Tokyo, 26 June 2007

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentleman,

I am very pleased on behalf of the United Nations to welcome you to the fifteenth International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East.

I would like to thank the Government of Japan and the United Nations University for their generosity and graciousness in co-hosting and providing support for this seminar.  My deepest thanks also go to the Palestinian and Israeli representatives, who have travelled here at a time of great uncertainty and difficulty. The continuing worrying situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel affected participation from both sides in our seminar, making the presence here today of representatives from Gaza and the West Bank and Israel that much more special. I would also like to thank and welcome all those friends and representatives from Japan and other countries who are here to take part in this important dialogue.   
No issue has engaged the attention of the international community over the past half century or more as much as what is known as the “question of Palestine”.  The issue has been on the agenda of the United Nations in one form or another since the Organization’s earliest days.  It has been the subject of countless hours of debate, discussion and negotiation.  Yet, despite all the intensive and extensive dedication to this subject, the Palestinian issue remains unresolved, and continues to require the urgent attention of the international community – and concrete solutions.

This year marks a number of important milestones related to the question of Palestine.  Foremost among them is the passage of 60 years since the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 1947 of resolution 181 (II), providing for the establishment of an Arab State and a Jewish State in the former Mandate territory of Palestine, with a special status for the holy city of Jerusalem.  It has also been 40 years since the 1967 war, which resulted in the occupation by Israel of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and in the adoption of Security Council resolution 242, which is the basis for all subsequent peace initiatives.

Since assuming office in January, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed his full commitment to advancing a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.  The Quartet, of which the Secretary-General is a member, has been actively engaged in pursuing the Road Map, a blueprint for a two-State solution, accepted by Israel and the Palestinian Authority alike.

In the first half of 2007, we saw some signs of a revival of international and regional efforts to help put Israelis and Palestinians back on the negotiating track.  A summit of the League of Arab States in Saudi Arabia endorsed the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 and established a ministerial committee to promote that process.  Israeli and Palestinian leaders began a dialogue under the auspices of the United States, and agreed to meet regularly to discuss outstanding issues.

Tragically, however, the brutal violence and recent events in Gaza, and their repercussions in the West Bank and Israel make the search for a peaceful solution that much more difficult. In this most recent crisis, the Secretary-General has condemned the violence in Gaza that led to the end of the National Unity Government, and has repeatedly expressed his deep concern for the welfare of ordinary Palestinians. He has focused on both the immediate humanitarian issues and larger political challenges, and has been in close consultation with his Quartet partners, as well as with leaders in the region and internationally to find ways to move toward a more hopeful period.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentleman,

This international media seminar takes place at a time when Israelis and Palestinians continue to face impediments in their relations; when Palestinians face difficulties among themselves; when concerns about food and medical shortages in Gaza are mounting; when human suffering continues; and when prospects for peace remain elusive.  Despite these difficulties, however, I believe that we must continue to hold out hope for the future.  Violence must end and dialogue must continue at all levels, including at the grass roots.

The objective of this seminar is not only to sensitize the public about the situation in the Middle East, but to provide impetus and support for a dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and to help them sustain their hopes for a peaceful future.  This seminar aims, in a very modest way, to contribute to the realization of those hopes.  The lives of Israelis and Palestinians are linked in many ways, and they share a number of common interests and concerns, including those related to water, health and the environment.  We must hope that civil society cooperation, which this seminar aims to promote, as well as steps taken at the higher political levels will eventually lead to a permanent political solution, when both peoples can live in peace and harmony and devote their enormous energy and human resources to building a prosperous society for themselves and future generations.

There were many who thought this seminar should have been postponed owing to the events in Gaza and the resulting political and humanitarian concerns. The United Nations is confident, however, that the value of this seminar, which seeks to build confidence for the prospects for peace from the bottom up, is even greater in the light of the heightened tensions and uncertainties on the ground.

As this is an international media seminar, we have invited a number of journalists from Japan as well as from overseas, in addition to Israeli and Palestinian journalists.  We are fully aware of the power and responsibilities of the media.  We hope you will continue to write not only about the problems facing Israelis and Palestinians, but also about opportunities for advancing the peace process as well as positive signs of cooperation for the welfare of both peoples.

After this morning’s opening session, the seminar will hear from two panels on: the challenges and opportunities facing the new emergency Palestinian Government and Israel; and the regional dimension of the Middle East peace process.  We have set up three panels tomorrow that will look into regional economic cooperation, and civil society initiatives for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.

When I return to United Nations Headquarters in New York, I hope to report to the Secretary-General on the positive outcomes and results of this seminar.  I look forward to very active — and inter-active – discussions and exchanges in the days ahead.

Thank you.