The co-chairs of a United Nations conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine have suspended the high-level segment of the event, citing “recent developments and continued escalation in the region.”
In a joint statement, the co-chairs, France and Saudi Arabia, said the suspension was necessary but affirmed their commitment to continuing the conference’s work through other means to advance the implementation of the two-state solution.
“These events are a stark reminder of the fragility of the current situation and the urgent need to restore calm, uphold international law, and reinvigorate diplomacy,” the statement said.
Despite the suspension of the main high-level meeting, the co-chairs confirmed that other components of the conference would proceed as planned.
“In light of these circumstances, we reaffirm our full commitment to the objectives of the Conference and to continuing its work without interruption,” they stated. “The Roundtables, to be convened shortly, will proceed as an integral part of the Conference process.”
These roundtables are intended to build on the contributions of the conference’s Working Groups and will “serve to consolidate clear and coordinated commitments and reaffirm the collective resolve to implement the two-State solution.”
The co-chairs said they would announce a new date for the high-level segment “at the soonest possible opportunity,” in line with their commitment to the conference’s objectives.
The statement concluded with a call for renewed diplomatic efforts. “Now more than ever, the situation compels us to double our efforts to call for upholding international law, respecting the sovereignty of states, and advancing peace, liberty, and dignity for all peoples of the region,” the co-chairs said. “We remain resolute in our shared determination to support all efforts to bring an end to the war in Gaza, achieve a just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question through the implementation of the two-State solution, and ensure stability and security for all countries in the region.”
The statement was issued by the co-chairs of the “United Nations High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” — France and Saudi Arabia — and the co-chairs of its Working Groups: Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Norway, Qatar, Senegal, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the League of Arab States.