Mansour: Palestinian refugees natural right of return cannot be altered

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said that the Palestinian refugees are one of a people who continue to be denied their natural and inherent right of return.

Addressing the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4th Committee) today, Mansour revealed that the right of return is abiding, inalienable and cannot be altered or diminished regardless of the passage of time.

"The just resolution of the plight of the Palestine refugees, in accordance with resolution 194, remains on of the highest priorities for Palestine, and the conviction of the refugees themselves in the commitment of the international community to the ultimate achievement of just resolution of their plight has been a major source of the resilience that has sustained them through the many years of hardship they have had to endure," he added.

The Observer also pointed out that the Palestine Refugees, as documented in the records of the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine (UNCCP), are the owners of 5.5 million dunums of land and this ownership must be recognized by Israel and its restitution or fair compensation, if accepted by the owners, must also be part of any fair settlement of the refugee problem.

He concluded by saying that if Israel had respected and complied with international law and with the resolutions of the UN, the problem of Palestine Refugees and the displaced persons would have long ago been resolved.