Dimechkie participated in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee: The fundamental solution lies in regulating the legal status of Palestinian refugees within a national framework

The Chairman of the Lebanese–Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ambassador Ramez Dimechkie, and the Head of the Legal Affairs and Coordination Unit, Daniella Saoud, participated in a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, chaired by MP Fadi Alameh. The meeting was attended by the Director of Political and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ibrahim Assaf; the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Lebanon, Mr. Mohammad Al-Asaad; and the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Dr. Dorothee Klaus.

Discussions focused on the challenges facing UNRWA as a result of its ongoing financial crisis and the potential impact on the services provided to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Ambassador Dimechkie stressed that any modification of UNRWA’s mandate or termination of its functions can only be effected by a decision of the United Nations General Assembly. He reaffirmed Lebanon’s firm and official position rejecting any measures that would diminish the Agency’s mandate or compromise the essential services delivered to refugees.

He further noted that reductions in services would jeopardize social stability within the camps and have direct repercussions for Lebanon’s broader stability. Sustainable solutions, he stressed, cannot remain dependent on recurring international financial crises.

Ambassador Dimechkie affirmed that a comprehensive and durable solution lies in regulating the legal status of Palestinian refugees through a clear national framework enacted by Parliament.

In this context, he indicated that the Committee has finalized the drafting of a comprehensive legislative proposal aimed at defining the legal status of Palestinian refugees in a balanced and holistic manner. The proposed text establishes a unified legal definition of a Palestinian refugee, by eliminating the current multiplicity of legal categories, and ensures equality before the law. It enshrines economic, social, and cultural rights—most notably the right to work and access to social security—within clearly defined regulatory parameters.

The proposal further underscores respect for Lebanese state sovereignty and applicable national laws, while ensuring that no additional financial burdens are imposed on the public treasury and that responsibilities incumbent upon the international community are not transferred to the Lebanese state.