UN Zambia Commemorates the Nakba

On 24 May 2023, the United Nations in Zambia organized the commemoration of the Nakba or the mass displacement of the Palestinians at an event that saw the attendance of several members of the diplomatic corps, members of the Palestinian community in Zambia, journalists, representatives of Faith Based Organisations, NGOs and youth. Minister of Tourism Mr. Rodney Sikumba, MP, was the Guest of Honour, representing the Government of Zambia.

The Minister commended all global and regional efforts over the years, to bring about tranquillity in the region.

“We pay tribute to those whose commitment to peace has allowed diplomatic negotiations to bring to bear the various agreements that are in place, and which are crucial building blocks to peaceful co-existence,” he said.

He said that in line with the UN Charter, and Zambia’s Foreign Policy, both of which uphold the principle of the inalienable right to self-determination, the Government would continue to advocate for the peaceful resolution of all forms of conflicts, aimed at promoting peace and stability through diplomatic means.

“On behalf of the Zambian Government, I, therefore, wish to take this opportunity to reaffirm, our commitment to working with the United Nations and all Members of the International Community to achieve lasting peace in the region,” said Mr. Sikumba.

UN Resident Coordinator Ms Beatrice Mutali called for peace between Israel and Palestine. 

Reading remarks made by Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs at the High-Level Special Meeting on the 75th Commemoration of the Nakba in New York on 15 May 2023, Ms Mutali said the UN was committed to finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“On 30 November of last year, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution, calling for the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Nakba. The legacy of that event lives on, spurring us to continue our unflagging efforts to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These efforts have been central to the work of the United Nations since its earliest days,” she said.

“The UN position is clear. The occupation must end. A two-State solution that will bring lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike must be achieved in line with international law, UN resolutions and previous agreements. We want to see an independent State of Palestine living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States,” she added.

For his part, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zambia Dr Walid Hasan noted the need for self-determination and the independence of Palestine.

“I want to stress that the most important condition for achieving peace and security in our region lies in recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the independence of their sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and resolving the Palestinian refugee issue on the basis of Resolution 194 and the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons. Peace and security cannot be achieved without this,” said Dr Hasan.

2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the mass displacement of Palestinians known as “the Nakba” or “the Catastrophe”. The UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Nakba at UN Headquarters in New York.

For the first time in the history of the UN, this anniversary was commemorated pursuant to the mandate by the General Assembly (A/RES/77/23 of 30 November 2022). The CEIRPP organized a High-Level Special Meeting on 15 May 2023.