UN announces, walks back new Canadian funds for UNRWA

Ban Ki-moon spokesman says statement on Trudeau decision to resume support for Palestinian aid agency was incorrect

By AP 17 March 2016, 6:49 am Edit

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 16: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the United Nations headquarters on March 16, 2016 in New York City. In an announcement at the U.N., Trudeau said that Canada is making a bid to take a seat on the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term beginning in 2021. Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations has retracted a statement saying Canada will resume contributing funds to the UN relief agency that aids and protects Palestinian refugees.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said late Wednesday that the UN statement on the meeting of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcoming the restart of funding for UNRWA was an early draft sent by mistake “that did not properly reflect” their discussion.

Trudeau’s visit to the UN comes as Canada is vowing more engagement in world affairs.

Canada stopped funding UNRWA under former prime minster Stephen Harper.

UNRWA marked its 65th anniversary last year. Ban said at the time that the agency was never meant to exist for 65 years but “exists because of political failure.”

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