AHLC and other reports

Secretary-General's remarks to the Park East Synagogue and United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Service

Rabbi Schneier,
Holocaust survivors,
Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,

We meet today online and around the world to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, and to honour the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others who were systematically murdered in the Holocaust by the Nazis and their collaborators.

I am particularly privileged to speak to the Holocaust survivors who join us from across the globe, including Rabbi Schneier. You inspire us all with your courage, resilience and endurance.

I have visited the wonderful Park East Synagogue to mark this occasion every year since I became Secretary-General.

Today, we are prevented from gathering together in person by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already cost two million lives and sickened more than ninety million people around the world.

I send my sincere condolences to those who have lost family members, loved ones and friends. I deeply admire the essential and frontline workers who have protected and supported their communities, and particularly the most vulnerable, during these difficult times, risking their own lives.
The pandemic has put societies to the test. It has exacerbated long-standing injustices and divisions. And it has contributed to a resurgence of xenophobia, antisemitism, and hate speech.

Propaganda linking Jews with the pandemic, for example, by accusing them of creating the virus as part of a bid for global domination, would be ridiculous, if it were not so dangerous. This is just the latest manifestation of an antisemitic trope that dates back to at least the 14th century, when Jews were accused of spreading the bubonic plague.

Antisemitism is the oldest, most persistent and entrenched form of racism and religious persecution in our world.

From Imperial Rome to medieval Europe to the modern world, Jews and their communities have suffered two millennia of attacks, expulsions and periodic mass killings. In the 19th century, Jews were blamed for financial crashes in which they themselves were the main victims.

Antisemitism found its most horrific expression in the Holocaust.

The universal revulsion at this crime, followed by the founding of the United Nations and the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, promised an end.

But it did not end.

Antisemitism continues to blight our world.

It is sad, but not surprising, that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered yet another eruption of this poisonous ideology.

We can never let down our guard.

Today, Holocaust denial, distortion and minimization are resurgent.

In Europe, the United States and elsewhere, white supremacists are organizing and recruiting across borders, flaunting the symbols and tropes of the Nazis and their murderous ambitions.

We have seen shocking examples in this nation’s capital in recent days.

The Anti-Defamation League found that the American Jewish community experienced the highest level of antisemitic incidents in 2019 since tracking began in 1979.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided new areas for neo-Nazi activities. As people spend more time at home and online, white supremacists and neo-Nazis are using social media platforms to disseminate propaganda and create fear and hatred.

They exploit the anxiety and social turmoil created by the pandemic to target minorities, based on religion, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, disability and immigration status. They even trade information on how to infect minority communities, by effectively making themselves into bioweapons.

Tragically, after decades in the shadows, neo-Nazis and their ideas are now gaining currency. The United States authorities have warned that white supremacist and nativist movements are on the rise across the country and around the world. For the first time, they have designated white supremacist leaders as terrorists.

In some countries, neo-Nazi ideas can be heard in debates between mainstream political parties. In others, neo-Nazis have infiltrated police and state security services.

While this is horrifying, we can find some reassurance when governments take responsibility and action. What is even more concerning is the certainty that neo-Nazi activities are taking place elsewhere, undetected and unchallenged.

Together, we must urgently strengthen our efforts against the danger they pose.

Distinguished guests, dear friends,

The continued rise of white supremacy and neo-Nazi ideology must be seen in the context of a global attack on truth that has reduced the role of science and fact-based analysis in public life.

These attacks are dangerous and deliberate. Power-hungry, autocratic leaders have always undermined truth, so that they can impose their own narratives based on lies, half-truths and innuendo.

When truth dies, it is far easier to exploit real and imagined differences between groups; invent scapegoats; demonize innocent people and communities; and break the social bonds that unite us all.

The fragmentation of the traditional media, and the growth of social media platforms, are contributing to a proliferation of different narratives with no shared basis of agreed facts.

When the truth is just one version among many, lying becomes normalized and history can be distorted and rewritten.

As the historian Deborah Lipstadt has pointed out, this can alter the way established truth is transmitted from generation to generation so that there is no ultimate historical reality.

When almost two-thirds of young Americans do not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, we have to ask whether this process is already underway.

This has clear implications for today’s commemoration, and for all our activities to educate and inform on the Holocaust.

As the number of Holocaust survivors diminishes every year, we must make ever greater efforts to elevate the truth and ensure that it lives on.

Distinguished guests, dear friends,

The theme of this year’s Holocaust observance is “Facing the Aftermath: Recovery and Reconstitution after the Holocaust”.

For many Jews, the end of the Holocaust was only the beginning of an unimaginably painful and difficult journey.

To take just one example, Anne Frank’s father, Otto Frank, learned that his wife and two daughters had died only after the Holocaust had ended.

