News of Norway, April 24, 2002
The most important donor countries, nations currently providing development assistance to the Palestinian Territory, met to discuss how the international community best can help the Palestinian people.
"Donors have responded remarkably quickly to immediate humanitarian needs such as food, medicine and temporary shelter, and to repair damage to essential services such as electricity, water and sanitation systems," says Foreign Minister Petersen.
Though this meeting was not a formal pledging conference, donors on this day alone stated their commitment to disburse about USD 1.2 billion during the course of 2002 against the need of 2 billion. Further commitments are expected in the coming weeks.
"Today’s meeting took place at a low point in Palestinian-Israeli relations, says Petersen. "It is therefore remarkable that we were able to bring the two sides together. A solution to the conflict depends upon a comprehensive approach that combines simultaneous and parallel security, political and economic tracks. Today’s meeting was a part of this three pronged strategy."
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the immediate humanitarian situation, the broader economic crisis facing the Palestinian people, and the way in which donors can respond. "Our objective is to reduce suffering, meet immediate repair needs and ensure that the economic basis for a viable Palestinian state is not destroyed," says Petersen.
"The donor countries have also asked for assurances that Israel will respect and safeguard their investments in Palestinian infrastructure. Israel has also been asked to give its share in providing relief to the Palestinian economy. Israel must ease closures, release withheld tax revenues and immediately resume monthly tax transfers."
"A central theme of our meeting was that security for Israelis cannot be achieved at the price of insecurity for Palestinians. Recent military reoccupation of Palestinian areas has brought widespread suffering for the civilian population Israel must stop all military actions against the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority on its side, must do its outmost to end terrorist attacks on Israel," says Petersen.
The meeting in Oslo was organized by the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), which was established in the wake of the Oslo Accords to coordinate economic assistance to the Palestinians. Norway has held the chairmanship of this committee since the very beginning. The other members are the U.S., the EU, Japan, Canada, Russia and Saudi Arabia. Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories (UNSCO) are associate members.
The U.S. was represented by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, and Russia by Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov. Israel and the Palestinian Authority was present as observers. The Palestinian delegation included three ministers –Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Shaath, Minister of Finance Nashashibi and Minister of Trade and Economy Al-Masry.