General Assembly
Official Records
Sixty-fourth Session
Supplement No. 13
Report of the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
1 January-31 December 2008
Introduction
1. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949. The Agency became operational on 1 May 1950, responding to the needs of about 750,000 Palestine refugees. It is now one of the largest United Nations programmes, with a population of 4.67 million Palestine refugees under its mandate and almost 30,000 staff.
2. The mission of UNRWA is to contribute to the human development of Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic until a durable and just solution is found to the refugee issue. The Agency fulfils this purpose by providing a variety of essential services. They include basic (and in Lebanon secondary) education, comprehensive primary health care, emergency relief, social interventions, microfinance, housing and infrastructural support. Among United Nations agencies, it is unique in delivering services directly to refugees.
3. The Agency's vision is for every Palestine refugee to enjoy the best possible standards of human development, including attaining his or her full potential individually and as a family and community member; being an active and productive participant in socio-economic and cultural life; and feeling assured that his or her rights are being defended, protected and preserved.
4. UNRWA is a global advocate for the protection and care of Palestine refugees. In humanitarian crisis and armed conflict, the Agency's emergency interventions, and its presence, serve as tangible symbols of the international community's concern and ultimately contribute to a stable environment.
