NEW YORK, September 28, 2026 (WAFA) – Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Minister Riyad Mansour, stressed that the rights affirmed in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 25 years ago must not be limited to remembrance, but must be implemented for all peoples without exception.
Mansour said in his address to the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, held today, Monday, that 25 years ago in Durban, the international community made a commitment to confront racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, and to protect the dignity and equality of every human being.
He welcomed the adoption of the political declaration and the reaffirmation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, pointing out that the Durban process holds particular importance for the Palestinian people.
He explained that 25 years ago, the Durban Declaration expressed concern over the plight of the Palestinian people under foreign occupation and recognized their inalienable right to self-determination and to establish an independent state, while also recognizing the right of all states in the region to security.
He said that, instead of exercising their right to self-determination and living in freedom and dignity in their independent state, the Palestinian people continue to suffer under an illegal occupation and face ongoing genocide, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid.
Mansour pointed out that today’s declaration recalls that colonialism, genocide, apartheid, and slavery leave deep and lasting effects, and that racial discrimination, inequality, and displacement require action, stressing that historical injustice cannot be overcome through remembrance alone, but requires justice and reparations.
He stressed the need for Durban to remain a commitment to action for the victims of the past and present and for future generations, calling for the rejection of racism and discrimination in all their forms, as well as hatred directed against any people because of their identity, religion, origin, or plight.
Mansour emphasized the necessity of upholding the universality of human rights without selectivity, exceptions, or double standards, and renewed the State of Palestine’s commitment to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and to equality, justice, and human dignity.
He stressed that the responsibility 25 years after Durban is clear: the rights affirmed there must not be limited to remembrance, but must be implemented for all peoples without exception.
T.R.
