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