Egypt Speaks on Behalf of 108 Countries at UN to Ensure Peacebuilding Financing

Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdelkhalek delivers a joint cross-regional statement on peacebuilding financing at the UN General Assembly Meeting on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Egypt Foreign Ministry)
Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdelkhalek delivers a joint cross-regional statement on peacebuilding financing at the UN General Assembly Meeting on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Egypt Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Speaks on Behalf of 108 Countries at UN to Ensure Peacebuilding Financing

Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdelkhalek delivers a joint cross-regional statement on peacebuilding financing at the UN General Assembly Meeting on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Egypt Foreign Ministry)
Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdelkhalek delivers a joint cross-regional statement on peacebuilding financing at the UN General Assembly Meeting on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Egypt Foreign Ministry)

Egypt has delivered a joint cross-regional statement on behalf of 108 countries at the high-level UN General Assembly meeting to consider options for ensuring sustainable Peacebuilding Financing on Wednesday.

Egypt represented all countries of the African group and the European Union member states, as well as a number of Asian, North American, South American, and Caribbean countries.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement quoting its Permanent Representative to the UN Osama Abdelkhalek as underlining the importance of providing “adequate, sustainable and predictable funding to support peacebuilding activities in conflict-affected countries.”

He called for finding a comprehensive solution to the challenge of funding peacebuilding by exploring all available funding options, including the contributions of member states to the UN budget.

Abdelkhalek also called on Abdulla Shahid, president of the Assembly’s 76th session, to launch negotiations to adopt a resolution that addresses all options for peacebuilding funding.

He said that it was a first for a group of cross-regional countries to speak with one voice to support investment in peacebuilding financing and preventing conflicts by securing adequate funding in this regard.

Egypt, as the coordinator of the African Group in the UN concerning peacebuilding issues, delivered another statement on behalf of the group to express the aspirations of the African continent in the field of peacebuilding, especially that it hosts most of the peacebuilding efforts.

It also urged deepening partnership between the UN and the AU to build the required human and institutional capabilities in Africa and enable the continent to lead regional peacebuilding efforts.



Hezbollah Urges Lebanese State to Push for Israel’s Pullout

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
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Hezbollah Urges Lebanese State to Push for Israel’s Pullout

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle drives as residents who were displaced because of the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel return to the Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon, January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher

Hezbollah said on Thursday that Israel has to completely withdraw from Lebanon as the 60-day period in a ceasefire deal comes to an end, adding that the Lebanese state should push for guarantee for the withdrawal.

The Iran-backed group also said in a statement that it was following developments and any breach to the agreement would not be accepted.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed in November to an American- and French-mediated ceasefire, bringing an end to more than a year of fighting. Under the deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to withdraw from south of the Litani river over the 60-day period ending next Monday morning.

Hezbollah said in its statement that it was the Lebanese state’s responsibility to act and press the countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement should Israel delay its military pullout from south Lebanon.

Caretaker National Defense Minister Maurice Sleem on Thursday met with acting Army Commander Major General Hassan Audi at his office in Yarzeh to discuss the situation in southern Lebanon and the implementation stages of the ceasefire arrangements.

Sleem reaffirmed Lebanon's firm position on the necessity of the Israeli troop withdrawal from the South in line with the ceasefire deadline of January 26.

Speaker Nabih Berri also discussed the matter with head of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, US General Jasper Jeffers, in Ain al-Tineh.

Discussions reportedly focused on developments on the Israeli withdrawal from remaining occupied territories in southern Lebanon, as well as Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and UN Resolution 1701.