UN Security Council Briefing and Consulttions on the Situation in the MiddleEast

Harold_Agyeman

 

Mr. President,
I would like to begin by thanking Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland for his monthly briefing on the situation of the Middle East Peace Process. Ghana takes note of the positive and deliberate attempts by Israel to improve ties with regional countries, following upon the Abraham Accords. We also welcome the encouraging statement made by Prime Minister Yair Lapid during the General Debate of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. We believe that it takes bold leadership to invest in peace and therefore encourage all efforts at good neighbourliness and the sustenance of the two-State solution in the interest of peace in the Middle East, a region with strategic geopolitical and economic importance but engulfed in a protracted conflict.
 
Mr. President,
As we have stated in the past, we condemn all incidents of terrorism against Israel. We do not believe that violence can help in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urge all militant groups to channel their energies towards a robust political process that can deliver the much needed peace. Mindful of the security concerns of Israel, we continue to be equally concerned about the insecurity and dire humanitarian situation in parts of Palestine as well as by the incidence of human right abuses, violations, and detentions without charge or trial perpetrated against Palestinians, especially in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
 
We believe that growing insecurity in the West Bank and Gaza does not augur well for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. It rather jeopardizes prospects of realising the generally accepted two-State solution. We therefore urge the parties to de-escalate tensions and generate the required political momentum for direct negotiations.
 
I reiterate Ghana’s request that all parties comply fully with international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and the many relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2334 (2016). We urge Israel, to respect the inalienable rights of Palestinians and abide by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
 
Mr. President,
In concluding, we reiterate our strong conviction that the path for lasting peace and stability in the Middle East can only run through the two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side on the basis of the pre-1967 borders. The realization of goals for the Middle East Process, however, require the Council and the wider international community to be constructive, by sustaining the engagement of the parties whose good-faith efforts are required to resolve this decades-long conflict.
 
I thank you.