The UN Secretary-General, in consultation with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, has appointed an independent Review Group to assess whether the Agency is doing everything within its power to ensure neutrality and to respond to allegations of serious breaches when they are made.

The review will be led by Catherine Colonna, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, who will work with three research organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. The Review Group will begin its work on 14 February 2024 and is expected to submit an interim report to the Secretary-General late March 2024, with a final report expected to be completed by late April 2024.

The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) is an independent academic institution established at Lund University in Sweden in 1984. They combine multi-disciplinary human rights research with education, support, and outreach to contribute to a wider understanding of, and respect for, human rights and international humanitarian law.

Read the Statement by the Secretary-General  of the UN on UNRWA (5 February 2024)