Middle East peace efforts face race against time, UN envoy warns

United Nations, New York, 17 December 2009 - Informal comments to the media by Robert H. Serry, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, and Secretary-General's Envoy to the Quartet on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Robert Serry, spoke at the Security Council today. He warned of a series of problems impeding that peace process as 2009 draws to a close. He said that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are yet to resume, confidence between the parties remains low, facts continue to be created on the ground, tensions persist in Jerusalem. He said the actions of both Hamas and Israel are not contributing to the stability and welfare of Gaza.

He said there was a danger of a political vacuum. If we cannot move forward towards a final status agreement, he said, we risk sliding backwards, with both the Palestinian Authority and the two-State solution itself imperiled.

He said the Secretary-General believes a revitalized Quartet must play its full role in urgently advancing a common agenda in the crucial few months ahead. We have his remarks in my office.

After a formal meeting, the Security Council continued its discussions on the Middle East in consultations.

View the entire media stakeout (Real media, 8 minutes) :
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2009/so091217am4.rm

News story:
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33284&Cr=palestin&Cr1=

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• United Nations
• UN
• Middle East
• Peace and security
• Robert H. Serry
• Palestine
• Peace process
• Israeli
• Hamas
• Israel
• Palestinian
• Gaza
• Security Council

[hcwcars1]

how come the Palestinians cant be free like everybody else

[bixby2000]

I am happy to see UN is very active, these last weeks

Hundred videos about Haiti

Good

What about Resolution 242 ?

What about Goldstone Report ?

What about Humanitarian Law ?