‘Making Jerusalem city of peace demands int'l effort’

AMMAN — Protecting Jerusalem and its identity, nature, legal and historical status quo is the responsibility of all, Jordanian Ambassador to France Makram Queisi said on Friday.  

Representing Jordan at the 40th session of UNESCO's General Conference, Queisi said that His Majesty King Abdullah, Hashemite Custodian of Jerusalem's Islamic and Christian holy sites, often stresses this shared responsibility, which is also agreed upon in international law, international legitimacy resolutions and UNESCO resolutions.

The ambassador expressed the Kingdom’s appreciation for the UNESCO executive board and the way it deals with occupied Palestine, including Jerusalem, stressing that the Holy City should be a city of peace rather than an arena of war, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

As for international challenges, Queisi, who is also Jordan’s representative to UNESCO, highlighted the Kingdom’s position that there is no alternative for multilateral action in guaranteeing a collective and balanced response to major challenges facing the entire world.

In this respect, he said that Jordan, in a joint presidency with Norway, has launched in New York the Group of Friends of Preventing Violent Extremism to offer political support to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office.

The diplomat also reviewed Jordan’s call for a global movement to maintain international peace and stability.

Queisi called for joint action by all parties to guarantee the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security, with the aim of engaging youth as main partners in realising sustainable peace, anti-extremism efforts and conflict resolution.  

He stressed that preserving UNESCO’s status and its international role requires providing necessary financial resources for the agency’s general secretariat, as well as securing voluntary contributions towards its budget, to boost its “pivotal role” in various issues and challenges.