“This issue always requires dedication, flexibility and cooperation,” Mr. Al-Nasser said when he addressed the Assembly’s Special Political and Decolonization Committee. “The work of the Committee on this difficult topic is very important to the overall process.”

Stressing the important role played by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Mr. Al-Nasser urged Member States to continue making financial contributions to the agency to enable it continue its valuable work.

“For the current biennium year in 2011, the UNRWA mission on the ground is challenged by the recurrent global financial crisis. The agency, which relies almost entirely on voluntary contributions, has been warned that many of its traditional donors will not be able to step in because of budget constraints.”

Mr. Al-Nasser also hosted a briefing in the Assembly on advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015, the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the internationally- agreed targets to slash hunger, poverty, disease and lack of access to education.