UN reaffirms commitment to working with Palestinian partners after official's resignation

15 April 2013 - The United Nations today reiterated its commitment to working with Palestinian partners and President Mahmoud Abbas on development, state-building and the achievement of a two-state solution despite the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appreciated Mr. Fayyad's "strong efforts" and commended his "leadership and his commitment to improving the lives of all Palestinians," said Mr. Ban's spokesperson in a statement.

"The United Nations looks to build on his achievements for the Palestinian state-building and development agenda, and will continue to work with the Palestinian leadership, under President Abbas, on achieving the two-state solution," he continued in the statement.

In a separate statement, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, said that Mr. Fayyad "has not only been an interlocutor I personally hold in the highest esteem, but also a valuable partner for the international community, including the United Nations."

Mr. Serry met with Mr. Fayyad earlier today to "express on behalf of the United Nations appreciation for his achievements."

"The United Nations recognizes that Prime Minister Fayyad had to contend with circumstances that kept constraining the success of the state-building agenda he led together with President Abbas," Mr. Serry's statement continued. "And which is now - in the absence of a credible political horizon - at serious risk."

Speaking to the UN Security Council in March, Mr. Serry said it is incumbent on the UN, and the international community overall, to help Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas overcome their differences.

He also affirmed that, with people in the Middle East facing a period of "extraordinary challenges and turmoil," establishing the groundwork necessary for a credible Israeli-Palestinian peace process remains a core priority for the UN.