Ref: 94/2019
Date: 7 Nov 2019
Press Release
The International Commission warns of the repercussions of the decision to discharge the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, at the request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) follows with great concern the decision announced on Wednesday to discharge Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, at the request of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on the recommendation of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, which a necessity in discharging the Commissioner-General of the Agency until the completion of the alleged corruption investigation within the Organization.
ICSPR deplores the decision, especially since it is the first of its kind since the establishment of the Agency, and fears that the resolution is part of the US and Israeli plan aimed at liquidating UNRWA’s presence and distorting its image, and stresses that the timing of the decision raises suspicion and coincides with the continuation of international deliberations on the extension of UNRWA’s general mandate for three years. Therefore, ICSPR demands the following:
- ICSPR warns of the serious repercussions of the decision to discharge the Commissioner-General of the Agency; especially that until the moment, the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) or any official body did not issue official conclusions on the alleged corruption issue.
- ICSPR calls on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to revoke his decision and to work without delay to strengthen and support UNRWA.
