Foreign Minister Participates in the Security Council Session on Palestine

New York, September 28, 2024, SPA -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah participated on Friday, September 27, 2024, in the Security Council session on Palestine, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week l in New York City.
The Foreign Minister delivered a speech in which he expressed his thanks to the Republic of Slovenia for responding to the invitation of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to hold this session and for its support for efforts to establish international peace and security, which was clearly embodied in its historical recognition of the State of Palestine.
He stressed the importance of the Palestinian issue being at the forefront of the Security Council's attention in light of the continued serious Israeli violations and the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, pointing to the serious effects that have become clear due to the prolongation of the crisis and the expansion of the conflict through the ongoing military escalation.
Prince Faisal stated: "We have repeatedly raised the urgent Palestinian issue before the Security Council without any serious action being taken. Since last October, 6 draft resolutions out of 10 have been vetoed, and the adopted resolutions have not yet succeeded in achieving a ceasefire, addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation, or paving the way for a credible political path toward peace. We wonder what the Council needs to end this suffering and implement international law."
The Minister of Foreign Affairs underscored the growing gap between international consensus and differences within the Security Council, which has hampered its performance and weakened its outcomes, noting what the General Assembly has expressed in successive resolutions about what countries are calling for, the urgent need for a ceasefire, providing uninterrupted humanitarian assistance, and the Palestinians' right to self-determination.
In this context, he valued the General Assembly's decision on Palestine's eligibility for full membership in the United Nations, which granted it additional privileges in the organization, as well as its recent decision calling for Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Prince Faisal also stressed that achieving peace requires empowerment from the institutions of the international community, specifically the Security Council, and requires courage in making decisions and commitment to implementation, as the legal and moral responsibility to put an end to the crisis in Palestine lies with the Security Council, whose discussions have been held hostage by political considerations that have prevented it from exercising its responsibilities.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs added: "To those who say that we should wait for negotiations to establish a Palestinian state and not take unilateral steps. What should we do when Israel refuses even to recognize the principle of the two-state solution? And continues with unilateral measures that undermine the prospects for a solution."
He also added, "The time has come to launch a serious partnership for peace. From the Security Council, I call on members of the international community, especially the Council countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, to support the two-state solution and preserve the chances of achieving coexistence and sustainable peace."
Prince Faisal affirmed that the Kingdom believes that ending the occupation and implementing the two-state solution is the basis for stopping the cycle of violence, alleviating suffering, and achieving regional security and stability. Therefore, it launched, with its partners in the Joint Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, the Kingdom of Norway, and the European Union, the "International Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution" out of its sense of shared responsibility to work to change the reality of the conflict. In conclusion, he reiterated the Kingdom's commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital in response to the Palestinians' inherent right to self-determination.
--SPA