On Monday, February 26th, exactly one month after it was revealed that at least 12 UNRWA employees took part in perpetrating the atrocities of October 7th, and more than 1,200 belong to Hamas or Islamic Jihad, the non-governmental human rights organization UN Watch will host the first International Summit for a Future Beyond UNRWA, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The summit, to be webcast live, will take place next to the United Nations European Headquarters in parallel with the 2024 opening of the UN Human Rights Council, which that day will gather UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the president of the UN General Assembly, and foreign ministers from around the world. Diplomats from all UNRWA donor countries have been invited to attend the summit.
The summit will address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and formulate a plan for a future beyond UNRWA, a failed agency with deep and widespread ties to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both terrorist organizations proscribed by the US, EU and other democracies.
Over the last decade, UN Watch had sent repeated warnings to UNRWA about widespread promotion and encouragement of terrorism by UNRWA teachers and other employees.
Addressing the summit will be former UNRWA and UN officials, experts on international aid, America’s former Middle East peace envoy, and lawmakers from UNRWA donor countries, including:
• Ambassador Dennis Ross, Counselor at Washington Institute for Near East Policy, former U.S. point man on Middle East peace process
• James G. Lindsay, Former UNRWA General Counsel
• Zlatko Zigic, Senior Official, United Nations Migration Agency, 1997-2017
• Bonnie Glick, Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of U.S. Agency for International Development, 2019-2020
• Einat Wilf, Former Member of Knesset, co-author of “The War of Return”
• Adi Schwartz, Fellow at the Misgav Institute, co-author of “The War of Return”
• Edward Flaherty, Expert on UN investigations and legal proceedings
• Amb. Meirav Eilon Shachar, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations in Geneva
• José Garson, Former expert at United Nations Capital Development Fund, focusing on development projects with Least Developed Countries and anti-poverty strategies
• Hillel Neuer, Executive Director, United Nations Watch
• Hon. Chris Smith, Member of U.S. Congress, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization
• Hon. David Lega, Member of European Parliament, Committees on Foreign Affairs and Human Rights
• Hon. Assita Kanko, Member of European Parliament
• Hon. Caroline Yadan, Member of French National Assembly
• Hon. Alfred Heer, Member of Swiss Parliament
• Hon. Melissa Lantsman, Member of Canadian Parliament
• Hon. Ritchie Torres, Member of U.S. Congress
* * * * *
WHEN: Monday, February 26th, 2024 at 11:00AM CET
WHERE: United Nations European Headquarters, Geneva Switzerland
