NEW YORK — United Nations Secretary General’s Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric affirmed that Saudi Arabia plays important roles in regional and global peace and security issues and a crucial role in supporting political solutions to conflicts in the region.This contributes to creating space for dialogue, reducing tensions, mobilizing regional support, and ultimately helping achieve lasting peace, he said in an interview with the Saudi Press Agency. Dujarric welcomed the leadership demonstrated by Saudi Arabia, alongside France and its partners, in mobilizing international support through the 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 New York Declaration. He stressed that the task now is to translate this support into sustained and tangible action.Dujarric stated that the most important practical step toward advancing peace in the Middle East and implementing the two-state solution is to establish a credible political process that leads to ending the occupation and establishing the State of Palestine. He said this process should be supported by effective measures that preserve the viability of the two-state solution, in accordance with international law, relevant UN resolutions, and previous agreements.Dujarric also stressed that this means halting settlement expansion and reversing annexation, as settlement expansion and annexation undermine the future viability and territorial contiguity of the Palestinian state. He also emphasized strengthening Palestinian institutions and restoring the financial sustainability of the Palestinian Authority. “It is also important to implement the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, ensure the sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance, support recovery, and chart a path towards unified Palestinian governance,” Dujarric said. He stressed the need for Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, to remain politically, economically, and geographically unified.He noted that Saudi Arabia is already playing an important role that can be built upon in peace and security issues at both the regional and international levels, highlighting the Kingdom’s significant ability to bring together international parties. Dujarric said that over the past two years, Saudi Arabia has hosted a series of major UN and international events. These include the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Internet Governance Forum, the General Conference of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the UN Tourism General Assembly. The Kingdom has also hosted global conferences such as the Future Minerals Forum, the International Labor Market Conference, and the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Conference.He also highlighted upcoming events to be hosted by Saudi Arabia, including the UN World Data Forum (UNWDF) in November 2026, the World Water Forum in 2027, Expo 2030 Riyadh, and the FIFA World Cup 2034. He noted that the Kingdom has also contributed to launching several new multilateral platforms, including the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), which emerged from the Kingdom’s presidency of the G20 in 2020, and the Global Water Organization, established in 2025.On the humanitarian front, Dujarric indicated that the Kingdom is one of the world’s major donors, having provided 94 percent of its official development assistance in 2023 bilaterally, amounting to approximately $5.47 billion, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).The UN spokesperson stressed that there is an opportunity to work together to turn solidarity into genuine and practical support for people affected by crises by providing food, healthcare, and education and helping communities recover. He described Saudi Arabia as an important partner of the UN, noting that over the past years, the Kingdom has played an increasingly active role in diplomacy, humanitarian action, and development, as well as in supporting efforts to address regional crises.Dujarric also welcomed Saudi Arabia’s engagement with the UN in diplomacy and regional peace efforts, alongside its substantial humanitarian and development support. He expressed hope that this partnership can be built upon in the future to achieve tangible results in de-escalation, dialogue, diplomacy, peace, and development for the benefit of those most in need of support.
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