Dr. Samah Hamad Represents Palestine and Co-Chairs the Fifth CEAPAD Ministerial Meeting in Manila to Advance Support for Palestinian State-Building
Manila – Dr. Samah Hamad, Minister of Social Development and Minister of State for Relief Affairs, represented the State of Palestine today, Wednesday, in Manila, Philippines, where she co-chaired the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD).
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings and brought together representatives from 13 countries, territories, and international organizations, namely the State of Palestine, Japan, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Timor-Leste, in addition to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The broad participation reflected the high level of representation and the international character of the meeting, further strengthening its development-oriented outcomes.
Dr. Hamad co-chaired the meeting alongside Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro.
In her address to the conference, Dr. Hamad outlined the latest developments regarding the catastrophic and rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip resulting from the ongoing Israeli aggression, as well as the grave conditions in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, caused by attacks carried out by the Israeli occupation and settler violence. She also highlighted the severe financial crisis facing the Palestinian National Authority due to the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues.
The participants reaffirmed the importance of continued international support for Palestinian institution-building as a foundation for achieving a just and lasting peace based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the two-State solution. They also expressed appreciation for ongoing ceasefire and reconstruction efforts, emphasizing the need to strengthen coordination and provide assistance that responds to the urgent needs of the Palestinian people by drawing on East Asia's expertise in human development, education, healthcare, and private sector development.
The meeting also underscored the importance of unifying the efforts of all participating countries and institutions in renewing their political and financial commitment to supporting UNRWA, while ensuring the sustainability of its mandate and its ability to continue delivering essential services to Palestine refugees.
The meeting concluded with the launch of the "CEAPAD Project List" as an official document outlining approximately 47 bilateral and trilateral cooperative projects aimed at supporting Palestine's future economic development and institution-building. Participants also commended Japan's leadership and its steadfast commitment to supporting the development of Palestine's economic and infrastructure sectors through this important regional cooperation framework.