Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / UNRWA LAZZARINI
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / UNRWA LAZZARINI
TRT: 5:46
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 06 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
06 NOVEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, General Assembly
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“Its intention goes beyond undermining UNRWA and the United Nations. It seeks to end Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and aspiration for a just political solution. It advances efforts to shift, unilaterally, long-established parameters for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict.
4. Med shot. Palestinian delegation
5. Med shot, Lazzarini speaking
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“For the past year, UNRWA has been a lifeline for the people of Gaza. It is the only pillar of their lives left standing.”
7. Wide shot, General Assembly
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“In the absence of a capable public administration or state, only UNRWA can deliver education to more than 650,000 girls and boys in Gaza. In the absence of UNRWA, an entire generation will be denied the right to education. Their future will be sacrificed, sowing the seeds for marginalization and extremism.”
9. Wide shot, General Assembly
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“I continue to call for accountability for the attacks on UN personnel, premises and operations through an independent investigation into these violations.”
11. Wide shot, General Assembly
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“UNRWA takes allegations of neutrality breaches extremely seriously. We do not operate in a zero-risk environment, but we take a zero- tolerance approach to any proven breaches. It is problematic, however, that unsubstantiated allegations are used to justify actions against the Agency. The Independent Review of UNRWA’s neutrality found that the Agency has a more robust neutrality framework than comparable entities. We are making every effort to implement the recommendations of the review.”
13. Wide shot, General Assembly
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“First, I ask that Member States act to prevent the implementation of the legislation against UNRWA. Changes to UNRWA’s mandate are the prerogative of the General Assembly, not individual Member States. Second, I ask that Member States ensure that any plan for a political transition delineates UNRWA’s role. The Agency must progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political solution, and hand over its services to an empowered Palestinian administration. Finally, I ask that Member States maintain funding to UNRWA, and do not withhold or divert funds on the assumption that the Agency can no longer operate.”
15. Wide shot, General Assembly
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, State of Palestine:
“Its staff are risking their life as we speak to uphold its sacred mandate, a mandate given by this General Assembly for 75 years with full confidence in the Agency’s vital mission and the collective responsibility to uphold it until realization of a just solution. UNRWA deserves the international community’s full support.”
17. Med shot, Israeli delegation
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, State of Palestine:
“How can Israel lead such an assault against the UN both within these halls and on the ground and still call itself a member of these United Nations, sitting in this august hall and exercising the rights associated with membership while breaching all of the obligations that come with it? This attack against the UN is not only a smear campaign, it has real life consequences.”
19. Various shots, General Assembly Hall
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“UNRWA may be defined by a single word: failure - a failure both professional and moral. Since its founding, UNRWA spent tens of billions of dollars. Yet I challenge any of you to find any meaningful, lasting accomplishments.”
21. Wide shot, Lazzarini seating at the podium
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“I have often spoken about Gaza's future without Hamas. The same applies to UNRWA. Without UNWRA, cooperation could flourish; without UNWRA aid workers could be trusted; without UNWRA gathers children might learn peace, not hate. It is time to move on and build a new path so the UN can begin its integrity and deliver on its promise to support peace and security.”
23. Wide shot, General Assembly Hall
The head of the Palestine refugee agency Philippe Lazzarini told the General Assembly, “For the past year, UNRWA has been a lifeline for the people of Gaza. It is the only pillar of their lives left standing.”
The Commissioner-General of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) addressed the General Assembly today ( 06 Nov) in New York, which he described as the Agency’s “darkest hour.”
Lazarrini stressed that the Israeli Knesset’s legislative action poses an imminent and existential threat to the Agency, adding that it is the latest move in a relentless campaign to delegitimize UNRWA and undermine its role providing development services and emergency assistance to Palestine Refugees.
He stated, “Its intention goes beyond undermining UNRWA and the United Nations. It seeks to end Palestinians’ right to self-determination, and aspiration for a just political solution. It advances efforts to shift, unilaterally, long-established parameters for resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Knesset legislation forbids contact between Israeli state officials and UNRWA representatives. It prohibits UNRWA operations in what it calls “the sovereign territory of the State of Israel”. Its implementation will have disastrous consequences, the Commissioner-General highlighted.
On education in Gaza, Lazarrini said, “In the absence of a capable public administration or state, only UNRWA can deliver education to more than 650,000 girls and boys in Gaza.”
“In the absence of UNRWA, an entire generation will be denied the right to education. Their future will be sacrificed, sowing the seeds for marginalization and extremism,” the Commissioner-General continued.
The head of the Agency continued his call for “accountability for the attacks on UN personnel, premises and operations through an independent investigation into these violations.”
Lazzarini also highlighted that UNRWA takes allegations of neutrality breaches “extremely seriously.”
He said, “We do not operate in a zero-risk environment, but we take a zero- tolerance approach to any proven breaches.”
“It is problematic, however, that unsubstantiated allegations are used to justify actions against the Agency. The Independent Review of UNRWA’s neutrality found that the Agency has a more robust neutrality framework than comparable entities. We are making every effort to implement the recommendations of the review,” Commissioner-General said.
Lazzarini reiterated that without intervention by Member States, UNRWA will collapse, plunging millions of Palestinians into chao. He listed three urgent requests to prevent a “devastating outcome.”
The Commissioner-General said, “First, I ask that Member States act to prevent the implementation of the legislation against UNRWA. Changes to UNRWA’s mandate are the prerogative of the General Assembly, not individual Member States.”
Second, he asked that Member States ensure that “any plan for a political transition delineates UNRWA’s role. The Agency must progressively conclude its mandate within the framework of a political solution, and hand over its services to an empowered Palestinian administration.”
Finally, he asked that Member States maintain funding to UNRWA, and “do not withhold or divert funds on the assumption that the Agency can no longer operate.”
Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour also spoke to the General Assembly. On UNRWA, he said, “its staff are risking their life as we speak to uphold its sacred mandate, a mandate given by this General Assembly for 75 years with full confidence in the Agency’s vital mission and the collective responsibility to uphold it until realization of a just solution.”
“UNRWA deserves the international community’s full support,” Ambassador Mansour said.
The Palestinian Ambassador asked, “How can Israel lead such an assault against the UN both within these halls and on the ground and still call itself a member of these United Nations, sitting in this august hall and exercising the rights associated with membership while breaching all of the obligations that come with it? This attack against the UN is not only a smear campaign, it has real life consequences.”
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon told the General Assembly, “UNRWA may be defined by a single word: failure - a failure both professional and moral.”
He said, “Since its founding, UNRWA spent tens of billions of dollars. Yet I challenge any of you to find any meaningful, lasting accomplishments.”
Ambassador Danon also said, “I have often spoken about Gaza's future without Hamas. The same applies to UNRWA.”
“Without UNWRA, cooperation could flourish; without UNWRA aid workers could be trusted; without UNWRA gathers children might learn peace, not hate,” the Israeli Ambassador said, reiterating that “it is time to move on and build a new path so the UN can begin its integrity and deliver on its promise to support peace and security.”
