EU does not stop funding to UNRWA

"The role of UNRWA is vital in the current circumstances in Gaza. 2 million people desperately need the aid provided by UNRWA and other UN agencies".

This was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell in a phone call on 28 January with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including very serious allegations against a number of UNRWA staff members.

Borell expressed strong concern over the dramatic humanitarian situation on the ground and reconfirmed to the UN Secretary General that the EU will continue its essential aid to Palestinians in Gaza unabated, as one of the largest donors of aid, and through partner organisations capable of delivering assistance effectively. The role of UNRWA is vital in the current circumstances in Gaza. 2 million people desperately need the aid provided by UNRWA and other UN agencies.

He welcomed the swift and decisive measures taken by UNRWA relating to the allegations of involvement of UNRWA staff in the heinous 7 October attacks by launching a thorough investigation with full transparency, showing that the United Nations are giving the issue the importance it deserves. He stressed that if confirmed, those responsible must be held to account and internal controls strengthened accordingly.

Ongoing funding commitments by the EU have been implemented and funding has not been suspended. The EU will determine upcoming funding decisions in light of the outcome of the investigation.

The High Representative underlined to the UN Secretary General of the EU’s continued commitment to advance its strong partnership with the United Nations and its agencies. They agreed to remain in close touch.

source: commonspace.eu with the press service of the European Union

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Key European countries back Denmark in the face of Trump's continuing insistence on taking over Greenland

Key European countries back Denmark in the face of Trump's continuing insistence on taking over Greenland

 Six major European countries have declared their support to Denmark following renewed insistence by the US that it must have control over Greenland. "Greenland belongs to its people, and only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations," said the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain, in a joint statement, issued on Tuesday (6 January), together with Denmark. On Sunday, Donald Trump said the US "needed" Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow Nato member Denmark - for security reasons. He has refused to rule out the use of force to take control of the territory, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that an attack by the US would spell the end of Nato. The issue of Greenland's future resurfaced in the wake of the US military intervention in Venezuela, during which elite troops went in to seize the country's President Nicolás Maduro and take him to face drugs and weapons charges in New York. Following the raid, Trump said the US would "run" Venezuela for an unspecified period of time. He also said the US was returning to an 1823 policy of US supremacy in its sphere of influence in the Western hemisphere - and he warned a number of countries the US could turn its attention to them. The US military raid in Venezuela has reignited fears that the US may consider using force to secure control of Greenland. A day after the raid, Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's senior aides - posted on social media a map of Greenland in the colours of the American flag, alongside the word "SOON". On Monday, her husband Stephen Miller said it was "the formal position of the US government that Greenland should be part of the US". In an interview with CNN, he also said the US "is the power of Nato. For the US to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend Nato and Nato interests, obviously Greenland should be part of the US." Asked repeatedly whether the US would rule out using force to annex it, Miller responded: "Nobody's going to fight the US over the future of Greenland." Stressing they were as keen as the US in Arctic security, the seven European signatories of Tuesday's joint statement said this must be achieved by Nato allies, including the US "collectively" - whilst "upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders". Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the statement and called for "respectful dialogue". "The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland's status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity," Nielsen said. Trump has claimed that making Greenland part of the US would serve American security interests due to its strategic location and its abundance of minerals critical to high-tech sectors. Greenland, which has a population of 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands. While most Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US.

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