Pakistan's Ambassador to France and permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Asim Iftikhar Ahmad has urged support for the continued operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
He was addressing the eighth special session of UNESCO's executive board. The session highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, with a call for accountability for Israel's actions and renewed support for Palestinian refugees.
The ambassador pointed out the devastating impact of the conflict on education in Gaza, saying that around 10,000 students had been killed and 15,000 injured, and over 400 teachers killed and more than 2,400 injured. He highlighted that almost the entire educational infrastructure, including school buildings, had been either completely or partially destroyed.
"The loss of human lives and scale of destruction are unimaginable," Ahmad remarked.
He condemned Israel's actions as unprecedented violations of international and humanitarian law, accusing the occupying power of imposing a prolonged blockade, denying humanitarian assistance, and deliberately targeting humanitarian workers and organisations.
He described these acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Ahmad noted that UNRWA, a key lifeline for Palestinian refugees, was being systematically targeted by Israel to undermine and obstruct its essential operations. He revealed that 247 UNRWA personnel had been killed so far - the highest number recorded in the UN's history, exceeding losses in any other war zone or natural disaster.
"UNRWA has been systematically targeted to discredit, dismantle, and obstruct its essential operations," he stated, warning that such measures violated international law and contravened UN General Assembly resolutions regarding immunity and protection for international organisations.
Highlighting the long-standing collaboration between UNESCO and UNRWA in the field of education, the ambassador said the cooperation had provided significant strategic and technical support for over seven decades.
The ambassador stressed that education, as a fundamental right, could not be politicized or denied, particularly to the most vulnerable.
He called the attempts to ban UNRWA intolerable and said such actions directly challenged UNESCO's mandate and the United Nations' broader commitments to Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education and refugee rights.
He underscored the international community's duty to hold Israel accountable in order to uphold UNRWA's mandate and ensure its uninterrupted operation.
Urging member states to take responsibility, he stated, "Let this session serve as a powerful reaffirmation of UNESCO's role as a defender of education and our steadfast support for UNRWA's vital mandate. Let us adopt the draft resolution with our full backing - for the Palestinian children, their future, and in the interest of multilateralism."
Citing the UN Secretary-General's warning, Ahmad pointed out that laws undermining UNRWA would hinder efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He referenced an editorial by 'Le Monde' asserting that ICC arrest warrants represented a stand against Israel's impunity and emphasized the essential function of justice: accountability.
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