UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (UPI) -- The new head of the U.N. Department of Political Affairs briefing the Security Council for the first time is a bit upbeat on the Middle East, but realistic, saying recent events "hold out the potential if not yet the promise" to reverse a trend away from peace.
"The challenges to progress remain formidable," Lynn Pascoe told the 15-member panel Wednesday. "But following a year in which prospects for peace seemed only to diminish, several developments of the past month -- among them the agreement reached in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) on a Palestinian National Unity Government and the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue -- hold out the potential, if not yet the promise, to begin turning that trend around."
Pascoe, who previously served as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia and Malaysia and was a deputy assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. State Department in Washington, was appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve as an undersecretary-general only Feb. 9. Pascoe is the first U.S. citizen to run the department since it was created in 1992.
However, citizens of the United States played key roles in past political affairs' roles at the world organization, going back to and including Ralph Bunche who was undersecretary-general dealing with political affairs under Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold. Before 1992 DPA was known as the Department for Security Council and Political Affairs and was frequently headed by U.S. citizens or Russians.
"Much will depend now on how agreements are implemented on the ground," Pasco said, noting the diplomatic Quartet has taken a "wait and see" approach and calling on the international community to engage on the issue "with both firmness and flexibility."
Pascoe said the intra-Palestinian cease-fire reached in Mecca has already calmed the situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory, despite a few isolated clashes.
He added prime minister-designate Ismael Hannieh has been consulting all factions and President Mahmoud Abbas on the formation of the new government and is likely to finalize an agreement before March 21, the due date.
"We must hope that the new government will take positions and actions that demonstrate, as was agreed in Mecca, respect for the signed agreements of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist in peace and security, and impose crucial obligations on the Palestinian Authority," he said.
Pascoe said there remain several strong obstacles to progress, noting continued tension and violence that has led to the deaths of 23 Palestinians and one Israeli over the past month during clashes.
He expressed concern over the repeated firing of rockets into Israel by Palestinian militants in Gaza and commended Israeli restraint "in the face of these provocations, which are both unjustified and in breach of the agreed cease-fire."
The undersecretary-general said the Israeli Defense Forces launched a large military operation in Nablus last month uncovering several sites used for preparing explosives. and arrested a number of suspects.
But, he said the operation placed tens of thousands of Palestinians under curfew for several days, "causing major disruption to civilian life and humanitarian operations."
Pascoe said other Israeli action was cause for concern.
"Israeli construction of the barrier, parts of which extend deep into the West Bank, is now complete along more than half of its route and continuing, contrary to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (in The Hague)," he said.
"Settlement activity also continues. The Israeli government has yet to freeze this activity or to begin to dismantle the more than 100 settlement outposts in the West Bank, despite its clear obligations to do so under the roadmap" peace plan as pursued by the diplomatic Quartet of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.
It envisages two states for Israelis and Palestinians living side by side within secure and internationally recognized borders.
Pascoe said the agreement on movement and access in and out of the occupied Palestinian Territory has still not been implemented in full and U.N. workers face increasing restrictions on their movement, placing humanitarian operations in jeopardy.
The undersecretary-general also said the secretary-general remains strongly committed to finding a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and will attend the Arab League summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 28 March, as part of his efforts to seek peace.
Ban also will be stopping off in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories during his Middle East trip beginning next week.
