Some shortcomings, but no major flaws. These were the conclusions of the report on the neutrality of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), presented on Monday April 22, at the United Nations. It noted the existence of a "robust framework," while calling for the strengthening of certain mechanisms. These conclusions should offer some respite to the agency, which has been in turmoil since Israel accused 12 of its employees in Gaza of involvement in the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, without providing any "supporting evidence." These allegations led several major donor countries, including the US, to suspend their funding.

"UNRWA has a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the humanitarian principle of neutrality," said Catherine Colonna, the former French foreign minister, appointed by the UN to lead the review, on Monday. "The international community needs to help UNRWA implement reforms, so it better fulfills its mandate. It is a shared responsibility." The report considered the agency, created in 1949, "irreplaceable and indispensable" to Palestinians. Colonna said, "I would strongly encourage the international community to [stand] side-by-side with the agency so it can perform its mission and overcome the challenges when they are there."

Among the 50 or so "practical" recommendations, the report suggested strengthening UNRWA's governance structure, making its managers accountable for the actions of their teams, and hiring more female and independent international managers in the field. The main shortcomings identified concerned the political views expressed by UNRWA employees on social media, the "problematic content" of school textbooks in the host countries where the agency operates (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian territories) – a problem nevertheless deemed "marginal" – and the politicization of UNRWA employee unions. The report called for improvements in these areas.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that he "accepts the recommendations" provided by the independent report. This report also presented a roadmap for stakeholders, which includes member states, host countries and staff, to move forward. The report noted that the funding crisis in which UNRWA finds itself may partly explain why the neutrality mechanisms have not been fully implemented. Despite the cost of this review, which amounted to $600,000 (over €560,000) and was financed by the organization, the agency's Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini immediately confirmed that these recommendations would be implemented.

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