UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

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Thank you Madam Chair,

The UAE affirms its commitment to work and coordinate with regional and international partners to reach a just and integrated solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. In this context, I would like to refer to the following issues:

First, the UAE stresses the importance of providing all the necessary support to meet the needs of the brotherly Palestinian people. My country always provides all possible support to enable a humanitarian response to help the Palestinian brothers and provide the urgent needs of the population, especially women and children;

At the same time, in an effort to alleviate the human suffering of the Palestinian people, my country contributed assistance to the Palestinian people from 2016 to 2022, with more than 684 million US dollars. My country also contributed more than USD 165 million to UNRWA, of which USD 143 million is allocated to education and USD 11.7 million for aid and social services programs for commodities in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The UAE recently pledged USD 25 million to Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem to assist with its services.

Moreover, given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of economic activity around the world, my country has airlifted more than 1,800 tons of food supplies and medical aid to Palestine. The UAE donated doses of Covid-19 vaccines of 1.4 million doses, and established the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Field Hospital in Gaza, which opened in February this year, to support the health sector in Gaza in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UAE calls for the need to strengthen the international community’s effective support for vital sectors in the occupied Palestinian territory, especially the health and education sector.

Secondly, the UAE calls for the need to encourage and stimulate efforts and actions that will prevent escalation and advance the option of negotiations. It also urges the need to work to protect the prospects of the two-state solution and overcome the stalemate in the political process to relaunch a concrete and effective peace process;

Thirdly, the United Arab Emirates emphasises that the only solution is to achieve the two-state solution and establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, the terms of reference of the Madrid Conference, and the Arab Peace Initiative. In light of the above, the UAE welcomes what the Israeli Prime Minister addressed on September 22 during the general debate regarding support for the two-state solution. Words must be translated into concrete actions to establish an independent and sovereign Palestinian state;

Fourthly, the UAE calls for de-escalation in Jerusalem, and also stresses the need to preserve the legal status of the city of East Jerusalem, enable Palestinians to practice their religion, and respect the historic role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in caring for the holy sites in the city of Jerusalem.

The UAE also renews its position urging continued work with its regional and international partners to end the battle of conflict, based on its full belief that the Palestinian people, like other peoples of the world, deserve a decent living in a stable state and a safe society characterised by tolerance and economic prosperity, in which human can realise his hopes and aspirations, side by side with the Israeli people.

In conclusion,

the UAE reaffirms its support for regional and international efforts aimed at advancing the Middle East peace process and continuing to work towards a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian question.