Germany announces the upcoming resumption of cooperation with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip, after an investigation which did not provide proof of supposed links with terrorist organizations.
“We welcome the fact that the report of the United Nations Independent Review Panel, led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, is now available”write the German Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in a joint press release.
This report concludes that UNRWA certainly lacks political neutrality, but that Israel has not yet provided proof of alleged links of certain members to terrorist organizations such as Hamas.
UNRWA stated that it “would implement the report’s recommendations promptly and fully”according to the press release.
The Colonna report’s recommendations include strengthening the UN’s internal audit and recruitment of international staff, improving external oversight of projects, and continuing to compare UNRWA staff lists with those of the Israeli security authorities, finally to the development of internal training.
“In this context and in connection with these reforms, the federal government will soon continue its cooperation with UNRWA in Gaza“, indicates the ministerial press release. This has already been the case of Australia, Canada, Sweden and Japan, among others, it is specified. “By continuing our close cooperation, we support the vital and currently irreplaceable role of UNRWA in providing care to the people of Gaza,” a building site “more important than ever given the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe” in the region at war, according to the ministries.
Germany will come to an agreement with its “closest international partners to disburse additional funds” used for cooperation with UNRWA.
