São Paulo – The United Nations (UN) launched on Thursday (16) the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. During the meeting, UN officials emphasized the need to double efforts to reach lasting peace between Israel and Palestine.
“The coming year will be crucial to achieving the two-State solution,” stated Jan Eliasson, UN Deputy Secretary-General, in his remarks to the UN General Assembly’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. According to him, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are working to reach a peaceful agreement on all important issues in the case. This means an agreement to end the occupation started in 1967, and which may end the conflict.
“Now is the time for vision, compromise and deepening of respect. Let us make this year, 2014, the decisive year for achieving peace between Israel and Palestine,” said General Assembly President John Ashe. “I implore all those who have a stake in this outcome – Governments, international organizations, and people everywhere – to do their part,” he urged. The decision to make 2014 a year of support to the Palestinian people was made by the UN in November last year.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
