Mandate
Article 3
1. In order to achieve the policy objective set out in Article 2, the mandate shall be to: (a) provide an active and efficient Union contribution to actions and initiatives leading to a final settlement of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution and in line with the Union parameters and relevant UNSC Resolutions, including UNSC Resolution 2334 (2016), and put forward proposals for Union action in this regard; (b) facilitate and maintain close contacts with all the parties to the peace process, in particular Israel and the Palestinian Authority, relevant political actors and countries of the region, and other relevant countries, as well as the UN and other relevant international organisations, like the League of Arab States or the Gulf Cooperation Council, in order to work with them in strengthening the peace process; (c) take advantage of the evolving regional landscape in the Middle East and in particular the normalisation of relations between Israel and a number of Arab countries, in order to further advance the peace process and thus contribute to regional stability; (d) pay particular attention to factors affecting the regional dimension of the peace process, including the developments related to the conflict in Gaza and in the region following the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023, to the engagement with Arab partners and to the implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative; (e) actively support and contribute to peace negotiations between the parties, including by putting forward proposals on behalf of the Union and in line with its consolidated longstanding policy in the context of those negotiations; (f) ensure the continued presence of the Union in relevant international fora; (g) contribute to crisis management and early warning; (h) contribute to the implementation of international agreements reached between the parties and engage with them diplomatically in the event of non-compliance with the terms of those agreements; (i) contribute to political efforts to promote a sustainable solution for the Day After in the Gaza Strip which is an integral part of a future Palestinian State, to support the Palestinian Authority’s return to Gaza, including by facilitating discussions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and to promote humanitarian efforts; (j) engage constructively with signatories to agreements within the framework of the peace process in order to promote compliance with the basic norms of democracy, including respect for international humanitarian law, human rights and the rule of law; (k) make proposals for Union intervention in the peace process and on the best way of pursuing Union initiatives and ongoing peace-process-related Union efforts, such as the Union’s contribution to Palestinian reforms and the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two state solution, and including the political aspects of relevant Union development projects; (l) engage the parties in refraining from unilateral actions threatening the viability of the two-State solution, notably in the occupied Palestinian territory, including settlement policy and incitement to violence and hate speech; (m) contribute to the implementation of the Union’s human rights policy in cooperation with the EUSR for Human Rights, including the Union Guidelines on human rights, in particular the Union Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict as well as on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them, and Union policy regarding UNSC Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security; (n) contribute to a better understanding and visibility of the role of the Union among opinion leaders in the region; (o) engage with representatives of civil society, including women and young people, as well as with those involved in measures to build confidence between the parties. 2. The EUSR shall support the work of the HR, while maintaining an overview of all activities of the Union in the region related to the Middle East Peace Process.