youtube URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDmsKewH3CM
transcript
Sorry, good afternoon. We’re delighted to be joined by Sigrid Cogg, our Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who just briefed the Council. I think, Sigrid, do you want to go straight to questions? Yeah, exactly. Okay, great. Maggie, please. Thank you, Mr. President. Welcome back. Thank you. It’s so good to see you here. At the top of your remarks, you said that this may be our last chance to achieve a two-state solution. Could you just expand on that a bit? Yes. Well, I think the reality is staring us in the face and has been for quite some time. If you look at the impact of a conflict, if you look at the Gaza Strip, if you look at the expansion of settlements, if you look at repeated calls with a threat of annexation, I think we could not be further away from the lofty ideals. So it’s also my intent to remind the Council that statements are one thing, but we need action. And it’s the two-state solution, as a viable solution geographically, is withering away before our very eyes. And words themselves won’t solve it. It needs active political engagement and diplomacy. Thank you. Edie? Thank you, Madam Cogna. Always nice to see you here. Thank you, Edie. Same here. What are your expectations about financing for reconstruction, given what’s going on elsewhere in the world and the diminishing amount of money going to humanitarian projects? Well, I think there are two questions, but they’re not necessarily related. The first one is official development assistance, including humanitarian assistance, has always been precious. We’ve always had to leverage other sources of income. That’s as long as I’ve been working for the UN. However, the reconstruction of Gaza is a very tall order. The amounts are significant, given the state of destruction. What we need is clarity on the politics, the governance arrangements, as well as security. And then there’ll be a mix of public and private financing. I’m not counting on official development assistance alone. Then, of course, we will look towards the European Union. We will look towards the countries of the Gulf states. There’s also a big factor here, which is private sector, investment financing and risk financing. All that can be constructed. My team under 2720 has done a number of studies, and I know the World Bank has done as well. At the moment, in a strange way, that is the least of my worries. It’s the politics and governance to get to do the job to recover and reconstruct Gaza. Thank you. Can I ask a follow-up question? Are you going to Washington, and do you plan to meet any officials from the Trump administration? And if so, I see in your remarks that you have totally rejected the president’s idea of pulling all Palestinians out of Gaza and making it into the Mideast Riviera. Well, I think the paraphrasing is yours, Edie, if I may. I’m not going to Washington this time, but I’ll be back in a few weeks, and I hope to meet with a number of American officials in the region. In this case, they travel so much, you don’t have to go to Washington. You might actually catch them closer to home, so to speak. And, of course, we will be in contact with all officials, because the UN, as I stated very clearly, wants to be supportive to all efforts. We’re not at the negotiations table. Now, I think the Secretary General, Palestinians themselves, countries of the region have been very clear from the first second that forced displacement of the Palestinians from Gaza is both not acceptable, it’s a violation of international law, and Palestinians themselves don’t want it, and countries of the region don’t want it. Gaza can be recovered and reconstructed. It is complicated, complex, but with political will and the right agreements, it can be done. And I’d like to remind everybody, Palestinians are phenomenal builders. They’ve even built illegal settlements. One more question. According to some assessments, it would take 15 years or more to reconstruct Gaza. What’s your ballpark? Honestly, I don’t know, and I’m not going to compete with the real estate experts here. There’s a technical study. Our updated disaster needs assessment has a ballpark which is phased between the first three years for rubble removal, temporary housing, and then it goes on. Obviously, you only have to visit Gaza to see that it will take time, and a lot of work needs to be done. But I’m not going to speculate if it’s going to be one year more or less. It will always take more time in our experience. But that’s not the point. Once you start, you create prospects, you create hope, you get people employed, you create the alternatives on the ground, with and by the Palestinians, you have change. Thank you.
summary
Sigrid Cogg, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, addressed the Council and emphasized the urgency of achieving a two-state solution, citing issues like conflict, settlement expansion, and annexation threats as obstacles. She stressed the importance of action over words in addressing these challenges. Regarding Gaza’s reconstruction, Cogg highlighted the need for clarity in politics, governance, and security, alongside a mix of public and private financing. She noted that the politics and governance required for Gaza’s recovery are more concerning than funding. Cogg also rejected any notion of displacing Gaza’s Palestinians as a violation of international law. While official reconstruction estimates vary, Cogg emphasized that initiating the rebuilding process can create hope and employment for Palestinians.