Minister Of Foreign Affairs Attends UN Meeting On Palestine

Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, is in New York City attending a meeting focused on the potential of a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel, hosted by the United Nations. Among other events, the Foreign Minister will participate in a meeting with the Palestinian Foreign Minister and the United Nations Secretary-General.

The Minister has increased funding for UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, in late June of this year, and was one of 30 ministers to sign a statement offering a “simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now” just 8 days ago.

RÚV reports the Minister has said, “Conferences and words are no longer enough, more needs to be done now.”

Further, she remarked, “To be honest, I wasn’t particularly optimistic just a few days ago. But I’m more hopeful today, yes. There’s greater pressure, more seriousness, not least from states that have recognised the independence of Palestine and have not previously taken steps to criticise the situation in Gaza because of Israel. I feel the pressure is building, and it’s having some effect in terms of opening up humanitarian access, but it’s nowhere near enough. I hope this conference encourages the international community to buckle down and actually do something.”

The three-day conference will end tomorrow.