Newsletter on UN Palestinian Rights Committee Activities – No. 26 / October – December 2025 

1. Committee Chair calls for protection of civilians and full respect for international law

On 7 October, in a post on X (former “Twitter”) the Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Coly Seck issued the following statement:   

Marking 7 October, we once again strongly condemn the deadly attacks, we remember every innocent life lost and every family in grief. The pain is profound and ongoing. We strongly condemn the devastating consequences of the disproportionate response. The scale of Israel’s reprisals, now devastating civilian life through bombardment, starvation and displacement, is manifestly disproportionate. Gaza is in ruins. Gaza is starving. Famine is man-made when aid is blocked. We urge protection of civilians, release of all remaining hostages and Palestinian detainees, safe humanitarian access, and full respect for international law. The path to peace begins with life-saving access, lawful conduct by all parties, and justice for victims. As the International Court of Justice has made clear, Israel’s occupation has no legal basis and must be brought to an end immediately, with full accountability and reparations to the Palestinian people.  

2. UN Palestinian Rights Committee calls for urgent action at Security Council debate 

On 23 October, the Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP hereinafter), Ambassador Coly Seck, called for the immediate end of the unlawful occupation of the whole of the Palestinian territory. He noted that at least 97 Palestinians, including children, had been killed and more than 230 wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire agreed on 10 October. The Committee urged rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, including for the United Nations and its agencies, emphasizing UNRWA as the backbone of UN humanitarian operations. It also called for the urgent restoration of basic services for the Palestinian civilian population, including health care, water and sanitation, and education for hundreds of thousands of children. Read the complete statement here.  

3. UN Palestinian Rights Committee Bureau welcomes the Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice   

On 24 October, the CEIRPP Bureau welcomed the 22 October 2025 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which reaffirmed Israel’s binding obligations as the Occupying Power under international law and the permanent responsibility of the United Nations with respect to the question of Palestine. The Court found that Gaza’s population is “inadequately” supplied and that Israel is violating its obligations under international humanitarian law by obstructing humanitarian relief, stressing that security claims cannot justify such actions, and recognizing UNRWA’s indispensable role as the backbone of humanitarian assistance. The Bureau deplored the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and called for immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access, protection of UN personnel and facilities, and respect for UN privileges and immunities. The press release is available here. 

4. Enhancing Diplomatic Skills: Highlights from the 2025 UN Capacity-Building Programme for Palestinian Civil Servants   

From 27 October to 5 December 2025, United Nations Headquarters in New York hosted a six-week capacity-building programme for civil servants from the State of Palestine. The programme, organized by the Division for Palestinian Rights within the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, took place alongside the work of the 80th session of the General Assembly, giving participants direct exposure to the UN’s core deliberative processes. Representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ramallah, two diplomats took part in in-depth discussions on peace and security, multilateral diplomacy, and key global issues currently shaping the UN agenda. The training provided valuable insight into both the formal procedures and informal dynamics of the General Assembly, strengthening practical diplomatic skills. More details about the programme are available on the Committee website.   

5. Committee receives briefing from UN Special Rapporteurs and the Commission of Inquiry 

On 30 October 2025, the Committee convened a virtual briefing titled “Safeguarding Human Rights, Ensuring Accountability and Ending the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine.” The discussion addressed two years of severe suffering in Gaza and recent developments following the 13 October 2025 Gaza Peace Summit, including a fragile ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces. Speakers stressed that accountability must be universal and evidence-based, calling on Member States to act on legal obligations identified by the International Court of Justice, draw lessons from the Hague Group’s approach, and avoid reconstruction policies that risk entrenching displacement. The summary of the event is available here.  

6. Committee Delegation Visits Brasília, Brazil 

 On 10 November, a delegation of the CEIRPP Bureau visited Brasília, Brazil. The delegation held bilateral meetings with Brazilian officials to strengthen cooperation and advance efforts toward a just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine. Discussions with representatives of the Ministries of Human Rights and Citizenship and Foreign Affairs, as well as members of the Brazilian Senate, focused on accountability for human rights violations, Gaza’s reconstruction, sustaining public attention on Palestinian rights, and promoting broader international recognition of the State of Palestine. Brazilian counterparts reaffirmed their strong support for Palestine and commended the Committee’s work. More details are available here. 

