Statement by H.E. Ambassador ISHIKANE Kimihiro, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, for the Security Council Open VTC on the Agenda Item “The Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question”
2020/4/23
Mr. President,
At the outset, on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, I would like to extend my best wishes to our Muslim friends around the world. My heart especially goes out to those who are affected by conflicts and other natural and man-made tragedies. COVID-19 is causing a human security crisis worldwide, but conflict-affected people are among the most vulnerable and hardest hit by the pandemic. I fully echo the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate global ceasefire and his statement that “there should be only one fight in our world today: our shared battle against COVID-19.”
Some parties have expressed their acceptance of the call, but others have not. We are deeply concerned about the situation in the region, notably in Syria, Yemen and Libya. We urge all parties to immediately cease hostilities, allow humanitarian access and stop the spread of COVID-19 among innocent populations already under severe distress.
Mr. President,
Under the current situation, Palestinians in Gaza are at particularly high risk of the pandemic due to the dense population and lack of essential medical facilities. In March, Japan made a contribution of approximately 1.75 million USD to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Palestinian people’s fight against COVID-19.
Japan welcomes the ongoing cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians to stop the spread of COVID-19 with United Nations support. We call on both sides to continue and even scale up their joint endeavor to combat the common threat of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact including the socio-economic consequences. Japan stands ready to work hand-in-hand with UN agencies and other partners.
At this critical juncture, UNRWA’s activities are more important than ever. It provides fundamental daily services to sustain the livelihoods of the Palestinian people, including basic education, water and sanitation as well as the essential medical support to cope with the pandemic. Japan decided in March to contribute approximately 1.9 million USD to the programme budget of UNRWA for this fiscal year. In addition, we are considering a further contribution in response to UNRWA’s COVID-19 flash appeal. We believe that the swift response of UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority has so far contained the spread of the virus to a relatively low level. Japan calls on other donors and partners to join in supporting UNRWA’s efforts, as Mr. SUZUKI Keisuke, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, advocated at the Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in support of UNRWA yesterday.
Mr. President,
It is disappointing to continue to hear about Israel’s illegal settlement activities, including the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures, and the threat of annexation. Japan deeply deplores those activities and once again strongly urges the Government of Israel to completely cease all settlement activities in the West Bank, including implementation of construction plans that are undermining the viability of a two-state solution.
We are also deeply concerned about continued violence. We strongly condemn terrorism and attacks against innocent civilians and call upon the parties to take immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence, provocations and incitement. Japan remains committed to supporting a two-state solution, whereby Israel and a future independent Palestinian state live side by side in peace and security, in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and other agreements. The final status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations based on the relevant Security Council resolutions and known parameters.
Restrictions on movement to counter COVID-19 may affect efforts related to the peace process, but we must not allow any backtracking. Japan will remain actively engaged to support progress in the peace process in cooperation with international partners.
I thank you, Mr. President.
At the outset, on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, I would like to extend my best wishes to our Muslim friends around the world. My heart especially goes out to those who are affected by conflicts and other natural and man-made tragedies. COVID-19 is causing a human security crisis worldwide, but conflict-affected people are among the most vulnerable and hardest hit by the pandemic. I fully echo the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate global ceasefire and his statement that “there should be only one fight in our world today: our shared battle against COVID-19.”
Some parties have expressed their acceptance of the call, but others have not. We are deeply concerned about the situation in the region, notably in Syria, Yemen and Libya. We urge all parties to immediately cease hostilities, allow humanitarian access and stop the spread of COVID-19 among innocent populations already under severe distress.
Mr. President,
Under the current situation, Palestinians in Gaza are at particularly high risk of the pandemic due to the dense population and lack of essential medical facilities. In March, Japan made a contribution of approximately 1.75 million USD to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Palestinian people’s fight against COVID-19.
Japan welcomes the ongoing cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians to stop the spread of COVID-19 with United Nations support. We call on both sides to continue and even scale up their joint endeavor to combat the common threat of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact including the socio-economic consequences. Japan stands ready to work hand-in-hand with UN agencies and other partners.
At this critical juncture, UNRWA’s activities are more important than ever. It provides fundamental daily services to sustain the livelihoods of the Palestinian people, including basic education, water and sanitation as well as the essential medical support to cope with the pandemic. Japan decided in March to contribute approximately 1.9 million USD to the programme budget of UNRWA for this fiscal year. In addition, we are considering a further contribution in response to UNRWA’s COVID-19 flash appeal. We believe that the swift response of UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority has so far contained the spread of the virus to a relatively low level. Japan calls on other donors and partners to join in supporting UNRWA’s efforts, as Mr. SUZUKI Keisuke, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, advocated at the Ministerial Strategic Dialogue in support of UNRWA yesterday.
Mr. President,
It is disappointing to continue to hear about Israel’s illegal settlement activities, including the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures, and the threat of annexation. Japan deeply deplores those activities and once again strongly urges the Government of Israel to completely cease all settlement activities in the West Bank, including implementation of construction plans that are undermining the viability of a two-state solution.
We are also deeply concerned about continued violence. We strongly condemn terrorism and attacks against innocent civilians and call upon the parties to take immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence, provocations and incitement. Japan remains committed to supporting a two-state solution, whereby Israel and a future independent Palestinian state live side by side in peace and security, in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and other agreements. The final status of Jerusalem should be resolved through negotiations based on the relevant Security Council resolutions and known parameters.
Restrictions on movement to counter COVID-19 may affect efforts related to the peace process, but we must not allow any backtracking. Japan will remain actively engaged to support progress in the peace process in cooperation with international partners.
I thank you, Mr. President.