UNITED NATIONS MEETING IN SUPPORT OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE

TO TAKE PLACE IN ROME, 22-23 MARCH

Theme: “Relaunching the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process – Challenges and Vision”

NEW YORK, 21 March (Department of Political Affairs) -- The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will hold the United Nations International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace on 22-23 March at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome.  The theme of the Meeting is “Relaunching the Israeli-Palestinian peace process –- challenges and vision.” 

The objective of the Meeting is to support and promote international efforts aimed at achieving peace in the Middle East, focus the world community’s attention on the question of Palestine and emphasize the importance and urgency of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the establishment of an independent State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, living side by side with Israel in peace and security.  Among other issues, the Meeting will look into how the conflict affects relations between Muslim and Western societies, and provide an opportunity for an interreligious and intercultural dialogue in this regard.

The event is being organized in keeping with General Assembly resolutions 61/22 and 61/23 of 1 December 2006.  Invited to the Meeting will be internationally renowned experts, including Israelis and Palestinians, parliamentarians and representatives of United Nations Members and Observers, the United Nations system, other intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the media.  The official languages of the seminar will be Arabic, English and French.

The opening session of the Meeting will take place on Thursday, 22 March, at 10 a.m. in the Green Room of FAO headquarters.  Speakers include Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations; Paul Badji, Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People; Jacques Diouf, Director-General of FAO; and Qais Abdel-Kareem, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and representative of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  This will be followed by a segment in which representatives of Governments, intergovernmental organizations and the United Nations system will have an opportunity to make statements.  The Meeting will continue with three plenary sessions, each followed by a discussion period.

Plenary I, under the theme “Peace in the Middle East: A key to the advancement of the dialogue between cultures and civilizations”, will begin in the afternoon on Thursday, 22 March, at 3 p.m.  The speakers will focus their presentations on bridging the gap between Muslim and Western societies, building peace in Jerusalem and fostering the alliance of civilizations.  Speakers include Pietro Parolin, Under-Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See; Giuseppe Marco Malagola, Delegation of Terra Sancta in Rome; Hazem Mohammed Karkutly, Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Bernard Sabella, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and representative of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem; Sheikh Taysir al-Tamimi, Supreme Judge of Sharia Courts in Palestine and Head of Supreme Council of Preserving Islamic Holy Sites; Gideon Levy, columnist, Ha’aretz; Staffan de Mistura, Director, United Nations System Staff College; and Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz al Saud, President of the Islamic Cultural Centre.

Plenary II, entitled “The role of parliaments in promoting dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians”, will start at 10 a.m. on Friday, 23 March.  The session will focus on the role of national parliaments, the impact of interparliamentary and regional organizations, and the Euro-Mediterranean partnership/Barcelona process.  Speakers in this plenary include Richard Burden, Member of Parliament, House of Commons; Shamil Sultanov, Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and member of the State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs; Abdullah Abdullah, Head of the Political Committee, Palestinian Legislative Council; Luisa Morgantini, Member of the European Parliament; Ran Cohen, Member of the Knesset (Meretz); Ismail Vadi, Member of the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa, speaking on behalf of Baleka Mbete, Speaker of the South African Parliament; and Nadia Hilou, Member of the Knesset (Labour – Meimad).

Plenary III, entitled “Restoring momentum to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and forging a vision of a final settlement”, will start at 3 p.m. on Friday, 23 March.  The session will focus on action by international parties, including the European Union, the engagement of regional parties and the role and responsibility of the United Nations.  Speakers include Yair Hirschfeld, Director-General, Economic Cooperation Foundation and senior lecturer in the history of the Middle East, University of Haifa; Qais Abdel-Kareem, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council; Staffan de Mistura, Director, United Nations System Staff College; and Ziad Asali, President, American Task Force on Palestine. 

The closing session of the Meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 23 March.  The report of the Meeting will be issued as a publication of the Division for Palestinian Rights of the United Nations Secretariat.

Registration of participants and observers

Participants and observers, including media representatives, are requested to register in advance with the secretariat of the Meeting by fax: 06 57056105 (Protocol FAO).  Registered participants and observers, except for those already in possession of a valid FAO building pass, can pick up their building passes at the FAO reception starting on 21 March 2007.

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For information media • not an official record