Statement after the AHLC meeting in New York

Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jonas Gahr Støre, meets Norwegian and international press in New York 22 September 2010 after the AHLC meeting.

This morning we held a meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for Assistance to the Palestinians (AHLC), which was attended by Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon, Quartet Representative Tony Blair, and representatives of the European Union, the United Nations and key donors.

We came together with the overall aim of mobilising sustained support for Palestinian state building. Our process is closely linked with the political process of negotiating a political deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis on a peace settlement and the creation of a Palestinian state.

Yesterday I hosted a meeting together with the Palestinian prime minister for ministers from the Arab countries and the Gulf countries on the funding of Palestinian institutions where the purpose was also to mobilise sufficient funds to complete the state–building process.

The meeting today took note of detailed reports from World Bank and the IMF. I would like draw your attention to a key line there where the World Bank states that if the Palestinian Authority (PA) maintains its current performance in institution-building and delivery of public services, it is well-positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future. I think this is a significant message that indicates that Prime Minister Fayyad’s state-building programme is nearing completion. The donors agree on the importance of sustaining these efforts into this next year and towards the summer of 2011.

We are also concerned about the shortfall of funding to meet the Palestinian Authority’s budget requirements. We have appealed to donors to live up to the pledges they made at the Paris conference three years ago, and we will continue to do so.

Prime Minister Fayyad has been successful in exploiting the growth potential of the Palestinian economy during the past couple of years, and particularly in the past few months. It is now becoming increasingly obvious that further economic development is being directly impeded by the roadblocks and the administrative and political obstacles stemming from the occupation.

The clear message to the Government of Israel is to continue easing restrictions on goods and materials allowed into Gaza, and to take urgent steps to expand Palestinian access to Area C, the Jordan Valley and East Jerusalem, as well as to allow Palestinian exports in order to support and sustain value creation.

Towards the end of this year, we will decide whether to convene another donor conference for the Palestinian Authority so that we can support the continued work and reform efforts of the Palestinian negotiators.

I have been invited to report the results of our work to the Quartet meeting this afternoon, and will highlight the link between what we have achieved along the bottom-up track of creating a functioning Palestinian economy on the one hand, and what is being achieved in the top-down process on the political track towards a peace settlement.

 

(Open for questions).