The United Nations Security Council held a meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian cause, chaired by France, which currently holds the Security Council Presidency.In a briefing before the Council, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, ‘the promise of a two-state solution is at risk of vanishing altogether,’ he said. ‘Political will to achieve that goal feels more distant than ever.’He pointed out that the Middle East region is undergoing significant transformations.He emphasized the need for collective action to ensure justice, dignity, rights, security, and lasting peace in the region. He said this begins with recognizing two fundamental facts. The first one is that the region is at a hinge-point in history, and the second one is that truly sustainable Middle East peace hinges on one central issue that this Security Council has affirmed and re-affirmed decade after decade, year after year: a two-state solution, UN Secretary General added.He warned that the two-state solution is near a point of no return, urging Security Council member states to take irreversible steps toward implementing it and to prevent what remains of the peace process from being undermined.He explained that the high-level conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, scheduled for next June, represents an important opportunity to revitalize international support. He urged member states to think creatively about the concrete steps they can take to support a viable two-state solution before it is too late.
