Declaração da Delegação do Brasil em reunião do Conselho de Segurança sobre o Oriente Médio, incluindo a Questão da Palestina - 26 de julho de 2022 (texto em inglês)

Statement by the Delegation of Brazil at the Security Council meeting on Middle East, including the Palestinian question

July 26

I thank Ms. Lynn Hastings, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, for briefing the Council today.

Brazil remains concerned with the ongoing episodes of violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel in recent months. There is no justification for any attacks on civilians. We call on both sides to exercise maximum restraint and protect

the lives of civilians.

Brazil agrees with the assessment that the mere management of this conflict in perpetuity is not a viable option. There is no substitute for a legitimate political process to bring about lasting peace and stability. We must reflect on the role this Council should play in reinvigorating the peace process in the region, paving the way for new negotiations.

Without a horizon for conversations, faith in peace wanes and the reality on the ground precludes the possibility of a viable agreement. The Abraham Accords offered renewed hope in dialogue and diplomacy. Some important high-level meetings continue to take place.

But the involvement of relevant stakeholders in

efforts towards a two-state solution has stalled.

Important mechanisms established by resolutions of this Council remain practically inoperative.

In Brazil's view, we should seriously pursue the

objective of promoting political negotiations for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East based on all relevant Security Council resolutions. This requires involvement and commitment from all relevant parties.

Intra-Palestinian reconciliation is a crucial step

towards resuming genuine dialogue within the framework of the peace process. International cooperation aimed at restoring and improving basic infrastructure and economic empowerment of the Palestinian population can also improve the prospects for reconciliation. It is equally important to address the structural impediments imposed on the Palestinian economy, which needs support to strengthen its industrial and agricultural production. Brazil believes that

fostering the Palestinian economy is one of the best ways to give peace a concrete meaning. Palestine has great economic potential in many sectors that can create job opportunities and raise the income of families. This means allowing Palestinian businesspeople to export their products to the world market.

Confidence-building measures on both sides must continue. Brazil commends the Israeli authorities' recent measures aimed at building trust with the Palestinians, including increasing the quota of workers from the Gaza Strip and the opening of a new vehicular crossing on the north of the West Bank, as well as the measures to prevent the establishment of

new outposts. We are following the developments in the talks regarding the exchange of prisoners, and hope the parties can come to an understanding.

Last month, General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid convened a donor conference in support of UNRWA, a much-needed meeting as the Agency continues to face chronic underfunding against a backdrop of competing

needs by the growing number of refugees worldwide. We commend the General Assembly President´s initiative and welcome the encouraging results of the conference.

Brazil reiterates its commitment to UNRWA's tireless humanitarian action, providing essential services to one of the most vulnerable refugee populations in the world. UNRWA plays a key role in stabilizing the region, where poverty and political instability are fertile ground for extremist forces. Over the past few decades, the Agency has consistently strived to

contain violence and alleviate the living conditions of Palestinian refugees. Last month, despite severe budget constraints at the national level, Brazil announced an additional financial contribution to UNRWA.

The ongoing violence must stop, which requires efforts by all parties to defuse tensions and reverse negative trends that undermine prospects for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Violent escalations prevent durable solutions; the lack of lasting solutions fuels frustration and despair, which in turn result in further violent escalations. Reinvigorating

the political process should not be a goal for the distant future, but a necessary condition for

preventing violence in the present and breaking this cycle.

In closing, let me reiterate Brazil's long-standing commitment to achieving a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security, in two democratic, prosperous and sovereign states, within

secure and internationally recognized borders.