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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

REMARKS TO THE OPENING OF THE 2024 SESSION 

OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE EXERCISE 

OF THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE 

New York, 31 January 2024

[as delivered]

Mr. Chair, Ambassador Cheikh Niang, congratulations on your election to the Bureau.

The Committee’s mandate and advocacy are crucial amidst the unresolved Question of Palestine and the enormous violence and suffering, particularly since the horrific 7 October attack by Hamas in Israel and Israel’s ensuing military operations in Gaza.

The death, destruction, displacement, hunger, loss, and grief in Gaza over the past 120 days are a scar on our shared humanity and conscience.

And I once again condemn the horrifying attacks by Hamas and other groups that claimed the lives of over 1,200 Israelis and others – and call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

There is no justification for the intentional killing, injuring, torture or kidnapping of civilians, using sexual violence against them, or launching rockets towards civilian targets.

But at the same time, nothing can justify the collective punishment of the people in Gaza.

The ongoing conflict and relentless bombardment by Israeli forces across Gaza have resulted in killings of civilians and destruction at a pace and scale unlike anything we have witnessed in recent years.

I am horrified by incessant military strikes that have killed and maimed civilians and protected personnel, and that have damaged or destroyed civilian infrastructure.

Over 26,750 Palestinians have been reportedly been killed in Gaza alone – more than two-thirds women and children.

Over 70 per cent of civilian infrastructure -- including homes, hospitals, schools, water, and sanitation facilities in Gaza -- have been destroyed or severely damaged.

1.7 million people have been displaced, and not knowing if they will have homes to return to.

No party to an armed conflict is above international law.

International humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, must be upheld at all times.

And the binding decisions of the International Court of Justice must be complied with.

I also want to add that the United Nations immediately acted following the very serious allegations against UNRWA staff members.

I was personally horrified by these accusations.

And yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them.

I underscored the importance of keeping UNRWA’s vital work going to meet the dire needs of civilians in Gaza, and to ensure its continuity of services to Palestine refugees in the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza.

I appeal to all Member States to guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s life-saving work.

Excellencies,

The humanitarian system in Gaza is collapsing.

I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza’s 2.2 million people, as they struggle to survive without any of the basics.

Everyone in Gaza is hungry, while half a million grapple with catastrophic levels of food insecurity.

I call for a rapid, safe, unhindered, expanded and sustained humanitarian access throughout Gaza.

This is particularly crucial in the north, where most missions have been denied access by Israel, amid continued insecurity and fighting.

We also need more crossing points into Gaza to reduce congestion and avoid chokepoints.

I ask all parties to continue their active engagement with UN actors on the ground and to work closely with newly appointed Under-Secretary-General Sigrid Kaag -- the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza -- to scale up humanitarian aid to Gaza.

I count on full cooperation to ensure continuous humanitarian access.

And I repeat my call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.

Excellencies,

As we seek to address mounting needs in Gaza, we also remain focused on the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

I am extremely alarmed by the high levels of settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian attacks against Israelis also continue.

All of this violence must stop, and the perpetrators held accountable.

Intensive Israeli operations go on, including in Area A of the occupied West Bank, leading to deadly armed exchanges.

Dozens of Palestinians have been arrested, with many detained without charge, including children.

The violence has not been limited to the occupied territory.

Rising hostilities across the Blue Line and attacks in Syria, Iraq and the Red Sea risk triggering a broader escalation risking regional stability.

I call for urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and spare the region from more violence before it is too late.

Excellencies,

The conflict must end with tangible progress towards a two-State solution – an end to the occupation and the establishment of a fully independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, of which Gaza is an integral part.

Only the two-State solution – based on the 1967 lines, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, in line with UN resolutions, international law and prior agreements -- can ensure the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as well as a just and lasting peace and stability in the region.

The international community must not waver in its commitment.

Let us work together to advance a meaningful peace process that will put an end to the tragic cycles of fear, hatred and violence and build a more peaceful and hopeful future for Palestinians and Israelis.

Thank you.

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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

REMARKS TO THE

UNITED NATIONS MEMORIAL CEREMONY MARKING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST

New York, 26 January 2024

[as delivered]

Excellencies, dear friends,

It’s a great honour to be with you today to commemorate the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

I am moved and humbled by the presence of Holocaust survivors and their families, joining us both online and in person.

Each of you carries the memories of communities lost; lives destroyed or changed beyond recognition – and lives rebuilt.

I thank you for sharing those memories with us and with the world.

All of us – leaders and citizens – have a responsibility to listen and to learn from what you have to say. And to act on it:

By condemning these terrible crimes against our common humanity;

By striving to eradicate antisemitism, and all forms of bigotry, hatred and intolerance;

And by finding a way forward to a shared, safe, and inclusive future for our human family.

This is particularly important in today’s dangerous and divided world.

And a few short months after Hamas’ horrific terror attacks, in which so many innocent Israeli civilians and citizens of other countries were killed.

