UN / MIDDLE EAST

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry to address the monthly Middle East briefing to the Security Council. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:16
• Production Date: 23 June 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ISRAEL
• Geographic Subject: ISRAEL
• MAMS Id: U090623a

Description

STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST
TRT: 1.16
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 23 JUNE 2009, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT 2009, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

23 JUNE 2009, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert H. Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“Illegal settlement construction continued across the West Bank in contravention of the Roadmap. Reports that processes to approve new construction in settlements continue as before are extremely concerning.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert H. Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“It is essential that member states act swiftly to fulfill pledges and commit to additional budget support for the PA. At the same time, the only sustainable way to revive the Palestinian economy and for the PA to receive sufficient finances from tax revenues is for Israel to ease closure measures and create an enabling environment for economic growth.”
7. Cutaway, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert H. Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, United Nations:
“Conditions for the civilian population remain of grave concern. Food and medicines are entering Gaza, and the first shipment of livestock in nine months entered Gaza on 19 June in the form of 350 cattle. But overall quantity and range of goods remains grossly insufficient to support normal economic and social activity.”
9. Wide shot, Security Council

Storyline

“Illegal settlement construction continued across the West Bank in contravention of the Roadmap”, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process today (23 June) told the Security Council.

Briefing the members of the Council, Robert Serry added that reports that new Israeli construction in settlements continued as before were “extremely concerning.”

Turning to the Palestinian side Serry said that the immediate challenge for the Palestinian Authority was financial. He stressed that it was “essential” that member states acted “swiftly to fulfill pledges and commit to additional budget support for the PA”.

Serry also said that the only sustainable way to revive the Palestinian economy was for Israel to “ease closure measures” and create an environment where economic growth was possible.

On the situation in Gaza, Serry said that the conditions for the civilian population remained of “grave concern”. He added that overall, the quantity and range of goods remained “grossly insufficient to support normal economic and social activity.”