Remarks on behalf of Canada, Australia, New Zealand at the UN General Assembly on veto initiative

April 8, 2024 - New York, New York – Global Affairs Canada

Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the Government of Canada’s official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with its communications policy.

I make this statement on behalf of Australia, New Zealand and my own country, Canada (CANZ).

The CANZ countries thank you for convening this meeting - the "veto initiative" is an important mechanism for promoting the transparency and accountability of the Security Council.

We congratulate the Security Council on adopting a resolution on March 25 demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the month of Ramadan and the release of the hostages. This was a necessary step after six months of conflict.

We wish to reiterate once again our unequivocal condemnation of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7.

We deeply regret that this Council has yet to condemn this horrific attack.

The CANZ countries call on Hamas to release all hostages immediately. Hamas must lay down its arms and stop protecting its operations against the civilian population.

Despite the security council resolution 2728, a much-needed immediate humanitarian ceasefire has not yet taken hold on the ground. We reiterate our urgent call for a humanitarian ceasefire, as a critical step towards a permanent and sustainable ceasefire.

CANZ countries remain gravely concerned by the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its serious impact on Palestinian civilians.

The Palestinians in North Gaza are facing famine, with about half the population facing imminent famine and the entire population of 2.23 million is food insecure. The healthcare system is already at the brink of collapse.

The need for lifesaving humanitarian assistance in Gaza has never been greater. International humanitarian law requires parties to armed conflict to allow and to facilitate rapid, safe, and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance for all civilians in need. 

Agreement to open further border crossings to allow much-needed aid is a welcome development, but more must be done. We call on Israel to remove all remaining obstacles to humanitarian assistance, open further crossing points, and facilitate safe and impartial delivery of assistance.

Since October 7th, CANZ countries have stressed that the protection of civilians is paramount and an obligation under international humanitarian law.

We condemn Israel’s strike that killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen in Gaza, which included Australian and Canadian citizens. We extend our sincere condolences to their families and to their friends.

This tragedy adds to the unacceptable number of humanitarian and health care workers who have been killed since the conflict began.  The United Nations reports that at least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed since October 2023.

Humanitarian workers must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. We expect a swift, thorough, genuine, and transparent investigation by Israel and full accountability.

We continue to underline our opposition and our grave concerns over a potential ground offensive into Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians are taking refuge.

CANZ countries are deeply concerned by continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, including Israel’s recent declaration of 800 hectares of land in the area as State Lands. We reaffirm that settlements are illegal under international law, and that settlements and settler violence are serious obstacles to a negotiated two-state solution. We call on Israel to halt all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

We all must continue to support the work of those who are leading the difficult negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and we commend the work of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in this regard. 

We support Palestinian aspirations for self-determination and we are firmly opposed to any forcible displacement of the Palestinian people from Gaza. There is no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.

CANZ countries remain steadfast in our commitment to a two-state solution, including the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, where Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in peace, security, and dignity.