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UNITED I\ATIONS II{TERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PALESTINE REFUGEES
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris 29 and30 April2008

CONCLUSIONSAND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The United Nations International Conference on Palestine Refugeeswas convenedby the Committeeon the Exerciseof the InalienableRights of the Palestinian Peopleat the LINESCO Headquarters Paris on29 and 30 April 2008. The Conferencewas in held in accordance with GeneralAssembly resolutions62180and 62181of 10 December 2007. 2. The objective of the Conferencewas to assess presentsituationof Palestine the refugeesand examinethe role of the United Nations in alleviatingtheir plight. The Conference also examined efforts at finding an agreed,just and fair solution to the refugee issuein keepingwith relevantUnited Nations resolutions,especiallyresolution 194 of 1948, just as a prerequisitefor resolving the questionof Palestineand achievinga comprehensive, and lasting peacein the Middle East. 3. The Conferenceevaluatedthe progressachievedsincethe previousUnited Nations InternationalConferenceon PalestineRefugeesorganizedby the Committee,held in 2000. Participants noted with grave concern that today, 60 years since the original displacementof the Palestinians a result of the Israeli-Arab conflict of 1948,the situationof the refugees, as a particularly vulnerableand disadvantaged group, which numbersover 4.5 million, remained as precariousas ever, and the problem was no closerto a solution than it had been in 2000. For six decades now and for severalgenerations, refugeeshave remainedin exile away the from their homes, living in overcrowdedcampswith inadequate facilities, facing demographicpressures, severesocio-economicconstraints and, frequently,dangerous securityenvironments. 4. The participants expressedparticular alarm at the situation in the Gaza Strip, where the refugee-majoritypopulation has seenits alreadymeagreliving deterioratefurther due to a crippling Israeli blockadeand routine military operations. The participantscalled for an immediateand unconditionallifting of the Israeli sanctionsimposedon the Gaza Strip. They held Israel fully responsible the welfare and protectionof the refugeesin the Palestinian for territory it continued to occupy, including the Gaza Strip

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5. The participants alsoexpressed their supportfor the rebuildingof Nahr Al Bared refugee campwhich wasdestroyed the summer 20A7. in of 6. As the participants analyzedthe variouspractical approaches resolving issue, to the they stressed a durablesolutionto the Palestine that problem,andby extension the refugee to Israeli-Palestinian conflictasa whole,couldonly be achieved the context their in of inalienable right of returnto the homesandpropertyfrom which they hadbeendisplaced. The participants underscored abidingrelevance the provisions General the of of Assembly resolution (III) andsubsequent 194 question Palestine UnitedNationsresolutions the on of embodying principle, this andof the Arab Peace Initiative. 7. The participants notedthatthe right of returnof refugees, which is a fundamental and widely acknowledged humanitarian humanrightsprinciple, not diminishwith the and did passage time,andwasequallyapplicable thePalestinians of to displaced a resultof the as 1967hostilities it wasto the Palestine as refugees 1948.The various of refugee resettlement andcompensation schemes advanced overthe yearsonly supplemented neversubstituted but for this inalienable right of Palestine refugees. The participants political contextsurrounding refugee 8. examined broader the the problem.Theyexpressed strongsupport the Israeli-Palestinian for politicalprocess resumed parties in late2007at Annapolis, wherethe committed themselves meaningful to and ongoingnegotiations the intention concluding agreement the endof 2008. At with of an by the same time, they expressed view that any final Israeli-Palestinian the peace agreement mustencompassjust andfair solution the Palestine a to question. refugee The participants 9. wereof the view that the UnitedNationsshouldcontinue exercise to its permanent responsibility a custodian intemational as of legitimacyandupholdthe rights of Palestine refugees until the question Palestine resolved all its aspects. of is in The participants bxpressed gratitude the Committee the Exercise the their sincere to on of Inalienable Rightsof the Palestinian Peoplefor its importantandvaluable work aimedat sensitizing international the publicopinionto the ongoing plight of the refugees, for its and role asa catalyst effortsaimedat promotinga search a just and lastingsolutionto the for for refugeeissue,suchasthe currentConference. 10. The participants expressed their gratitude States, to intergovernmental organizations, suchasthe Leagueof Arab States, Organization the IslamicConference, Nonthe of the AlignedMovement, AfricanUnion,andthe European the Union,andto civil society organizations, which remained unwavering their supportfor the refugees' in rightsoverthe yearsandprovided material to support alleviate theirconditions. 11. The participants emphasized continuing the responsibility the UnitedNationsand of its agencies reliefandprotection Palestine for of refugees. The pivotalroleplayedby LINRWA in this endeavour particularly was highlighted emphasized. participants and The notedthe growingdemand UNRWA assistance services, for and especially light of the in humanitarian crisisin the GazaStrip,andcalledon the donorcommunityto redouble its effortsandprovidevital supportto meetthe refugees' immediate longer-term and development needs.

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and the of alsowelcomed outcome the ParisDonors' Conference the 12. The participants to underwrite communityto the Palestinians generous pledged the international by assistance to while callingon the donors give the economy, process jump-start Palestinian and the peace critical needs that context. in priority to the refugees' Director-General to appreciation Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, expressed The participants 13. as for in assistance the preparations the Conference, well asfor of UNESCO,for extending the facilitiesfor this occasion. makingavailable conference
UI{ESCO Headquarters, Paris, j0 April 2008