Statement by Christian Saunders, UNRWA Commissioner-General a.i. at the Meeting of the Advisory Commission (AdCom)

Amman

Secretary-General, Director General, Excellencies,

Distinguished Members of the Advisory Commission,

[In Arabic] Good morning and best wishes for a happy Islamic (Hijri) new year.

I am very pleased to be here today to address you all in my capacity as the Commissioner-General ad interim.

I would like to begin by thanking Brazil, the outgoing Chair of the Advisory Commission, for its steadfast support to UNRWA at an extraordinarily difficult time.

I am also grateful to the Vice Chairs, Belgium and Egypt, for their strong commitment to the Agency; and to Australia, Jordan and Ireland for their leadership of the Sub-Committee. Frankly I, we are grateful to all of you and the generous and principled countries that you represent.

Excellencies,

Palestine Refugees and UNRWA have weathered many storms together since the Agency was established in 1949.

The world today is profoundly different place to what it was in 1949, and we are confronted by new political, operational and financial realities that require us to think and to act differently, in order to best serve those we have been mandated to support.

What has not changed is the mandate entrusted to UNRWA by the United Nations General Assembly three quarters of a century ago, and our resolve to continue serving Palestine Refugees to enable them to live full and dignified lives.

In Gaza - despite the harshest operating conditions where 390 colleagues have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and where thousands more have been injured or suffered abuse and ill-treatment - UNRWA is still by far the largest humanitarian agency and most capable of providing service at scale.

Our colleagues there are working, among other things, on the "alleviation of the conditions of starvation and distress among the Palestine Refugees" - I took these words directly from General Assembly Resolution 302, which established UNRWA.

The fact that these words remain as pertinent today as they were 76 years ago should compel each of us to reflect deeply on our collective failure to resolve the plight of Palestine Refugees.

In Gaza today, UNRWA remains an invaluable asset for the wellbeing of the population as well as for recovery, governance and sustainable peace.

With our 11,000-strong workforce akin to a Palestinian civil service, unparalleled service delivery networks, and deep reserves of community trust, the Agency is a vital support to the Board of Peace and the National Committee for the implementation of Security Council Resolution 2803 and the Administration of Gaza.

Today, UNRWA is the single largest primary healthcare provider in Gaza, with more than 18 million health consultations conducted since October 2023.

On average, 80,000 medical consultations are delivered weekly by more than 1,300 healthcare workers.

The Agency also supports public health through immunization campaigns, nutrition screenings, water quality testing, and pest control campaigns.

UNRWA water wells, desalination systems, and waste management services benefit over a million people.

The Agency remains one of the largest providers of emergency learning and psychosocial support across the Gaza Strip.

We use digital tools to provide basic literacy and numeracy activities for over 280,000 children in Gaza.

Learning is facilitated by approximately 7,500 teachers using self-learning material developed by UNRWA and hosted on our digital learning platform.

In-person learning is expanding through temporary learning spaces that currently cater to approximately 60,000 children.

These services continue despite the systematic restrictions that we - and other humanitarian organizations - face.

They preserve life, dignity and social cohesion; sustain learning for traumatized children; and represent a meaningful investment in and hope for the future of Palestine Refugees.

Members of the Advisory Commission,

The situation in the occupied West Bank is becoming graver by the day.

In the north, military orders for the closure of the Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Jenin refugee camps have been extended until the end of July, preventing 33,000 displaced residents from returning home.

This is the largest displacement of Palestine Refugees since 1967.

UNRWA remains the largest humanitarian responder to this displacement crisis, providing healthcare to 92% of those displaced, teaching 4,200 displaced children in UNRWA schools and temporary learning spaces, and providing cash assistance and psychosocial support.

Amid intensifying Israeli military operations, rampant settler violence, and the enormous pressure exerted on the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA's health, education, social support and protection services bring a critical measure of stability to the lives of nearly a million Palestine Refugees.

In this volatile context, the seizure of UNRWA's compound in Sheikh Jarrah by the Israeli authorities - for the stated purpose of constructing an IDF defense complex - is a devastating blow for Palestine Refugees and an unacceptable violation of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations.

We continue to address the matter at the highest levels.

Beyond the occupied Palestinian territory, Palestine Refugees' reliance on UNRWA services remains significant.

In Lebanon, deep structural inequalities mean that Palestine Refugees depend heavily on healthcare, education and social support services, as well as livelihood opportunities provided by the Agency.

Amid renewed conflict, UNRWA emergency shelters - which are not restricted to Palestine Refugees - have supported thousands of people and are recognized as models of inclusivity and comprehensive service provision.

In Syria, many Palestine Refugees remain displaced or have returned to heavily damaged homes and infrastructure with limited services, jobs and legal protections - the assistance provided by the Agency is a lifeline.

In Jordan, despite relative stability, vulnerable groups, including Palestine Refugees from Syria and elsewhere, continue to rely on UNRWA services.

The demands on the Agency across its fields of operation are massive and growing.

Against a backdrop of rising global humanitarian needs, and the most challenging funding landscape - possibly ever, it is imperative that we adapt to our new reality and find more effective, efficient and sustainable ways of meeting the needs of those we serve.

