Statement welcoming UNGA Vote for UN Membership of the State of Palestine
Welcoming UNGA Vote for UN Membership of the State of Palestine
The General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific, welcomes the overwhelmingly positive voting at the United Nations General Assembly in favour of a resolution affirming that the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations and recommending that the Security Council reconsider the matter of Palestine’s admission to full UN membership favourably. The resolution further grants the State of Palestine additional rights and privileges of participation in the UN, and was adopted by a vote of 143 in favour to 9 against, with 25 abstentions.
The General Delegation of Palestine expresses its gratitude to the countries that sponsored and voted in favour of this resolution, and warmly welcomes the positive votes by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand as a substantial investment towards securing a just and durable peace and reaffirmation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine. As H.E. Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, expressed to those voting in favour of this resolution at the General Assembly: “You and your country for years to come will be proud to have stood for freedom, justice and peace in this darkest hour.”
The positive voting by an overwhelming majority of countries, including in the Indo-Pacific region, marks a clear and significant paradigm shift in the global consensus regarding the approach for implementing a two-state solution. This new paradigm asserts that the establishment of a Palestinian state should not be contingent on the outcome of bilateral negotiations between the two parties or pending the approval of Israel, the occupying power. Instead, recognising the State of Palestine can and should occur before all final-status issues are resolved in order to advance the peace process, allowing for subsequent negotiations to focus on final-status issues including Jerusalem, security, borders, water, and refugees.
Accordingly, and in light of Israel’s ongoing genocidal onslaught against the Gaza Strip and invasion of Rafah, the General Delegation of Palestine calls on Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to immediately recognize the State of Palestine. Now is the time to take this vital and historic step in support of the two-state solution, to push forward towards justice, peace, security and stability in the Middle East.