Riyad Mansour
 Riyad Mansour    (diplomat) | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 21 May 1947 |
| Alma mater | Youngstown State University, University of Akron |
Riyad Mansour is a Palestinian-American diplomat and since 2005 has been the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations.
Previous to Mansour's appointment to Permanent Observer, Mansour served as the Deputy Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations from 1983 to 1994. In 2005, President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas appointed him to succeed Nasser al-Qudwa as Permanent Observer for Palestine to the UN.
Under Mansour, the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations changed from being an "entity" to being a "non-Member Observer State" on 29 November 2012.
UNGA emergency session
Speaking at an emergency session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York on 26 October 2023, Riyad Mansour implored member states to vote to end the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip and to increase aid deliveries to the 2.3 million Palestinians living in the besieged territory:
“I appeal to all of you to vote to stop the killing. Vote for humanitarian aid to reach those whose very survival depends on it. Vote to stop this madness.
“How can representatives of states explain how horrible it is that 1,000 Israelis were killed and not feel the same outrage when 1,000 Palestinians are now killed every single day?
“Why not feel a sense of urgency to end their killing?”[1]
UNSCR 2720 (2023)
On 22 December 2023, Riyad Mansour said that the UN Security Council first met to address the crisis when hundreds of Palestinians had been killed by Israel:
“The Council is now meeting after over 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, almost half of them children and 60,000 wounded, and two million Palestinians have been forcefully displaced,” he said, adding that it is meeting now as homes, shelters, schools and hospitals have been destroyed, and as hunger and disease are spreading 'like wildfire'.
He stated that the Arab and Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) groups, with support of an overwhelming number of UN Member States had been mobilising for three objectives, an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian assistance at scale, and no forced displacement.
“We meet today as part of the continuous efforts to advance these goals,” he said, noting that the “inhumane and criminal Israeli siege” and the use of vital humanitarian aid “as a method of war” must end immediately.
“What we are dealing with is an attempt at the destruction of our people and their displacement forever from their land,” he said, adding “this is Israel’s goal, its true objective, no future for Palestinians in Palestine.”
“That is why it is bombing everyone and everything,” he said.
Noting that “death is everywhere” in Gaza, Mr. Mansour said that the resolution is intended to alleviate the suffering of civilians. He welcomed the provision to establish a UN mechanism to accelerate the provision of humanitarian relief consignments and call for its rapid implementation.
“This resolution is a step in the right direction. It must be implemented and must be accompanied by massive pressure for an immediate ceasefire,” he added.[2]
Related Document
| Title | Type | Publication date | Author(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document:‘Turning Gaza into ashes’: Israel propaganda vs the world | Article | 1 November 2023 | Ramzy Baroud | It is time to speak about Palestinian rights, Palestinian security and the Palestinian people’s right – in fact, obligation – to defend themselves. |
References
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