RAMALLAH, November 10, 2025 (WAFA) - The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed on Monday the unanimous adoption of four resolutions concerning Palestine by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during its 43rd session, held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The resolutions pertain to the city of Jerusalem, the consequences of the current situation in the Gaza Strip regarding UNESCO, supporting the continuity of UNRWA's educational activities, and a resolution on educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Arab territories.
In a statement, the ministry stressed the importance of these resolutions at this particular time, as Israel, the occupying power, continues its crimes and violations against all aspects of UNESCO's work in the fields of education, culture, and tangible and intangible heritage.
Such violations include the deliberate targeting of heritage sites, schools, educational and media institutions, and journalists in the Gaza Strip, committing cultural and ethnic genocide, and the extension of this genocide to the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
They also include violating and assaulting the sanctity of archaeological and religious sites in an attempt to change the legal and historical status quo of the city of Jerusalem and its walls, establishing a special action plan for preserving its cultural heritage, in addition to the violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, considered a place of exclusive worship for Muslims, and the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
The Ministry pointed to the important role of the UNESCO General Conference, which is held once every two years, and the focus on urgent Palestinian issues in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
It also highlighted the role of partner institutions like the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the call to establish an urgent assistance program for the Gaza Strip, including an action plan, and the creation of a special account for voluntary contributions in accordance with the organization's financial regulations.
The ministry commended the role of the brotherly and friendly countries in adopting these resolutions and standing by Palestinian rights within UNESCO's scope of work and other fields, which transforms the resolutions into legal, diplomatic, and political tools for the accountability and prosecution of the Israeli occupation and its criminals who attempt to steal, obliterate, and falsify the authentic Palestinian history and heritage in the land of their forefathers.
It called upon the countries of the world and members of UNESCO to unite in restoring life to the devastated Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and to provide political and financial support for recovery and reconstruction.
On Sunday, the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO unanimously adopted four significant resolutions concerning Palestine.
The resolutions address the city of Jerusalem, the impact of the current situation in the Gaza Strip on UNESCO-related activities, support for the continuation of UNRWA’s educational programs, and measures regarding educational and cultural institutions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
A.D.
