UNRWA at 70: Responding to crises and building a just future

The conference is organised by the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), with the support of the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter. The conference is taking place the week preceding the 70th anniversary since UNRWA was founded through UN Resolution 302 (December 8, 1949). This anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the historical and ongoing relationship between UNRWA and Palestinian refugees and to discuss how this link can be harnessed to respond to the growing threats facing Palestinian refugees in the region. The conference comes at a crucial time - a period of precarity for Palestinians - where across the region refugees face increasing uncertainties and attacks on their rights.

There will be four panels across the day with academic speakers renowned for their expertise on UNRWA and Palestinian refugees. The conference will be a gathering of NGOs, charities, academics and activists, who are expected to enrich the discussion.

Programme:

8:30-9:15 Registration

9:15-9:30 Welcome Speeches

Tarek Hamoud, General Director of the Palestinian Return Centre

Arafat Madi Shoukri, Senior Researcher at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies

9:30-10:45 Opening Session: 70 Years since UNRWA's Founding

H.E. Dr Husam Zomlot, Head of Palestinian Mission to the UK

On the importance of UNRWA for Palestine Refugees

Karen Koning Abuzayd, Commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Syria and former UNRWA Commissioner-General

Recalling UNRWA in Gaza, 2000-2010

Rachel Evers, Director of UNRWA HQ Department for Legal Affairs

Perspectives from UNRWA on 70 years of existence, achievements, challenges and outlook

Michael Lynk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 (video-presentation)

UNRWA's challenges in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Chair: Victoria Brittain, Journalist, writer and a former associate foreign editor of the Guardian

10:45-11:00 Coffee Break and Transition

11:00-12:30 Second Panel: The Relationship between UNRWA and Palestinian Refugees

Anne Irfan, Departmental Lecturer in Forced Migration at the University of Oxford

Whose agency? UNRWA and the Palestinian refugees in history

Jalal al Husseini, Associate Researcher, Institut français du Proche-Orient (Ifpo), Amman

UNRWA-Arab countries' relationship and its impact on the Agency's operations

Riccardo Bocco, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva - IHEID

Compensation or indefinite waiting? UNRWA and Palestinian refugees at 70

Michael Dumper, Professor in Middle East Politics, University of Exeter

UNRWA at 80: Some scenarios and critical dilemmas

Chair: Ben Jamal, Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign

12.30-1.30 Lunch

13.30-15.00 Third Panel: The (un)making of Palestinian Refugee Camps

Sophie Richter-Devroe, Associate Professor in the Women, Society and Development Program at the College of Humanities and Social Science, Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Thinking Beyond the Nation? Narratives of Camp, Home and Homeland among Young Palestinian Refugees

Terry Rempel, Independent Researcher

The Camp, the Refugee and the Homeland: Thoughts on UNRWA’s Premature Demise.

Ahmad Hosain, Chief Executive Officer of the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria (AGPS)

Assessing the Palestinian camps in Syria and UNRWA's response

Chair: Karen Koning Abuzayd, Commissioner of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry for Syria and former UNRWA Commissioner-General

15.00-15.15 Coffee Break and Transition

15.15-17.00 Final Panel: Justice for Palestinian Refugees

Karma Nabulsi, Professor in Politics and International Relations, Oxford University

Understanding the rights of the Palestinian people as inalienable: the UN and UNRWA’s role

Ghada Karmi, Honorary research fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter

Making UNRWA obsolete: implementing the right of Palestinian return

Ilan Pappé, Professor of History, Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, University of Exeter

Let us Return to the Right of Return

Leila Hilal, International human rights lawyer and former special adviser to UNRWA on durable solutions for Palestinian refugees

Justice for Palestinian refugees: from principles to practicalities and the role of UNRWA

Francesca Albanese, International lawyer and affiliate scholar at the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), Georgetown University.

Advancing Palestinian refugee rights after a 70-year long impasse: what role for International Law?

Chair: Arafat Madi Shoukri, Senior Researcher at the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies

Light lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Venue will have wheelchair access.

FAQs

Where is the event taking place and when it will be announced?

The event will take place in central London and registered participants will receive an email the week preceding the conference with the exact venue details

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

You can email us at relations@prc.org.uk

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

You are required to either show printed ticket or a confirmation email on your phone