UNITED NATIONS - The UN envoy to the Middle East on Tuesday voiced concern that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in "profound and persistent deadlock," saying that " progress towards peace is more urgent than ever."

"The political process to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in profound and persistent deadlock," Serry said in his briefing to the Security Council in an open debate on the Middle East.      

"Efforts to find the necessary common ground for resumed negotiations have proven extremely difficult, given the differences and lack of trust between the parties."

Serry expressed hope that the international community can collectively come together to find a "legitimate and balanced way forward that helps the parties overcome their differences and ultimately return to negotiations."

With the Palestinian leadership expected to approach the United Nations to seek an international recognition of statehood, Serry noted that the Palestinian Authority "has, in key areas, reached a level of institutional  performance sufficient for a functioning state."

"The Palestinian Authority is ready to assume the responsibilities of statehood at any point in the near future," he said.

But noting uncertainty in the Middle East, he said "progress towards peace is more urgent than ever."

"There has been no movement on the regional tracks of the peace process," Serry said. "Popular protests and political change have become part of the regional dynamic and affect the way the parties perceive their security and political strength."

Calling on both parties to "find a way forward at this sensitive and important time," Serry noted that "without a credible political path forward, accompanied by more far-reaching steps on the ground, the viability of the Palestinian Authority and its statebuilding agenda - and, I fear, of the two State solution itself - cannot be taken for granted."

Direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since September 2010.

Palestine has plans to apply to become a member state of the UN in September, which is also the month set for the finalization of a peace agreement by the diplomatic Quartet for peace in the Middle East - the United States, the Russian Federation, the European Union (EU), and the UN.