<\/p>\n
To learn more about the High-level international conference, please visit the dedicated page<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n 28 July 2025<\/p>\n High-Level International Conference on Two-State Solution,<\/strong> Meeting under the shadow of the ongoing war in Gaza and escalating tensions across the Middle East, foreign ministers and other high-level officials gathered at the United Nations today to push for renewed global action to advance the implementation of UN resolutions pertaining to the question of Palestine and the two-State solution.<\/p>\n That gathering, titled the \u201cHigh-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution\u201d, was originally slated to begin on 17 June. \u00a0However, while it opened its first plenary meeting on that date, it was quickly suspended due to circumstances in the region. \u00a0Held pursuant to General Assembly resolution\u00a079\/81<\/a><\/em>, the Conference will now take place from 28 to 30\u00a0July, and aims to revive a credible political process and outline concrete steps toward Palestinian Statehood based on 1967\u00a0borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.<\/p>\n Addressing those present, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres urged Member States to \u201cprove that this effort is something different\u201d. \u00a0To those resisting a two-State solution, he asked: \u00a0\u201cWhat is the alternative? \u00a0A one-State reality where Palestinians are denied equal rights, and forced to live under perpetual occupation and inequality? \u00a0A one-State reality where Palestinians are expelled from their land?\u201d \u00a0He rejected such a scenario: \u201cThat is not peace. \u00a0That is not justice. \u00a0That is not in accordance with international law. \u00a0And that is not acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather, he urged the international community to not only keep the two-State solution alive, but to take \u201curgent, concrete, irreversible steps\u201d to make it real.\u00a0Those steps must include ending the violence, halting annexation and settlement expansion, rejecting forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, ensuring accountability for atrocity crimes, restoring credible political dialogue and reaffirming the equal rights and dignity of both peoples.\u00a0 \u201cLet us reject the false choice between Palestinian statehood and Israeli security,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been waiting for long years for a genuine international intervention,\u201d said Mohammed Mustafa, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, adding: \u00a0\u201cWe have lost what we have lost, and we have suffered immensely.\u201d \u00a0He therefore urged the Conference to become a \u201cturning point\u201d where words translate into \u201cimmediate and unprecedented practical steps\u201d to halt the genocide, end the Israeli occupation and allow an independent Palestinian State to take shape on the basis of a two-State solution.<\/p>\n Lamenting the death, destruction and disregard for Palestinian lives, he urged the international community to reject any justification for targeting civilians or blocking aid.\u00a0 \u201cThis war of extermination must stop immediately,\u201d he underscored, demanding the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and calling on the global community to act to end the aggression, starvation and displacement.\u00a0 \u201cPalestinians are human beings,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n He also affirmed Palestine\u2019s readiness to invite a temporary Arab and international force, authorized by the Security Council, to protect civilians, ensure the ceasefire and support \u2014 not replace \u2014 the Palestinian Government\u2019s security services. \u00a0\u201cThe Palestinian people have the right to live in freedom and dignity in their homeland,\u201d he underscored, noting the 149\u00a0countries who recognize the State of Palestine and urging others that support the two-State solution to do the same.<\/p>\n In that vein, Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, said at the meeting\u2019s outset: \u00a0\u201cThere is nothing more precious for people than the dignity to be free.\u201d \u00a0He recalled France\u2019s support for Israel as it joined the community of nations and affirmed that Palestinians deserve the same right to a homeland.\u00a0 \u201cAt a time where the two-State solution is more threatened than ever, France is ready to fully recognize the State of Palestine,\u201d he declared, pledging to do so in September when world leaders meet for the General Assembly\u2019s eightieth session.<\/p>\n Faisal bin Farhan al Saud, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia \u2014 who co-chaired the meeting along with his French counterpart \u2014 said that the suffering of thousands of civilians in Gaza under bombardment, starvation and displacement continues, while Israeli settlements expand in Jerusalem and the West Bank to alter the region\u2019s demographic nature.\u00a0 \u201cPeace and security do not take place through deprivation of rights or force,\u201d he emphasized, highlighting Riyadh\u2019s work with the Palestinian Authority to build capacity and achieve digital transformation. \u00a0For its part, the Conference is \u201can opportune moment to move forward with the peace process\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are at a critical moment in the long history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,\u201d observed Phil\u00e9mon Yang (Cameroon), President of the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session. \u00a0The war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas\u2019 7\u00a0October\u00a02023 attacks against Israel, has inflicted \u201chorrifying\u201d levels of death, destruction, deprivation and displacement on Palestinian civilians, and \u201cwe cannot go on like this\u201d, he stressed.\u00a0 Time and again, the General Assembly and the Security Council have reiterated their support for a vision of two States, within secure and recognized borders, based on the 1967\u00a0lines, he said, stating: \u00a0\u201cIt is our collective responsibility to demand the implementation of these resolutions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis Conference is a glimmer of hope,\u201d said Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, noting that Doha has made \u201cevery diplomatic effort\u201d to end the bloodshed and to secure the release of prisoners and hostages. \u00a0\u201cHuman beings are human beings; children are children,\u201d he emphasized, adding that starvation and the targeting of hostages have been used as a method of war in a precedent \u201cthat we cannot accept\u201d.\u00a0 He asked those present:\u00a0 \u201cHow can we build the future on the bodies of those who die of hunger, and how can we reach peace as we see this amount of killing, humiliation and starvation?\u201d<\/p>\n Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, on that note, stressed that \u201c2.3 million Palestinians must regain hope and belief in the value of their lives and their children\u2019s future\u201d. He called for unimpeded international assistance and the opening of all crossing points.