Report on UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people, Geneva, 17 February 2022

                                   بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

Statement

 By

Mr. Mahdi Ali Abadi 

Deputy Permanent Representative

 Of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Office in Geneva

Before

71st Trade and Development Board

Agenda Item5: Report on UNCTAD assistance to the Palestinian people

Geneva, 17 February 2022

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen, 

My delegation would like to commend UNCTAD for its insightful report focused on the developments in the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In this regard, my delegation would raise the following points which constitute some rational behind of Iran’s official position concerning Palestine and its long occupation based on the necessity of ending occupation and handing Palestine over to its people.

1.     The question of Palestine is the longest-running crisis of our time without any tangible progress for solving it. After more than seven decades we are at the point of indicating 2020 as the worst year for the Palestinian people since 1994 and the 2021 as the year in which the economic recovery has been hinged on actions that will or will not be taken by the occupying Power and the scale of donor support.

2.     While it is only since 2 years ago that the world has been impacted by the Covid-19 and its special circumstances such as lockdowns, this one is an old experience for Palestinian people because they had been confronted, more or less, with the same situation under the occupation. As it was thoroughly raised in the report “for decades, the Palestinian people have been locked down one way or another and restrictions on mobility and economic activity which have been part of their daily reality.” Indeed, the two worst contractions for Palestinian people both been associated with lockdowns; one, politically motivated; the other, precipitated by the global health crisis.

3.     The successive years of negative economic news, the reality for which the key economic indicators are significant evidences, show clearly that despite the severity of the pandemic shock, the occupation remains the major impediment to development in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Falling GDP per capita, persistent extreme levels of unemployment, widening and deepening poverty and environmental degradation are part of direct consequences of the occupation which has thwarted Palestinian infrastructure, demolished their structures and dispossessed Palestinians of their land and natural resources for expanding its illegal settlements and accelerating de facto annexation of Palestinian territories.

Madam Chair

The factual above mentioned situation reminds us that the international community has not reached out a sustainable solution for the Palestine and Palestinian People and there is an urgent need to address this problem if we are committed to our ambitious objective to move from inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all.  In this regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran welcome the submission of draft agreed conclusions under this agenda item for the consideration of the Board as well as the commitment to assist the Palestinian people by renewing the UNCTAD’s mandate in the Bridgetown Covenant but emphasizes that the hope for a meaningful and sustainable economic development for Palestinian people is eroded unless the right of all Palestinian to self-determination will be fully implemented.

Thank you