New York - Media & Communication Dept. - March 25 

Within the framework of the State of Qatar's presidency of the 44th session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani convened a meeting at the permanent mission headquarters in New York between Their Excellencies Permanent Representatives of the GCC countries to the United Nations and Catherine Colonna, Chair of the Independent Review Group on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The meeting was held in light of Colonna's presentation of the initial report to HE UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the investigations of the Group tasked with conducting an independent review of the work of UNRWA.

During the meeting, Colonna discussed the preliminary findings of the Independent Review Group on UNRWA, taking into account the vital and important role of the Agency in supporting the solution of the Palestinian refugee problem.

For her part, HE the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations conveyed the full support of the GCC countries to the Independent Review Group on UNRWA in order to implement its mandate to the fullest extent. She said that the GCC countries also steadfastly support UNRWA for its noble and humanitarian role for more than 70 years, which is to provide relief and humanitarian assistance to the brotherly Palestinian people who are living in difficult humanitarian conditions due to the ongoing Israeli aggression.