**Date: 20/11/2025**
* The renewal constitutes a victory for justice and international law, and a living embodiment of the international responsibility toward ensuring the continuity of UNRWA’s work and protecting refugee rights.
* He called on the states that opposed or abstained from voting to reconsider their decision, noting that the opportunity is still available through the final vote in the General Assembly’s plenary session next December.
* He emphasized the need to translate political support for UNRWA—expressed through the renewal of its mandate—into adequate and sustainable financial support enabling it to fulfill its mandated duties.
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Dr. Ahmad Abu Huli, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department, welcomed the decision adopted by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) of the UN General Assembly, with the support of 149 states, opposition of 10, and abstention of 13, to renew UNRWA’s mandate until 30 June 2029, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 11 of General Assembly Resolution 194 (III).
Dr. Abu Huli said in a statement on Thursday that the vote of 149 UN member states reflects the magnitude of political support for the continuity of UNRWA’s work, which cannot be replaced or dispensed with until a political solution is found to the refugee issue in accordance with Resolution 194, which stipulates the return of Palestinian refugees to the homes from which they were displaced in 1948. He stressed that UNRWA is the political witness to the refugee issue and the living witness to the tragedy and Nakba of the Palestinian people.
He added: “This vote represents a victory for justice and international law, and a vivid embodiment of international responsibility toward the continuity of the work of the UN Relief Agency, and toward Palestinian refugees and their legitimate rights to return and compensation. It also crowns the significant political support UNRWA has received from member states of the UN General Assembly, which adopted the New York Declaration and its annexes last September, clearly affirming in paragraph (14) the indispensable role of UNRWA and the commitment of member states to continue supporting it— including through adequate funding—so it can implement its mandate. This comes in addition to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which affirmed UNRWA’s neutrality, cleared it of Israeli accusations, and obligated the Israeli occupation authorities to cooperate with it.”
Dr. Abu Huli expressed his gratitude to the countries that voted for the resolution, and called on those that opposed, abstained, or were absent to reconsider their position, stressing that the opportunity still exists through voting in favor of the resolution during the final vote in the General Assembly’s plenary session next December.
He emphasized the need to translate the political support for UNRWA—expressed by the UN member states through the renewal of the mandate—into adequate and sustainable financial support that enables UNRWA to continue providing its services in accordance with the mandate granted to it under Resolution 302. He also called on the United Nations to take deterrent measures to compel Israel, the occupying power, to freeze laws that prohibit UNRWA’s activities in occupied East Jerusalem and undermine its mandate in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Dr. Abu Huli stressed that the Palestinian political and diplomatic efforts led by President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership are ongoing at the highest levels within the corridors of the United Nations to ensure that the vote in the General Assembly plenary session next December results in an overwhelming majority and an increase in the number of votes in favor of resolutions related to the Palestinian cause.
He noted that the vote in the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee is a preliminary vote that paves the way for the final vote in the full plenary session of the UN General Assembly next month.
Dr. Abu Huli also extended thanks to the host countries of Palestinian refugees (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon), as well as the Arab Republic of Egypt and the League of Arab States, for their efforts and political and diplomatic actions to support the renewal of UNRWA’s mandate and preserve it without any alteration. He also thanked UNRWA’s leadership and its Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini for renewing the agency’s mandate, calling on UNRWA’s administration to act urgently to broaden the donor base and secure sustainable, predictable funding that enables it to fulfill its mandate as granted under Resolution 302.
