Palestinian engagement with Israeli state institutions and reinvigorate the two-State solution.”

The report underscores that only by reversing the negative trends on the ground, particularly the growing insecurity in the occupied West Bank, can real progress across all elements be made. “Ultimately, there is no substitute for a legitimate political process that will return the parties to meaningful negotiations and resolve the core issues driving the conflict,” the report adds.

Special Coordinator Wennesland expressed grave concern about the deteriorating security situation and the unacceptable daily loss of life in the occupied West Bank. He called on all concerned parties to immediately reduce tensions, and for political and community leaders on all sides to act now and engage in good faith through dialogue to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.

Note to Editors: The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) serves as the principal policy-level coordination mechanism for development assistance to the OPT. The AHLC is chaired by Norway and co-sponsored by the EU and the US. In addition, the United Nations participates together with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The AHLC seeks to promote dialogue between donors, the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel.