The UK is stepping up efforts to tackle the root causes of the Israel-Palestine conflict and support a path to a two-state solution by launching a new International Peace Fund.
The announcement came as UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper hosted her Australian and Canadian counterparts, Penny Wong and Anita Anand, for talks at Chevening on the Strait of Hormuz, the drive for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan, and the global crisis of violence against women and girls, News Cover reports, citing the UK government's official website.
The Peace Fund announcement forms part of the UK’s wider effort to use all available diplomatic, humanitarian and practical levers to support peace in Israel and Palestine. In partnership with Australia and Canada, the Fund will support practical, grassroots initiatives that bring communities together in order to rebuild trust, and reduce the divisions that harm the prospect of long-term peace.
As well as supporting existing programmes to improve their reach and capability, the Fund will also invest in new ventures, spanning all levels of society, from local community projects to support for dialogue between future leaders. Funding will go to a range of projects, particularly those that include youth groups, civil society organisations and women, with an emphasis on relationship building and creating opportunities for engagement that can underpin future peace negotiations.
