The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is poised to vote on Friday on a resolution that would bestow new “rights and privileges” on Palestine and urge the Security Council to reconsider its application to become the 194th member of the United Nations favourably.
Previously, on April 18, the U.S. vetoed a council resolution that was widely supported and would have enabled Palestine to attain full U.N. membership, an outcome long pursued by the Palestinians and actively opposed by Israel.
The U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood expressed the Biden administration’s opposition to the General Assembly’s resolution on Thursday.
Under the U.N. Charter, countries seeking U.N. membership must be “peace-loving,” and their admission must be recommended by the Security Council and then approved by the General Assembly. Palestine has held the status of a U.N. non-member observer state since 2012.
Wood emphasized that achieving full U.N. membership for Palestine should occur through negotiations with Israel, as per the established process. He stated that the current efforts by some Arab nations and the Palestinians appeared to circumvent this process.
In contrast to the Security Council, where vetoes are possible, the General Assembly, comprising 193 members, does not allow vetoes, and the resolution is anticipated to pass with a significant majority, according to three Western diplomats who wished to remain anonymous due to the confidential nature of the negotiations.
The draft resolution asserts that Palestine qualifies for membership and has removed previous language that described it as a “peace-loving state.” It now encourages the Security Council to review Palestine’s request favourably.
This renewed push for Palestine’s full membership in the UN gains prominence against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has intensified the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian issue.
Discussions at various council and assembly meetings have highlighted the humanitarian plight of Palestinians in Gaza and the deaths of over 34,000 individuals, as reported by health officials in Gaza, sparking international outrage.
The original draft of the assembly resolution underwent significant revisions to accommodate concerns from not just the U.S. but also Russia and China, according to the diplomats.
The initial draft granted Palestine rights and privileges to ensure its full and effective participation in the U.N. on par with member states and did not specify whether Palestine could vote in the General Assembly.
The concerns from Russia and China, both supporters of Palestinian membership, were primarily about setting a precedent that could affect other potential UN members, with Russia wary about Kosovo and China about Taiwan.
U.S. law mandates the withdrawal of funding to any U.N. agency that admits Palestine as a full member, which could result in the U.S., the largest financial contributor to the U.N., cutting off its dues and voluntary contributions.