The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, strengthened Spain's support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) this Thursday, reiterating that the mobilisation of funds "must be a priority for all of us", with the understanding that "the financial contribution is also fundamental" and that Spain must set an example for other countries to increase their support.
Albares, who participated together with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, and his counterparts from Jordan, Ayman Safadi, and Brazil, Mauro Vieira, in a media appearance, recalled that Spain has contributed financially to the Agency with more than 60 million euros since October 2023 and since September an additional 10 million euros have been allocated to this UN agency.
This commitment to UNRWA will remain "unwavering” in 2026, as Albares points out that "Spain cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of Palestine". The Spanish Minister recapped that our total additional contribution for the relief of the Palestinian people will reach 150 million euros over the course of this year.
Albares also focused on the suffering of millions of Palestinians and regional stability, which he said depend on UNRWA's operational capacity on the ground. In this regard, he urged support for their courageous efforts to meet the needs of Palestinian refugees and to protect in extremely adverse circumstances.
Palestine
The Minister also participated in the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee on Palestine, where he called for strengthened support for the Palestinian Authority and its budget to enable it to deliver social services, meet the needs of its citizens and be fully operational.
In this sense, he stressed the need to mobilise additional funding for the Palestinian Authority's budget. Spain is working with Saudi Arabia, Norway and France to launch an initiative to this end, and during the General Assembly meetings the Minister called on countries that support the implementation of the two-State solution to join in.
G20 Meeting
Prior to his participation in this forum, Albares addressed the G20 ministerial meeting. After the meeting held in South Africa last February, which the Minister also attended, Albares stressed in New York that "the G20 is more effective when it works in full harmony with the United Nations".
Albares argued that "multilateralism is the only way to respond to crises that no country can resolve alone" and, in this sense, he wanted to emphasise that "the G20 has economic legitimacy and the capacity to mobilise, while the United Nations provide political and regulatory legitimacy".
He called for strengthening coordination between humanitarian agencies, financial institutions and security mechanisms; investing in the well-being of our people, with a focus on health, education and a just energy transition; and basing foreign and economic policies on the principles of the United Nations Charter.
Albares stressed the need for the G20 and the UN to work together to make the humanitarian action-development-peace nexus a reality with a clear message: "there is no development without peace, and no peace without development".
During the intense day, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation also held a bilateral meeting with the President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, with whom he reviewed the turbulent international context. He also completed the usual round of contacts with Jewish associations in which the World Jewish Congress, the Major Jewish Organizations and the American Jewish Organizations took part, where he discussed how to combat anti-Semitism and Spain's position in favour of the two-State solution.
He also had time to address issues related to artificial intelligence and the UN resolution promoted by Spain, together with Costa Rica, to create the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. On this issue, Albares pointed out that Spain supports a people-centred artificial intelligence, the application of which always complies with international law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
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