No Holocaust survivor could ever recover the life they had led.

The Holocaust changed the world forever; there was no going back.

Today, as we consider the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we can take important lessons from the Holocaust.

The recovery must address the fragilities and fissures that have been exposed by the pandemic. It must strengthen our mutual bonds, based on our common humanity.

This year must be a year of healing. Healing from the pandemic, and healing our broken societies in which hatred has all too easily taken root.

Recovery must include investment in social cohesion, so that every community feels valued both for itself, and as part of the whole.

Political, religious and community leaders must seek common ground and build consensus, if we are to emerge safely from these dangerous times.

The United Nations strives everywhere to support governments in building inclusive, diverse, respectful societies founded on the human rights and the rule of law. Our blueprint is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.

We need coordinated global action, on the scale of the threat we face, to build an alliance against the growth and spread of neo-Nazism and white supremacy, and to fight propaganda and disinformation.

For the past 15 years, our Holocaust Outreach Programme has carried the testimony of survivors, and its relevance today, around the world. Our written materials and videos inform and raise awareness, because “never again” means telling the story again and again.

Our United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites offers concrete steps to support governments so that all can enjoy their right to observe religious rituals in safety. And our UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech is a demonstration of our commitment to act together against this phenomenon.

Prevention is key to the fight against antisemitism, and I sincerely thank Rabbi Schneier and all those who work with and for the Appeal of Conscience Foundation for their efforts to promote interfaith understanding.

Distinguished guests, dear friends,

History shows that those who undermine truth ultimately undermine themselves.

The only way out of the COVID-19 pandemic is through science and fact-based analysis. The production of vaccines in record time is testimony to the effectiveness of this approach.

There is no vaccine for antisemitism and xenophobia. But our best weapon remains the truth.

The United Nations will continue to stand with you, and against lies, bigotry and hatred of all kinds.

Our best tribute to those who died in the Holocaust is the creation of a world of equality, justice and dignity for all.

Thank you.

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on new settlements announcement by Israel

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the decision of the Israeli authorities to advance plans for some 800 settlement units, most of which are located deep inside the occupied West Bank.

The Secretary-General reiterates that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law.

Settlement expansion increases the risk of confrontation, further undermines the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and further erodes the possibility of ending the occupation and establishing a contiguous and viable sovereign Palestinian State, based on the pre-1967 lines.

The Secretary-General urges the Government of Israel to halt and reverse such decisions, which are a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution, and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.

[END]

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General - on Palestinian Elections

The Secretary-General welcomes the Presidential decree issued yesterday by President Mahmoud Abbas to hold legislative, presidential and Palestinian National Council elections later this year, beginning in May.

The holding of elections in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza will be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity, giving renewed legitimacy to national institutions, including a democratically elected Parliament and Government in Palestine.

The Secretary-General calls on the Palestinian authorities to facilitate, strengthen and support women’s political participation throughout the electoral cycle.

The Secretary-General hopes that the holding of the elections will contribute to restarting a process towards a negotiated two-State solution based on the pre-1967 lines, and in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, bilateral agreements and international law.

The United Nations stands ready to support efforts for the Palestinian people to be able to exercise their democratic rights.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 16 January 2021

Secretary-General appoints Ms. Lynn Hastings of Canada as Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and United Nations Resident Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Lynn Hastings of Canada as Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, where she will also serve as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She succeeds Jamie McGoldrick of Ireland to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his commitment and dedicated service.

Ms. Hastings brings to this position over twenty years of experience in humanitarian affairs, development coordination and political affairs. Since 2018 she has served as Deputy Director in the Operations and Advocacy Division of OCHA in New York. Previously, she was Senior Adviser in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) (2014-2018), Country Director for Pakistan in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (2011-2014) and Chief of Staff in the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) (2003-2011).

Ms. Hastings has also served as United Nations representative to the Office of the Middle East Quartet Envoy for the Gaza Disengagement, and in senior roles in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and East Timor, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Prior to joining the United Nations, she practiced law in the private sector and conducted legal research for the International Commission of Jurists.

Born in Canada, Ms. Hastings holds a Master of Laws from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor in Canada.

New York, 30 December 2020

[END]

Secretary-General appoints Tor Wennesland of Norway as United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO)

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Tor Wennesland of Norway as his new Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. In this capacity, Mr. Wennesland will be the Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Quartet.

Mr. Wennesland succeeds Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his important contributions and leadership of the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO).

