UN General Assembly backs Palestine to become full member of UN

On the evening of May 10 local time, at a special emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza and Palestine's membership status held in New York, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution calling on the Security Council (UNSC) to consider supporting Palestine to become an official member of the world's largest multilateral organization.

The resolution passed with 143 votes in favor and 9 against, including the United States and Israel, and 25 abstentions. Although the resolution does not grant Palestine full UN membership, it does identify Palestine as eligible and calls on the Security Council to reconsider the issue.

Although only symbolic, the General Assembly's adoption of the resolution has great significance for the status and activities of Palestine. Accordingly, Palestine will enjoy more powers from the upcoming General Assembly session (September 2024), such as issuing statements on behalf of a group; submitting proposals and amendments or proposing contents at regular/extraordinary sessions... However, because it is not yet a full member, Palestine will not have the right to run for and vote in UN agencies.

In 1974, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 3237 recognizing the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as an observer member. In November 2012, the General Assembly continued to pass a resolution granting the State of Palestine the status of “observer member” at the UN.

SOUTH