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Jordan continues doing all it can through land convoys and aid drops \u201cwhen Israel leaves us no other choice\u201d, he said, while emphasizing that aid drops cannot replace land deliveries. \u00a0Calling on those who have an alternative to the two-State solution to come forward, he affirmed that the Palestinian people will remain on their land and within their rights.<\/p>\n Tarek Mitri, Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon, said that, since the Nakba, Palestine has been suffering tragedies \u201cyear after year, month after month\u201d \u2014 occupation, uprooting, displacement and exile \u2014 \u201cthese crimes are multiplying before our eyes in Gaza\u201d.\u00a0 The milestones on the road to a political solution were written by the international community \u201cwith UN\u2019s ink\u201d, and engraved on its walls, he said, underscoring the need to stop the massacre and protect the credibility of international law.\u00a0He went on to say that Israel continues to attack Lebanese territory \u201cevery single day\u201d, violating its sovereignty and killing its citizens.<\/p>\n Throughout the meeting, many speakers stressed that the Conference must lead to immediate, concrete steps, rather than be merely another symbolic debate. \u00a0Delegates also echoed support for a two-State solution and endorsed the principle of Palestinian Statehood.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key towards making the two-State solution viable is recognizing the State of Palestine,\u201d underscored Mauro Luiz Lecker Vieira, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil. \u00a0This recognition is \u201ca moral obligation\u201d, he underscored, as failure to do so only normalizes an illegal and unjust reality marked by occupation, systematic discrimination, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and potentially, genocide. \u00a0\u201cVirtually all Latin American and Caribbean countries \u2014 including Brazil, since\u00a02010 \u2014 recognize the State of Palestine, as do most African and Asian countries,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n Anita Anand, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Canada, noted that Member States\u2019 collective presence today reflects strong international support for a negotiated solution: \u00a0\u201cone that ensures Palestinians\u2019 self-determination and Israeli security and one that charts a path towards lasting regional peace and prosperity\u201d. \u00a0Crucially important is the Palestinian Authority\u2019s commitment to undertake the comprehensive reforms necessary to govern Gaza and the West Bank. \u00a0To that end, she announced that Canada is pledging an additional $10\u00a0million in\u00a02025 to accelerate reform and capacity-building for the Palestinian Authority, as well as another $30\u00a0million in \u201cnew money\u201d for civilians in Gaza.<\/p>\n Similarly, Dubravka \u0160uica, the European Union\u2019s Commissioner for the Mediterranean, said that the bloc will support the Palestinian Authority with \u20ac1.6\u00a0billion over the next three years.\u00a0 However, \u201cwe need to do more\u201d, she stressed, urging States to provide reform-based support to the Palestinian Authority.\u00a0 Noting that she is currently working to establish a Palestinian donor group, she underlined the crucial importance of Israel\u2019s cooperation \u2014 including the release of withheld funds and the regular and predictable transfer of clearance revenue.\u00a0 \u201cWe want to see Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Speakers also reiterated their concern about the devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and repeated calls for a ceasefire and unrestricted aid delivery.<\/p>\n Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of Egypt, said that the brutal war on Gaza has exceeded \u201call limits of human imagination and consciousness\u201d. \u00a0It has targeted over 2.5\u00a0million people through blockade, killings, displacement and starvation, and this catastrophe is inflicted daily on civilians as they are waiting in line for humanitarian assistance.\u00a0 He therefore stressed the need to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and urged the international community to fulfil its moral duty to rebuild the Strip, as per the Arab plan for early recovery and reconstruction.\u00a0The Palestinian question remains the central issue in the Middle East, he stated \u2014 \u201cthere is no way to evade this fact\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are here to collectively move history forward by putting an end to this tragedy,\u201d declared Yassine Fall, Minister for African Integration and Foreign Affairs of Senegal, commending the Conference\u2019s round-table discussions and working groups \u2014 which met earlier in the day \u2014 for their pragmatic approach to the core pillars of the issue. \u00a0The Palestinian people can no longer wait, she stressed, urging Member States to put an end to the ruin in Gaza, fully recognize the State of Palestine and admit it as a full member of the United Nations. \u00a0\u201cThe two-State solution is not just a political stance; it is a deep expression of justice and humanity,\u201d she underscored.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" To learn more about the High-level international conference, please visit the dedicated page 28 July 2025 High-Level International Conference on Two-State Solution, 1st Meeting (resumed) (PM) Meeting under the shadow of the ongoing war in Gaza and escalating tensions across the Middle East, foreign ministers and other high-level officials gathered at the United Nations […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[1329],"document-source":[1365],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2005,6975,6879,2577,1797,5405,6965,1821,6771],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-309503","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-press-release","document-source-general-assembly","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-israels-illegal-occupation","document-subject-israeli-settlements","document-subject-peace-conference","document-subject-peace-process","document-subject-plo-palestine","document-subject-recognition-of-palestine","document-subject-self-determination","document-subject-two-state-solution","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/309503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/309503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309522,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/309503\/revisions\/309522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=309503"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=309503"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=309503"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=309503"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=309503"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=309503"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=309503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n1st Meeting (resumed) (PM)<\/strong><\/p>\nFrance Will Recognize Palestinian State, Others Highlight Conference\u2019s Importance<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Speakers Express Support for Two-State Solution<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ministers Spotlight Tragedy in Gaza<\/strong><\/h3>\n