His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), affirmed that a just peace will only be achieved with the establishment of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
His Excellency's remarks were made in a statement issued by the GCC General Secretariat on the occasion of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestine Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution at the Summit Level, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, today, Monday, September 22, 2025, in New York, United States of America.
In the statement, His Excellency the GCC Secretary General expressed his sincere appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its wise leadership and pioneering initiative in launching the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, and to the French Republic for its effective partnership in co-chairing the high-level ministerial conference. His Excellency noted, "These joint efforts have revived hope and affirmed that responsible leadership can turn principles into reality, and that when the world unites, it can draw a new dawn for peace."
The statement also quoted His Excellency as explaining that holding the conference under the sponsorship of the United Nations sends a clear message that "Rights are not erased, justice is not postponed, and freedom is not bought."
He stressed that the Palestinian cause is not just a regional matter, but a global humanitarian issue that tests the credibility of the international community's commitment to the principles of right and justice.
His Excellency reiterated the GCC's firm position, based on resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, which still represents a strategic roadmap for a comprehensive peace based on the principle of "full withdrawal for full peace," opening the door to building normal relations with Israel upon the end of the occupation.
In the same statement, His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi praised the countries that have recently announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, considering that "The Palestinian right does not await a decision from the occupation, but an acknowledgment from the international community." He welcomed these courageous steps, calling on the rest of the world to follow suit, so that the recognition of the State of Palestine becomes a testament to history and a commitment to the values of justice and international legitimacy.
His Excellency emphasised that any peace built on land gnawed at by illegal settlements is a fragile peace that will not last, stressing that the continuation of violations against the Palestinian people fuels the cycle of injustice and despair, and that stopping these practices is an indispensable condition for creating a suitable environment for serious and responsible negotiations under international sponsorship that restore the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
He added that the Palestinian cause will remain the compass of truth in the Arab and Islamic worlds and will remain at the forefront of the Cooperation Council's priorities because it is an issue of existence, identity, and human dignity.
In conclusion, the His Excellency underlined, "Justice may sometimes be obscured by politics, but history is unforgiving to those who delay in aiding the oppressed." He pointed out that the day when the dawn of an independent Palestinian state breaks is inevitably coming, "where its flag will fly side by side with the flags of nations, and where children will sing a new anthem of freedom instead of dirges of exile and occupation."
He underscored that a just peace is not a political choice, but a human destiny dictated by justice and sought by the global conscience.