7. Committee marks its 50th anniversary and 50 years of dedication 

On 10 November, in a post on X (former “Twitter”) the Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Coly Seck, issued the following statement:   

50 years ago, on 10 November 1975, the UN General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee was created to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination, independence, sovereignty, and return. Over the decades, the Committee has advocated for advancing the peace process and mobilising global efforts to uphold their rights. As we mark 50 years of dedication, we honour the Committee’s enduring mission and reaffirm our commitment to a just and lasting solution grounded in dignity, equality, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. 

8. UN Palestinian Rights Committee holds Consultations with Civil Society in Chile 

 On 12 November 2025, the 2nd 2025 Civil Society Consultations were organized by the CEIRPP at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile. The theme of the Consultations was “Engagement with Latin American Civil Society & Palestinian Diaspora: “A Call for Action to Ensure Recovery and Healing in Gaza and to End Israel’s Illegal Occupation”. During the event, Government authorities and representatives of civil society organizations and the Palestinian diaspora in Latin America reaffirmed their commitment to and solidarity with the Palestinian people, and called on the international community to ensure the ceasefire and the comprehensive recovery of Gaza, urging for an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian territory and for resolute progress to be made on implementing the two-State solution as the surest path towards peace and security in the Middle East. The summary of the event is available here.  

9. UN Palestinian Rights Committee Delegation Visits Santiago, Chile

On 11-13 November, in the margins of the 2nd 2025 Civil Society Consultations, the Committee Delegation held a number of bilateral meetings to strengthen cooperation and advance efforts toward a just and lasting solution on the question of Palestine. The Committee Delegation also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren, and former Chilean diplomats and current international affairs practitioners at the Permanent Forum on Foreign Policy. It also held bilateral meetings with current and former Chilean parliamentarians as well as the President of the Palestinian Community in Chile to learn about the engagement of the Palestinian community vis-à-vis the question of Palestine and efforts in parliament, such as the proposed law banning the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). The Delegation held discussions with students at the Institute of International Studies (IEI) of the University of Chile, centring around the work of the Committee, the situation in Gaza and the wider OPT. The Press release on the delegation visit is available here.  

10. UN Palestinian Rights Committee Bureau meets with the President of the UN General Assembly  

On 19 November, the CEIRPP Bureau held its annual meeting with the President of the General Assembly. The discussion focused on building on the momentum generated by the 2025 High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution as well as the adoption of the New York Declaration, with a view to advancing concrete steps toward the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.  

11. The Committee Marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people 

On 25 November, the CEIRPP held a special meeting on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at UN headquarters in New York. The event offered an opportunity for Member States, regional organizations and civil society to share messages of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The event featured a “Voice from Gaza”, Palestinian journalist Shrouq Al Aila and Palestinian writer Mosab Abu Toha, who gave a keynote speech and read some of his poetry. Similar events took place at UN offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna as well as others throughout the world. More details about the commemoration as well as the messages of solidarity received from States and Organizations are available here.  

 12. The Palestinian Rights Committee Chair delivers remarks at 2025 International Media seminar on peace in the Middle East  

On 1 December, the CEIRPP Chair, Ambassador Coly Seck, delivered remarks at the 2025 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East, underscoring that journalism in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is indispensable to truth, accountability and peace. He highlighted systematic attacks on media workers, severe restrictions on access to information, and the collapse of reporting environments in both Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He reaffirmed the Committee’s unwavering commitment to protecting journalists and defending press freedom as a cornerstone of any meaningful response and lasting peace. The complete remarks are available here. 

13. Screening of “The Voice of Hind Rajab” at the UN Headquarters in New York    

 On 4 December, the CEIRPP organized a screening of the film “The Voice of Hind Rajab” at UN Headquarters in New York, followed by a panel discussion with the director, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. During the discussion, the director said that the film began when she heard Hind’s recorded voice, which “haunted her and pushed her” to respond through filmmaking, turning statistics about Gaza into a single, human story that spoke for much more than one child. With Hind’s mother’s blessing and her demand for justice rather than delay, she made the film urgently to honour Hind’s final moments and to contribute to accountability, believing peace is impossible without justice. The President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society stated that the failure to save Hind and the killing of humanitarian workers reflects a collapse of the international humanitarian system and a loss of shared humanity that demands justice and accountability. More details about the event are available here.  

 14. Publications 

• The Monthly Bulletins offer a collection of important actions and documents by the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations relevant to the question of Palestine. They are available on the UNISPAL website, the world’s largest online repository of documents on the issue. 
• The weekly NGO Action News on recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations working on the question of Palestine are available on the UNISPAL website. The Committee provides the information “as is” without warranty and does not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.