Amman, Sept. 20 (Petra) -- As the world marks the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, continuing wars and conflicts are casting a shadow over global appeals for peace, raising questions over the ability of international initiatives and agreements to translate diplomatic commitments into lasting settlements.

The Palestinian issue remains at the center of that debate, with decades of agreements and peace initiatives yet to produce a just and comprehensive settlement amid continued occupation, displacement and settlement activity.

The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 to promote the ideals of peace among nations and peoples. This year's observance is being held under the theme "Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day." Abdullah Kanaan, Secretary-General of the Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs, said the occasion comes amid a widening divide between the formal language surrounding peace and the humanitarian reality of populations affected by war.

He said the international community continues to call for peace while conflicts, economic pressures and social crises persist across different parts of the world.

For the region, Kanaan said, developments in the occupied Palestinian territories demonstrate the difficulty of turning peace initiatives into tangible outcomes, pointing to killing, displacement and destruction in Gaza and Israeli policies in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

He argued that peace agreements cannot achieve lasting results when they are shaped by unequal power relations, political interests and double standards, without effective international guarantees to uphold justice and protect the rights of all parties.

Kanaan pointed to the series of agreements and initiatives advanced over the years, including the Arab Peace Initiative adopted at the 2002 Arab League summit in Beirut, which offered normalization with Israel in return for withdrawal from occupied Arab territories and a settlement based on the two-state solution.

Despite those initiatives, he said, a comprehensive peace settlement has remained out of reach, criticizing Israeli policies and citing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emphasis on "peace through strength." Kanaan also criticized continued settlement activity and Israeli measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, arguing that such policies undermine the substance of international calls for peace.

With the United Nations General Assembly convening around the same period, Kanaan said the international community faces the challenge of moving beyond declarations toward effective implementation of international agreements, conventions and resolutions intended to safeguard peace.

He called for stronger international action to ensure that peace agreements are implemented fairly and that international law and institutions are applied consistently.

Kanaan reaffirmed Jordan's position in support of a just and lasting peace based on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital along the June 4, 1967 lines.

He also stressed Jordan's continued support for Palestinians and Jerusalem and the Kingdom's commitment to the historic Hashemite custodianship of Muslim and Christian holy sites in the city.

//Petra// RZ