The below reports are prepared by the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) and are presented to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) at its bi-annual meeting.
The reports provide an assessment of the efforts of the Palestinian Government toward state-building and an update on the situation on the ground.
The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) serves as the principal policy-level coordination mechanism for development assistance to the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The AHLC is chaired by Norway and co-sponsored by the EU and the US. In addition, the United Nations participates together with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The AHLC seeks to promote dialogue between donors, the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel. The full report to the AHLC prepared by the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process is attached to this release and includes an executive summary of its main conclusions.
- Publications and Reports 01
Leaders and Changemakers: Women Transforming Peace and Security amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Statements by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator
Statement by UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator, Lynn Hastings, on the occasion of International Women's Day 2021
Statement by Ms. Lynn Hastings, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, on the occasion of International Women’s Day
Jerusalem, 8 March 2021
Every year, on the 8th of March, the world celebrates International Women’s Day. In 2021, the focus is on “Women in Leadership; Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”.
Before COVID-19, participation of women globally as national parliamentarians had only managed to rise from 11 per cent in 1995 to 25 percent in 2020 and only 21 per cent of government ministers were women in 2020. In business, the proportion of women in senior management globally grew to an estimated 29%, the highest number ever recorded. While these numbers represent progress, we are still far from parity and we don’t know how they will be affected by COVID-19. We have seen already the compounded effects of the pandemic on all women around the world; increased domestic violence, unpaid care duties, unemployment, and poverty. In Palestine, these effects are exacerbated by continued occupation of the Palestinian territory, and a protracted humanitarian crisis.
In 2006, 13 percent of those elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council were women; in 2021, the discussions in Cairo to increase participation of female candidates in the upcoming Palestinian elections is an important step which if realized, will increase women’s effective and full participation and leadership in all aspects of life including ensuring the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on women are remedied. Gender equality remains one of the most pressing challenges of our time as it is only with gender equality that we all thrive. While this year’s focus is on Women in Leadership, our commitment must be to all Palestinian women, including those with disabilities, in marginalized and rural communities, refugee camps, Area C, Hebron-H2, and in Gaza. The United Nations affirms its commitment to continue to work with the Palestinian people and government, and our partners, to combat discrimination and violence, advance human rights, and accelerate progress for girls and women everywhere.
More specifically, greater action is needed to ensure policies, laws regulations and mechanisms are in place and implemented. Awareness must be raised, to combat deeply rooted attitudes and practices that discriminate against and exclude girls and women. To achieve this, women and especially young women, are needed at all levels of decision making and are pivotal to ensuring inclusive and sustainable progress is made. As the UN Secretary General has said - women’s leadership and decision-making is not “a favour to women”, rather it is essential to “peace and progress for all.”
For more information and how to celebrate International Women’s Day with the United Nations online, see:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/united-nations-observance-of-international-womens-day-2021-registration-141746857667
United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen’s Briefing to the Security Council Arria Formula Meeting on Participation of Women in UN-Led Peace Processes
Allow me to start by reminding all of us of the intensity of the conflict in Syria. Next week we will be commemorating the tenth anniversary of the start of this terrible crisis, and the lack of progress in the political process is high on our collective mind.