Delivered by: Ms. Kristín Halla Kristinsdóttir
Deputy Permanent Delegate of Iceland to UNESCO
Item 4.27, draft resolution 43 C/59: Impact and consequences of the current situation in the Gaza Strip/Palestine in all aspects of UNESCO's mandate
43rd General Conference of UNESCO
Samarkand, 3 November 2025

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. There is no justification for the brutality Hamas carried out in its terrorist attack on October 7th, which Iceland has consistently condemned. We welcome that all living hostages have now been freed and returned to their families. There is also no justification for the collective punishment of millions of Palestinians. The scale of destruction in Gaza is devastating, and the human suffering is unspeakable. We hope that the US peace plan succeeds in restoring full humanitarian access and bring lasting peace. 

We wish to thank UNESCO for its continued efforts and close coordination with UN partners, despite challenging circumstances. UNESCO has an incredibly important role in the recovery process to safeguard learning, culture, and media freedom and deserves recognition for its efforts.  

We reiterate our concerns about the funding gap and urge UNESCO to explore all avenues available in this regard. Iceland is pleased to have supported UNESCO's emergency assistance programme and believes it is important that Member States step up support, so that UNESCO can sustain and scale up its vital programmes.  

We also wish to underline from our statement at the Executive Board that UNESCO's report mentions women and girls as target groups, but the report seems to lack systematic gender analysis and data.  A strong gender-responsive approach is essential to ensure equality and inclusion across all recovery programmes.  

Thank you.