A conference in London tomorrow is designed to help kick-start Palestinian reform, writes Stewart Eldon
The election of Mahmoud Abbas in the Palestinian presidential elections on January 9th has provided an opportunity for renewal and reform in the Palestinian Authority.
Already there are signs of an improvement in the relationship between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza later this year is an opportunity for the Palestinian Authority to strengthen its governance role and demonstrate the capabilities it will need in a future Palestinian state.
Israel's withdrawal is an important step towards implementation of the quartet's (comprising the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations) "roadmap". The British government wants to ensure that the new Palestinian Authority leadership has strong international support to help it get off to a good start and to meet the challenge of disengagement.
The British prime minister, Tony Blair, will chair a major international meeting in London tomorrow to rally that support. The EU will have an important role to play on the day of the meeting, and on assisting with implementation of the meeting's conclusions. This is not a donor conference. It will help to give international assistance to the Palestinian Authority in the areas of governance, security and economic development. We are inviting the key countries and institutions involved in the quartet and those countries we believe can make an important contribution to helping the Palestinians to build institutions needed for statehood.
We have consulted our international partners about this meeting. President Bush said in January that he "strongly supports the conference". US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend. Israel will not take part in the meeting - because of the focus on Palestinian institutions - but Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has confirmed his support for the meeting's aims.
Crucially, the Palestinians have signalled their determination to use this meeting as a first step in achieving and consolidating the peace process. Abbas has said that the meeting gives the Palestinians the chance to pursue work on administrative reform in order to establish the level of security, reform, economic development and progress towards the implementation of the roadmap.
This meeting is not about putting more pressure on the Palestinians to take action. It is about support. We want to support the Palestinians and help the new leadership make the most of the opportunities before them. The Palestinians will need to be prepared to assume control of those areas from which Israel will withdraw. And the increased governance capacity of the Palestinian Authority will be essential for a future, viable Palestinian state.
This will of necessity involve work with Israel and the creation of mechanisms for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to co-ordinate together. We will continue to urge Israel to recognise the efforts that the Palestinian Authority is making and to respond in kind as well as to co-ordinate its disengagement with the Palestinian Authority.
Although the London meeting is not one of the international conferences or summits envisaged within the roadmap, it will contribute to an early return to its implementation.
The quartet remains in the lead on that process. Effective action to develop the Palestinian Authority's capacity can contribute to peace in the Middle East.
In the context of that wider goal, we continue to recognise that there have been many obstacle to progress on both sides. Action is needed by both Israelis and Palestinians to overcome these.
The British government is anxious to do what it can to help the new Palestinian leadership to get off to a new start and to meet the challenge of disengagement.
Stewart Eldon is British ambassador to Ireland