This includes working to enhance Palestine Refugees' self-reliance, giving them greater agency and more control over their lives.

We can do so by giving young people new and better opportunities to learn and develop their skills so they can excel in the labour markets of today and the future, working with the private and public sectors to find and create those opportunities, while advocating for improved economic rights where these are restricted.

Women and girls must have access not only to safe spaces but to nurturing environments that support and prepare them to thrive and to lead.

Our efforts to improve and evolve are aimed at achieving better long-term outcomes for Palestine Refugees, for host countries, for the region, and for the world.

The changes we seek to implement should not be understood as weakening or undermining the Agency.

Rather, adaptation is how UNRWA's mandate can be protected and we can best serve the Palestine refugees.

Excellencies,

Few would question the necessity of UNRWA's humanitarian and development work.

However, this good work continues to be undermined by persistent allegations regarding breaches of the Agency's neutrality.

It is evident to all that the occupied Palestinian territory is not a zero-risk operating environment.

But let me be clear, UNRWA has a zero-tolerance for any breach of neutrality or indeed for any form of misconduct.

Our policy on Outside and Political Activities makes crystal clear that while personal views and convictions are inviolable - in accordance with basic human rights - staff who work for UNRWA, for the United Nations, must uphold our values, principles and standards at all times.

Staff are thus clearly and unequivocally prohibited from participating in the activities, or being a member, of any militant or armed group.

The Agency is also progressing steadily with the implementation of the recommendations arising from the Independent Review of UNRWA's neutrality conducted by Madame Colonna in 2024.

40 out of 50 - or 80 per cent - of the recommendations are now fully implemented, and the implementation of many of the remaining recommendations is underway.

The establishment last year of the Working Group on Neutrality and Integrity signals Member States' commitment to supporting the Agency by embedding the oversight of neutrality within an intergovernmental framework.

It underscores that upholding neutrality is a responsibility shared between UNRWA and Member States, the Member States who have tasked, have mandated, the Agency to operate in highly challenging environments.

Distinguished Members of the Advisory Commission,

UNRWA's financial situation is clearly untenable and the viability of our operations across the region is at stake.

The steady implementation of austerity and cost control measures amounting to 175 million USD in 2025, and strict cashflow management, has largely prevented the loss of jobs for Palestine Refugees.

However, in January this year, UNRWA was compelled to reduce its service delivery hours by 20%, with a corresponding reduction in salaries for most Palestinian staff.

To be clear, on the international staff side, we were also compelled to maintain a vacancy rate of 15.5% due to the overall cashflow situation across the UN.

Despite this consequential measure, a cashflow deficit of $100 million remains for 2026.

I must underscore that such severe austerity and cost-control measures are not sustainable in the long term and cannot continue indefinitely.

The impact on Palestine Refugees and UNRWA staff is serious and compounds the myriad hardships they already endure.

It will simply not be possible to restore UNRWA's operations to their past scope and quality - or to prevent further deterioration - in the absence of a significant influx of new funding.

At the same time, I am acutely aware that we are operating in an increasingly resource-constrained environment and the Agency must change.

Excellencies,

Continuing to deliver UNRWA's critical mandate requires that the Agency adapts to global political and financial realities.

Protection will always remain central to the Agency's work and while we will retain our ability to respond effectively to humanitarian crises, there will be greater emphasis on development initiatives and livelihoods moving forward.

We must deliver essential services to Palestine Refugees in an even more cost-effective, efficient, agile and data-informed manner, including by leveraging new technologies and closer cooperation with the host countries.

This requires undertaking carefully managed programmatic and operational change, guided by a clear vision that is supported by host and donor countries alike.

The needs and aspirations of Palestine Refugees, especially women and youth, must be at the heart of this vision and inform the strategic plan that will guide our efforts.

Distinguished Members of the Commission,

There can be little doubt that UNRWA's status quo is unsustainable.

We, the Agency's senior leadership, are absolutely committed to doing what is necessary to safeguard UNRWA's mandate to protect and assist Palestine Refugees.

But we will only succeed with robust political and financial support from you, the Member States, and through committed partnerships with the UN family, the private sector, and others.

These partnerships are designed to strengthen UNRWA's work and protect access to services by Palestine Refugees in need.

They are also needed to prevent the Agency from collapsing.

During this meeting of the Advisory Commission, you will learn more about how we are working to make UNRWA fit for purpose, including through a more sustainable service-delivery model.

Our goal over the next 5-10 years is to make UNRWA more financially sustainable and supportable, including by reducing duplication and redundancy and adopting more effective business models and ways of working - particularly with host countries - while protecting front line services for those who depend on them.

Over the next two days, you will see how the Agency is sparing no effort to ensure that it can continue to deliver for Palestine Refugees today and in the future.

In closing, perhaps if I could kindly ask Member States to do their part, to take action to protect the rights of Palestine Refugees, the mandate of UNRWA, and to do everything they can to support regional peace and stability.

It is in all our interests!

Thank you.