The actions of the RWG, like those of the other groups, have been affected by the past ups and downs of the bilateral track. Nevertheless, with the support of the core parties, the work of the RWG has continued throughout the past eight years. Similar missions have been conducted to Lebanon and Syria. These have served as a way for refugees to speak directly to the international community about their concerns and needs. One result has been agreement on a programme for university scholarships for Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon, supported by Qatar, Canada and other donors.
New donors are also welcome.
The Group has also worked to assist the parties in speeding up and expanding the family reunification process. In addition, Canada and Kuwait have funded a project, to be completed by year's end, relocating close to 500 Palestinian refugee families from the Sinai back to Gaza. Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority should be commended for their co-operation in this area. For our part, Canada understands that leadership of the RWG must be matched by tangible support for Palestinian refugees and the peace process. In the past, the greatest challenge the RWG faced was finding the right balance between those with different approaches to its work.