Publication
Omar Shaban Ismail · Sama News Agency · 2022
Commenting on the UNRWA Commissioner-General's remarks about transferring some services to other UN agencies such as the World Food Programme and UNICEF, Omar Shaban understands the angry reactions but warns against hasty rejection. UNRWA has followed the same approach for seven decades; the delegation would go to specialised UN agencies, not to NGOs or private firms; it is technical, not political, and would not mean abandoning the agency's political and legal mandate; and it could let UNRWA focus on protection, the right of return and documenting refugees' rights. He calls for serious dialogue between UNRWA, the PLO, the Palestinian Authority, refugee representative bodies and civil society organisations.
Omar Shaban, April 2022: delegating some UNRWA services to UN agencies is technical, not political, and deserves dialogue, not hasty rejection.
In response to the statements by the Commissioner-General of UNRWA about the idea of transferring the task of providing some services to other UN organizations such as the World Food Programme and UNICEF, the angry and rejecting reactions to such proposals may be understandable, but UNRWA should be asked about the reasons that prompted it to think in this direction, as well as the expected benefits, if any exist.
- But it is not logical for an institution such as UNRWA to continue following the same methodology in its work for seven decades without development or modification, under international circumstances that never stop changing.
- The delegation would be to other specialized UN organizations, not to civil society or private institutions. UNRWA has previously relied on its sister specialized UN organizations to provide part of its services for specific periods of time.
- This is a technical delegation, not a policy or political one.
- Delegation is an administrative approach followed by many official, civil, and private institutions throughout the world, with the aim of easing burdens and raising efficiency. Likewise.
- This delegation at the level of services does not at all mean abandoning its political and legal function, which constitutes the basis for its existence.
- The image and function of UNRWA in the conscience of the world and of Palestinian society have declined to the point of being a relief institution that provides health and education services to Palestinian refugees in its five fields of operation.
- Such delegation may enable UNRWA to focus its efforts on other issues such as protection, the right of return, documenting refugees’ rights, and others.
- It is worth noting here that UNRWA, under the pressure of humanitarian circumstances, has expanded its services to include non-refugees as beneficiaries and employees, which is a departure from the limits of its mandate.
- It is better not to rush into rejection and to open a serious dialogue between UNRWA and official institutions such as the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian National Authority, bodies representing the refugees, and civil society organizations about these ideas, which may carry some benefits.
It is a call to adopt the philosophy and approach of dialogue, discussion, and the exchange of views before announcing rejection—not only on the issue of UNRWA, but in all fields and regarding all issues.
Topic: Humanitarian Crisis — UNRWA · Palestinian refugees · UN agencies — Text © Sama News Agency — archived here with attribution to the source. — Original source