The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday held a meeting to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People during which the UN Deputy Secretary-General and others called for peaceful resolution to the Palestinian question.
Denis Francis, President of UNGA of the 78th Session, said at the meeting that the UN stands firmly with the Palestinians and commemorates with a heavy heart the lives lost in the past seven weeks and the past 70 years.
He also called on the international community to take immediate action for the people of Palestine, especially those in Gaza.
“Let us be crystal clear: the Palestinian people – as all human beings – are entitled to their fundamental and inalienable right to live in dignity, with all liberties, freedom of movement, freedom from fear and from any want and with unfettered access to basic services,” said Francis.
Zhang Jun, permanent representative of China to the UN, stressed at the meeting that the status quo in the Palestinian-Israeli situation is unsustainable.
The envoy urged a continuation of the humanitarian pause, pointing to Security Council Resolution 2712, which was passed on Nov 15 and represents the first resolution on the Palestinian-Israeli issue adopted since 2016.
Zhang also reiterated that all parties involved in the Palestinian-Israeli issue should ultimately realize the two-state solution through negotiations and fundamentally resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue.
“The Security Council will continue to follow closely the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, to pursue the implementation of its relevant resolutions and [fully] support efforts towards an environment conducive to achieving peace, prosperity and security for both the Palestinian and Israeli people,” he said.
Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, and Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, also attended the meeting.
Chinese President Xi Jinping extended congratulations to the meeting and pledged China’s continuous efforts to uphold justice on the Palestinian question, actively promote peace talks and provide humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinian side.
Also on the same day, an exhibition entitled “Palestine: A Land with A People” was inaugurated and will remain on display at the UN headquarters in the Visitors’ Lobby in New York till Jan 8, 2024.
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is an annual observance designated by the UN General Assembly on Dec 2, 1977 to commemorate its adoption of a resolution on Nov 29, 1947 to partition the mandate of Palestine into two states.