A career diplomat who joined the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983, Mr. Wennesland is currently Norway’s Special Representative to the Middle East Peace Process, which includes the responsibility for Norway’s chairmanship of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for Palestine. He has extensive experience in the Middle East going back to 1994 when he was Adviser on the Middle East Desk in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the process that led to the Oslo II Agreement. He has also served as Norway’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority from 2007 to 2011 and as Norwegian Ambassador to Egypt and Libya from 2012 to 2015. He was the Aid Coordination Adviser to the Office of the Quartet Representative from 2007 to 2008 and was previously involved in the work to establish transboundary water agreements for the Euphrates River and the Jordan River Basin and, has been the Secretary General of the International Water Academy. He has also been posted to the Norwegian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and the Norwegian Embassy in Dublin.

Mr. Wennesland earned a Master of Divinity from the Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society in Oslo and holds degrees in Philosophy and Sociology from the University of Oslo.

New York, 21 December 2020

[END].

Secretary-General's message for United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East

It is my pleasure to greet participants of the 2020 United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East. Twenty-nine years ago, this annual event was born to help promote peace and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. Unfortunately, the possibility of that peace seems as remote as ever.

This seminar occurs just a few days after the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, marking the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a resolution that called for the creation of two States.

I understand the deep sense of despair of the Palestinian people. The dreams of generation after generation have been dimmed by conflict and more than half a century of occupation. I also recognize the legitimate concerns of the Israeli people and their aspirations to live in peace and security.

The position of the United Nations is defined by resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly as well as international law and bilateral agreements. The two-State solution remains the only path to ensuring that Palestinians and Israelis can both realize their legitimate aspirations ,living side-by-side in peace and security, based on the 1967 borders, and with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

I will continue to speak out against any effort that undermines peace and moves the parties further away from constructive negotiations. I urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders to resume a meaningful dialogue, and I welcome all international initiatives which could help advance a just and comprehensive peace between the two peoples.

I wish you a successful seminar.

END.

29 November 2020, New York

Secretary-General's message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

[scroll down for French and Arabic versions]

As the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary, the question of Palestine remains distressingly unresolved.

The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the Palestinian economy and undermined the already fragile humanitarian, economic and political situation in Gaza, further entrenched by crippling restrictions on movement and access.

Meanwhile, prospects for a viable two-State solution are growing more distant. A host
of factors continue to cause great misery, including: the expansion of illegal settlements, a significant spike in the demolition of Palestinian homes and structures, violence and continued militant activity.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders have a responsibility to explore every opening to restore hope and achieve a two-State solution.

I remain committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict and end the occupation in line with relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements in pursuit of the vision of two States - Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and sovereign Palestine - living side by side in peace and security, within secure and recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

I hope that recent developments will encourage Palestinian and Israeli leaders to re-engage in meaningful negotiations, with the support of the international community, and will create opportunities for regional cooperation.

We must also do all we can to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people.

I am extremely concerned by the financial situation facing UNRWA.

The agency plays an essential role as the main provider of direct and often life-saving assistance to many of the 5.7 million Palestine refugees.

I appeal to all Member States to urgently contribute to enable UNRWA to meet the critical humanitarian and development needs of Palestine refugees during the pandemic.

On this International Day of Solidarity, I also extend my heartfelt condolences on the tragic passing of Dr. Saeb Erakat, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Secretary-General and Chief Negotiator for Palestinians in the Middle East Peace Process.

Let us together resolve to renew our commitment to the Palestinian people in their quest to achieve their inalienable rights and build a future of peace, dignity, justice and security.

*****

من المؤلم أن قضية فلسطين ما زالت دون حل حتى وقتنا هذا الذي تحتفل فيه الأمم المتحدة بالذكرى السنوية الخامسة والسبعين لإنشائها.

وقد دمرت جائحة كوفيد-19 الاقتصاد الفلسطيني وقوضت الوضع الإنساني والاقتصادي والسياسي الهش أصلاً في غزة، والذي ازداد تدهورا بسبب القيود التي تشُلّ الحركة والوصول.

وفي الوقت نفسه، فإن آفاق التوصل إلى حل قابل للتطبيق يقوم على وجود دولتين تغدو أبعد منالا. ولا تزال مجموعة من العوامل تسبب بؤسا كبيرا، منها: توسيع المستوطنات غير القانونية، والتصاعد الكبير في هدم المنازل والمنشآت الفلسطينية، والعنف، واستمرار نشاط المقاتلين.

وتقع على عاتق القادة الإسرائيليين والفلسطينيين مسؤولية استكشاف كل فرصة لاستعادة الأمل وتحقيق حل يقوم على وجود دولتين.

