China News Service, United Nations, February 5 (Reporter Wang Fan) United Nations Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement on the 5th saying that he has appointed an independent review team to evaluate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). ) ensures neutrality and responds to allegations of serious violations.
The statement said Guterres was appointed to the review panel in consultation with UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini. The review team will be led by Colonna, the former French Minister of Foreign Affairs. She will cooperate with three European research organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Sweden and the Christian Mitchelson Development Research Institute in Norway. So and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
The review team will begin work on February 14 this year and is expected to submit an interim report to the Secretary-General in late March this year. The final report is expected to be completed in late April this year and released to the outside world.
The review was in response to a request Lazzarini made earlier this year, the statement said. The independent external review will be conducted in conjunction with an investigation currently underway by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services.
In January this year, Lazzarini said that based on information provided by the Israeli authorities, 12 UNRWA employees were implicated in the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) raid on Israel on October 7 last year. . After expressing shock, Guterres immediately called for an investigation into the accusation.
As the United States, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and other countries have announced that they will suspend financial assistance to UNRWA while relevant investigations are ongoing, the agency has issued a warning that if funds cannot be restored, UNRWA will not be able to continue operating in Gaza after the end of February. and throughout the Middle East. (over)