#Palestine – ‘The EU is a serious player, it could reactivate The Quartet’ says Mansour

The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People visited Brussels on 6 March to meet with European Union officials and parliamentarians. Delegates described the meetings as “very productive”, writes Catherine Feore.

The visit aimed to reinvigorate regional and national action in Europe and breathe new life into the two-state solution of the Israel-Palestine conflict. A solution the committee say is the only viable way to end Israeli occupation and to fulfill the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including independence and sovereignty of the State of Palestine on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to deteriorate. Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour (pictured) said they had good meetings and practical ideas were received in a positive way, to collectively save the global consensus to solve this conflict by ending occupation and supporting the two-state solution. He said that to venture into new ideas would not be helpful and would the situation away from the agreed consensus.

Mansour said that the EU was a “serious player” that could not be ignored. One action it could take would be to re-activate the quartet (established in 1991, ‘The Quartet’ comprises the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, and Russia).

The delegation also sought support of the European Union to: (1) recognize the State of Palestine, while continuing its support to the Palestinian Government; (2) support full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations, considering the increasing important role it has assumed through the chairpersonship of the G77; and (3) address the shortfall in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) funding and support the right of return of Palestinian refugees, in light of the current budget crisis and upcoming renewal of its mandate by the General Assembly.

The delegation will also ask for updates on implementation by the EU of its policy to differentiate, between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, both in its dealings and cooperation with Israel itself (e.g. Israeli imports to the EU) as well as EU-based or international companies that do business in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in violation of international law. In this context, the delegation will advocate for EU and Belgian support to the publication of the respective database established by the UN Human Rights Council as a necessary tool to promote greater transparency and accountability by both states and businesses.

The Committee delegation included the UN ambassadors and representatives of Senegal (Committee Chair); Afghanistan, Cuba, Malta and Namibia (Committee Vice-Chairs); and the State of Palestine (Committee Observer).

The committee will also meet with Belgian parliamentarians, as Belgium will hold a seat on the UN Security Council in 2019-2020.

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