The United Nations Security Council, chaired by the Permanent Mission of Malta to the UN for the month of April, has announced a closed session scheduled for Monday, 8 April, to deliberate on Palestine’s request to resume consideration of its admission as a permanent member of the United Nations.
In a statement released today, Saturday, the Maltese mission revealed, “Consultations will be held on Monday, April 8th, at 10:00 (17:00 Moscow time), to address the Palestinian request for the resumption of discussions regarding its potential admission as a permanent member of the United Nations.”
Supporters advocating for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations have urged the Security Council to revive their application for admission, originally submitted in 2011. However, the United States is expected to oppose the bid once again.
The letter submitted by supporters to the council president included the endorsement of 140 countries that have recognized a Palestinian state. This support encompasses members of the 22-nation Arab Group at the UN, the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the 120-member Nonaligned Movement.
The renewed push for UN membership by Palestine coincides with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7th and is nearing its sixth month. The unresolved Palestinian-Israeli conflict has garnered renewed attention after years of being sidelined.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas initially submitted the Palestinian Authority’s application for UN membership to then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on September 23, 2011, before addressing world leaders at the General Assembly. However, the bid failed to garner the necessary support from nine of the Security Council’s 15 members. Additionally, the United States, Israel’s staunch ally, had pledged to veto any resolution endorsing Palestinian membership.
US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood reiterated the United States’ position, emphasizing that full UN membership for Palestine should follow a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Wood emphasized that the issue of Palestinian membership in the UN is one of the final status issues to be addressed in bilateral talks between the two parties.