وما زلتُ ملتزماً بدعم الفلسطينيين والإسرائيليين لإيجاد حل للنزاع وإنهاء الاحتلال وفقاً لقرارات الأمم المتحدة ذات الصلة والقانون الدولي والاتفاقات الثنائية في سبيل تحقيق الرؤية القائمة على وجود دولتين - إسرائيل وفلسطين المستقلة الديمقراطية المتواصلة جغرافيا وذات السيادة - تعيشان جنبا إلى جنب في سلام وأمن ضمن حدود آمنة ومعترف بها، على أساس حدود ما قبل عام 1967، وتكون القدس عاصمة لكلتا الدولتين.

وآمل في أن تشجع التطورات الأخيرة القادة الفلسطينيين والإسرائيليين على الدخول من جديد في مفاوضات مجدية بدعم من المجتمع الدولي وأن تشجع أيضا على تهيئة فرص للتعاون الإقليمي.

ويجب علينا أيضا أن نفعل كل ما في وسعنا لتخفيف معاناة الشعب الفلسطيني.

وإني قِلق للغاية إزاء الحالة المالية التي تواجهها الأونروا.

فالوكالة تقوم بدور أساسي بوصفها الجهة الرئيسية التي تقدم المساعدة المباشرة التي كثيرا ما تكون منقذة للحياة إلى العديد من اللاجئين الفلسطينيين البالغ عددهم 5,7 ملايين لاجئ.

وإني أناشد جميع الدول الأعضاء أن تساهم على وجه السرعة في تمكين الأونروا من تلبية الاحتياجات الإنسانية والإنمائية الحرجة للاجئين الفلسطينيين خلال هذه الجائحة.

وفي هذا اليوم الدولي للتضامن، أتقدم أيضا بخالص التعازي في فاجعة وفاة الدكتور صائب عريقات، الأمين العام لمنظمة التحرير الفلسطينية وكبير المفاوضين الفلسطينيين في عملية السلام في الشرق الأوسط.

فلنعمل معا على تجديد التزامنا تجاه الشعب الفلسطيني في سعيه إلى الحصول على حقوقه غير القابلة للتصرف وبناء مستقبل يسود فيه السلام والكرامة والعدالة والأمن.

*****

Alors que l’Organisation des Nations Unies célèbre son soixante-quinzième anniversaire, il est affligeant de constater que la question de Palestine n’est toujours pas réglée.

La pandémie de maladie à coronavirus 2019 a fortement affaibli l’économie palestinienne et fragilisé encore la situation humanitaire, économique et politique de Gaza, que les restrictions draconiennes en matière de circulation et d’accès n’ont fait qu’aggraver.

Les perspectives d’une solution des deux États viable semblent de plus en plus compromises. Une grande détresse demeure, due notamment à l’expansion des colonies illégales, à l’intensification des démolitions de structures et de logements palestiniens, à la violence et aux activités continues des militants.

Les dirigeants israéliens et palestiniens doivent étudier toutes les possibilités qui s’offrent à eux de faire renaître l’espoir afin de parvenir à la solution des deux États.

Je reste déterminé à aider les Palestiniens et les Israéliens à régler le conflit et à mettre fin à l’occupation conformément aux résolutions pertinentes des organes de l’ONU, au droit international et aux accords bilatéraux afin de concrétiser la vision de deux États – Israël et une Palestine indépendante, démocratique, d’un seul tenant et souveraine – vivant côte à côte dans la paix et la sécurité à l’intérieur de frontières sûres et reconnues, sur la base des frontières d’avant 1967, avec Jérusalem comme capitale des deux États.

J’espère que l’évolution récente de la situation encouragera les dirigeants palestiniens et israéliens à reprendre des négociations constructives, avec l’aide de la communauté internationale, et ouvrira des perspectives de coopération régionale.

Nous devons également faire tout notre possible pour alléger les souffrances du peuple palestinien.

Je suis extrêmement préoccupé par la situation financière de l’Office de secours et de travaux des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés de Palestine dans le Proche-Orient (UNRWA).

Principal fournisseur d’aide directe, souvent vitale, à nombre des 5,7 millions de réfugiés palestiniens, l’Office joue un rôle essentiel.

Je demande à tous les États Membres de verser d’urgence des contributions afin de permettre à l’UNRWA de répondre aux besoins humanitaires et aux besoins de développement essentiels des réfugiés palestiniens pendant la pandémie.

Cette Journée internationale de solidarité avec le peuple palestinien est également l’occasion de présenter mes sincères condoléances à la suite du décès tragique de Saeb Erakat, Secrétaire général de l’Organisation de libération de la Palestine et négociateur en chef des Palestiniens dans le cadre du processus de paix au Moyen-Orient.

Ensemble, renouvelons l’engagement que nous avons pris d’aider le peuple palestinien à réaliser ses droits inaliénables et à bâtir un avenir de paix, de dignité, de justice et de sécurité.