Excellencies and friends,

Every year on this day – the day of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau – we honour the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

We come together in solidarity and sorrow, to pay tribute to [the] six million Jewish children, women, and men murdered in the Holocaust.

We grieve the Roma and Sinti.

We mourn the millions of others tortured, starved, and killed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

And, today in particular, in keeping with this year’s theme, we recognize the courage of victims and survivors.

There are countless stories of bravery and resilience from the Holocaust:

From those who resisted the Nazis’ brutality through armed struggle or quiet dignity;

To the individuals, families and communities providing support, solidarity, and even a semblance of normality, in the face of dehumanisation, deprivation and death;

And survivors who have had the courage to tell their stories to a world that has not always wanted to listen.

Beacons of bravery shone from the hell of Auschwitz itself, and from across the world ravaged by Nazi ideology and hate.

I think of people like Rudolf Vrba, a Slovak teenager who was deported to Auschwitz. With Alfred Wetzler, he achieved the extraordinary feat of breaking out of the camp, to warn the world of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes.

I think of Rózà Robota, a young Polish woman, who plotted with others to destroy the crematoria. She was tortured and hanged by the Nazis – never revealing the secrets of the Auschwitz resistance of which she was a part.

And I think of those thousands of acts of courage and fortitude of which we will never know:

The parents who contained their terror to comfort a child;

The prisoners who risked Nazi wrath to perform small acts of kindness;

And the individuals who found the strength to retain their sense of self, despite all attempts to demolish it.

We remember and revere today all such acts of bravery.

Excellencies and friends,

The antisemitism that fuelled the Holocaust did not start with the Nazis. Nor did it end with their defeat.

The Holocaust was preceded by thousands of years of discrimination, expulsion, exile and extermination, including by my own country, Portugal.

Today, we are witnessing hate spreading at alarming speed.

Online, it has moved from the margins to the mainstream.

And Holocaust denial and distortion are proliferating.

It is up to all of us to defend the truth. And to defend our common humanity.

Working together, we must combat online lies and hate.

We must promote Holocaust education – as a critical part of our defence against ignorance, indifference, and intolerance.

And, crucially, we must listen to survivors, and we must remember:

That demonization of the other and disdain for diversity is a danger to everyone.

That no society is immune to intolerance – and worse.

And that bigotry against one group is bigotry against all.

As the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Jonathan Sacks, said: “The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews”.

Excellencies, friends,

Our common humanity is at the heart of the United Nations.

Racism and bigotry are a violation of everything we stand for.

We are determined to fight it on all its forms.

For me, this is a lifelong commitment.

For the United Nations, [it is] a foundational mission.

And today it is more important than ever, especially in the wake of the horrific 7 October Hamas attacks that claimed the lives of more than one thousand Israelis and others, injured many more and resulted in the brutal seizing of hostages. Hostages that must be immediately and unconditionally released.

In the last several months, we have seen an outburst of antisemitism and anti-Muslim bigotry around the world.

Every one of us must resolve to stand up against the forces of hate, discrimination, and division.

We must condemn antisemitism – unequivocally – whenever and wherever we encounter it.

I am pleased that the High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations – [Mr.] Miguel Moratinos – is serving as the United Nations’ Focal Point to enhance global efforts to address antisemitism.

And we must equally condemn all other forms of racism, prejudice and religious bigotry, including anti-Muslim hatred and violence against minority Christian communities.

Let us never be silent in the face of discrimination, and never tolerant of intolerance.

Let us speak out for human rights and the dignity of all.

Let us never lose sight of each other’s humanity, and never let down our guard.

To all who confront prejudice and persecution, I say clearly: you are not alone.

The United Nations stands with you.

And to all those – past and present – who have had the courage to share their stories of the Holocaust, so the world can know the truth, I say: thank you.

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Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on the Order of the International Court of Justice in the case of South Africa against Israel on the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip

The Secretary-General takes note of the Order of the International Court of Justice, indicating provisional measures in the case of South Africa against Israel on the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.

In that regard, the Secretary-General notes the Court’s decision to order Israel inter alia, in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, “to take all measures within its power” in relation to Palestinians in Gaza to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of Article II of the Convention, including killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s destruction and imposing measures intended to prevent births. He also notes the Court’s instruction to Israel to ensure with immediate effect that its military does not commit any of these acts.

Further, the Secretary-General takes special note of the Court’s order to Israel to ensure the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in Gaza.

He also notes the emphasis of the Court that “all parties to the conflict in the Gaza Strip are bound by international humanitarian law” and that it calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages abducted during the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and held since then by Hamas and other armed groups”.

The Secretary-General recalls that, pursuant to the Charter and to the Statute of the Court, decisions of the Court are binding and trusts that all parties will duly comply with the Order from the Court.

In accordance with the Statute of the Court, the Secretary-General will promptly transmit the notice of the provisional measures ordered by the Court to the Security Council.

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General

New York, 26 January 2024

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