Thank you very much Mr President.

Germany aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.

UNRWA helps create prospects and hope for those who would otherwise be left without them.

In a context where all development and humanitarian systems are under severe strain, the Agency delivers education, health care and humanitarian relief to millions of Palestine refugees.

In doing so, UNRWA plays an important stabilizing role in each of its fields of operation.

As UNRWA works to sustain prospects for Palestine refugees, its mission matters beyond the immediate.

Germany remains firmly committed to a negotiated two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security.

To sustain UNRWA’s services, its institutions, and above all, the opportunities that UNRWA provides today, is a contribution to keeping this political horizon within reach for tomorrow.

At the same time, Germany has been clear and consistent: Our support to and the continued reform of the Agency go hand in hand.

To sustainably deliver on its mandate, UNRWA must continue to strive for the highest standards of neutrality, transparency and accountability.

UNRWA has to continue reforms with utmost determination, both within and beyond the Colonna process.

Reforms are not a constraint on the Agency and its mandate; they are what allows us, as donors, to sustain our trust and engagement.

Moreover, the Agency, its donors and its hosts ought to remain open to reform pathways that

• make the agency more efficient,

• that capitalize on integrating services

• and that make UNRWA’s fiscal model more stable and predictable.

In this context, let me express our sincere appreciation for the exchanges we had with Acting Commissioner-General Saunders.

The leadership shown, and the decisions taken to undergird the Agency’s sustainable way ahead, are precisely what is needed to maintain donor confidence.

We encourage the Agency to continue pursuing this course with determination.

Mr President, colleagues,

Germany remains among the Agency’s most committed partners.

Already this year, Germany has provided over 65 million USD in support of UNRWAs work in the region.

I would like to close with an appeal to all partners in this room:

Together we can step up, not step back.

UNRWA’s mission is a shared responsibility, and a shared investment in the region’s future.

Thank you.