Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide on the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)

I am pleased that the report underlines that UNRWA has good procedures in place to ensure neutrality, and that the organization works in line with humanitarian principles.

At the same time, the report states that there is room for improvement.  UNRWA's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini will develop an action plan to follow up on the recommendations. Together with other donor countries, Norway will work with the UN and UNRWA to follow up these recommendations.

Over the past months, Norway has emphasized that it is unacceptable to punish an entire organization, with 30,000 employees, and all Palestine refugees for the alleged misdeeds of a small number of the organization's employees. We have urged donors who suspended their funding when Israel made these allegations to consider the consequences of cutting the support.

I would now like to call on countries that have still frozen their contributions to UNRWA to resume funding.

UNRWA is the lifeline for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, who have been living with war and destruction for more than half a year. The situation is catastrophic. Gaza is in ruins. The population lacks everything, and many are starving. UNRWA’s presence is also crucial for other humanitarian organizations’ efforts in Gaza.

UNRWA is much more than a humanitarian organization. Mandated by the UN General Assembly, UNRWA is the international community's commitment to Palestine refugees and their rights.