UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- "Transformative change on the ground is integral to peace" for a Palestinian state, the president of the UN Security Council, Austrian UN Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, said here Monday.

    The statement came as Harting was addressing a meeting held at the UN Headquarters in New York to mark the International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

    "While the situation on the ground remains of serious concern to the Council, the international community has witnessed intensified diplomatic efforts to re-launch bilateral negotiations this year," Harting said.

    "Council members have consistently welcomed and encouraged these efforts and strongly hope that they will advance the process towards the achievement of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," he said.

    Harting welcomed the Palestinian Authority's plan for a Palestinian state within 24 months "as a demonstration of the Palestinian Authority's serious commitment to an independent state that provides opportunity, justice and security to the Palestinian people, and is a responsible neighbor to all states in the region."

    He reiterated the commitment of the Security Council in the "ultimate goal of achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for an independent and democratic state."

    The United Nations designated Nov. 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people in a resolution adopted in 1977.

Special Report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts