For Sixty Years United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been providing invaluable service to the Palestinian refugees and to mark its 60th anniversary The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) will host a conferencein London on 16th of December 2009.

UNRWAs work over the years has been unprecedented to say the least. No other institution has been asked to tackle humanitarian crises that affect an entire nation for so long and no other agency has been demanded to plug the gaping holes left by failures in the international community.

Given the origins of the refugee crises and the context in which UNRWA serves, its championing of basic rights for Palestinian refugees is all the more exceptional. Basic rights is the right for all and it is for all to exercise without any barriers but UNRWA has resolutely exercised its mandate to deliver the concisions of humanity against a tidal wave of attacks and at times military aggression.

The enormous tragedy which UNRWA faces is unquestionable. More than Six decades have now passed since the collective dispossession and forced expulsion of Palestinians from their ancestral home because of Zionist aggression. For 5 Million Palestinians, forced exile continuous and their Nakba - catastrophy- is still a daily reality.

The early refugees, engulfed with collective despair, were forced to come to terms with the violent rejection of their dream for national self determination and freedom but also with the unimaginable consequences which followed; having struggled for legitimate national and political rights, which they were denied, they faced a new reality where their basic human right, to return to their home, was denied to them.

In the face of this growing crisis and within a hostile political climate, UNRWA represents hope for many people. UNRWA isn't just an aid organization, it was and still is a surrogate state, helping Palestinians to help themselves. Its institutions continue to build individuals that are able to give back to society greater value than what was rained on them and greater value than one could imagine from a people and individuals whose misery still continues.

On a wider level UNRWA is a symbol and a witness to the many tragic manifestations of the Nakba. Because UNRWA is a constant reminder of the historical crimes committed by Israel and because it threatens to destroy the myths around Israel's origin, its reputation is continuously besmirched if its existence isn't threatened.

To the international community UNRWA is a symbol of collective failure. The period marking the end of the great wars were built on tremendous aspirations as institutions were mandated to save humanity from the scourge of war but for over sixty years the Palestinian refugees have not seen the light of these promissory statements and they have been failed miserably by these institutions.

The PRC is proud to showcase the services of UNRWA by evaluating them from many different perspectives. We will use this occasion to bring together a raft of experts and representatives of host countries where UNRWA is active to provide a comprehensive account of UNRWAs contribution and the difficult conditions under which it functions. The occasion will also allow representatives of refugees to share their views on UNRWA.