WORKING PAPER
TOPIC- Advancing International Legal Mechanisms to Resolve
Protracted Conflicts: Achieving Peace, Justice, and a Two-State Solution
Through Accountability and Cooperation
In efforts of the Delegate of Palestine
UNSC COMMITTEE
Introduction-
The conflict between Israel and Palestine remains one of the deadliest issues of
the 21st century. Despite numerous attempts to mediate peace, efforts have been
stymied by entrenched mistrust, competing narratives, and violations of
international law. This working paper seeks to give a background to the war while
also revolving about a two-state solution for the conflict and promoting
accountability, ensuring justice and achieving long lasting peace.
Contextual Background-
1. Historical Overview-
i) The roots of Israeli-Palestinian conflict start “Balfour Declaration
(1917)” proposed by the British government while supporting the
establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in
Palestine.
ii) In 1947, “United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine” was proposed
dividing the land into separate Jewish and Arab states. The Jewish
Community accepted the offer but the Arab states rejected it,
leading to the “1948 Arab Israeli War”. Israel declared it’s
independence that same year.
iii) In 1967, Israel fought the Six-Day War against neighbouring Arab
states and captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and
the Golan Heights.
iv) After those wars, many peace efforts were made from which the one
that stands out is the “Oslo Accords (1993)” which provided for
limited Palestinian self-rule in parts of the West Bank and Gaza. The
accords created the Palestinian Authority (PA) and established a
framework for a two-state solution.
v) Though, the process of negotiations stalled, and violence again
begun which included the “Second Intifada (2000-2005)”
2. Current Dynamics-
i) Israel’s expansion in West Bank, blockage of Gaza, humanitarian
concerns, including displacement, economic deprivation, human
right abuses, attacks on civilian hospitals and undermine trust are
some evil deeds of the country.
ii) Israel led to the displacement of in total 1.7 million innocent
Palestinians and the death of tens of thousands of civilians.
3. International Frameworks-
i) Legal bodies of the world like United Nations Security Council, the
Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of The
International Criminal Court.
ii) Despite these strong frameworks, still International Law is broken by
many countries and violations are unaddressed.
Proposed Strategies for a Solution-
1) Taking Back of Land-
i) East Jerusalem can be shared between Israel and Palestine to end the
conflict.
ii) Israel should enforce the Resolution 242 and Resolution 338 which
call’s it’s withdrawal from occupied territories. The new map of both
nations should be exactly same to the United Nations Partition Plan of
1947.
2) Formation of a new Body-
There should be a formation of a new UN body so that from now on, strict
action can be taken against the country which breaks the International
Law or any UN body’s law. This would not only lead to peace but a big
barrier for any country that wants annex any other country.
Conclusion
The Israeli-Palestinian war is a very controversial conflict and requires
permanent solutions fully propagate peace in the world. By advancing
international legal mechanisms and promoting cooperative strategies, the
international community can play a pivotal role in achieving a just and
lasting resolution. A two-state resolution- a solution that remains the most
viable path to peace.
