Director-General's remarks at the special meeting to commemorate the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Friday, 28 November 2025, at 3.00 p.m.
Palais des Nations, Room XII

Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

I declare the meeting open and would like to welcome all speakers and participants assembled here today at this special meeting to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The special meeting is webcast live on the UN Web TV platform to allow interested participants to follow the event virtually.

It is my honour to read out the message of the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on this occasion:

“This year’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People comes after two years of horrific suffering in Gaza – and the start of a much-needed ceasefire.

Survivors are mourning the deaths of tens of thousands of friends and family – nearly a third of them children – and thousands more have been injured. Hunger, disease and trauma run rampant, while schools, homes and hospitals lie in ruins.

Injustice also continues in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with Israeli military operations, settler violence, settlement expansion, evictions, demolitions and threats of annexation.

At the same time, hundreds of humanitarians have been killed. The majority were Palestinian UN staff, marking the largest loss of personnel in the Organization’s history. More journalists have perished than in any conflict since the Second World War.

In so many ways, this tragedy has tested the norms and laws that have guided the international community for generations. The killing of so many civilians, the repeated displacement of an entire population and the obstruction of humanitarian aid should never be acceptable under any circumstances.

The recent ceasefire offers a glimmer of hope. It is now vital that all parties respect it fully and work in good faith towards solutions that restore and uphold international law. This includes returning the remains of the hostages from the 7 October attacks, promptly and in a dignified manner, to grieving families in Israel.

Lifesaving humanitarian aid must be allowed to enter Gaza at scale, and the international community must continue to stand firmly with UNRWA — an irreplaceable lifeline for millions of Palestinians, including Palestine refugees.

I repeat my call for an end to the unlawful occupation of the Palestinian Territory — as affirmed by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly — and for irreversible progress towards a two-State solution, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within their secure and recognized borders, on the basis of pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

On this International Day of Solidarity, let us draw inspiration from the Palestinian people themselves, whose resilience and hope are a testament to the human spirit. Let us stand in solidarity with their rights to dignity, justice and self-determination — and work together to build a peaceful future for all.”
            
This was the end of the Secretary-General’s message.

I now invite His Excellency Mr. Aboubacar Sadikh Barry, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Senegal to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People:

I thank Ambassador Barry for his statement.

I now invite Her Excellency Ms. Himalee Subhashini Arunatilaka, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories:

I thank Ambassador Arunatilaka for her statement.

I now invite His Excellency Mr. Hichem Bayoudh, Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States:

I thank Ambassador Bayoudh for his statement.

I now invite Mr. Bader Al-Mutairi, Deputy Permanent Observer and Chargé d’affaires of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation:

I thank Mr. Al-Mutairi for his statement.
     
I now invite His Excellency Mr. Arthur Kafeero, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Uganda to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement:

I thank Ambassador Kafeero for his statement.

I now invite Mr. Girma Amente Nono, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the African Union:

I thank Mr. Nono for his statement.

I now invite Ms. Melina Eisenring, Board Member of the World Young Women’s Christian Association, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of the Non-Governmental Organizations accredited to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People:

I thank Ms. Eisenring for her statement.

I now invite His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Khraishi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, to take the floor and deliver a message on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine:

I thank Ambassador Khraishi for his statement.

I now have the pleasure to announce that messages of solidarity on this occasion have been received from the following Heads of State or Government. I will announce them in the order in which they were received: Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Egypt, India, Senegal, Jordan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bangladesh, Maldives, Qatar, Brazil.

In accordance with the usual practice, the United Nations Secretary-General’s message, as well as a summary of the proceedings of today’s ceremony, will be available as a press release. In addition, copies of statements delivered by the speakers and messages of solidarity will be available for consultation on the event registration platform Indico.

Excellencies, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

I thank you for your participation and for marking this occasion.

I now declare this Special Meeting to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People closed.