The UN General Assembly is set to vote today on a resolution that would grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and ask the Security Council to “favourably” reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations. Last month, the United States vetoed a council resolution that would have led to full UN membership for Palestine, a goal long sought by the Palestinians and opposed by Israel. The Biden administration has made its opposition to the assembly resolution clear through US deputy ambassador Robert Wood.
According to the UN Charter, prospective members must be “peace-loving,” and the Security Council must recommend their admission to the General Assembly for final approval. In 2012, Palestine became a UN non-member observer state. Mr. Wood emphasized that negotiations with Israel are the best way for Palestine to achieve full membership in the UN. Unlike the Security Council, the General Assembly does not have veto power, so the resolution is expected to pass with a large majority.
The draft resolution now states that a state of Palestine is qualified for membership without the original language that required it to be considered a “peace-loving state.” The resolution recommends that the Security Council reconsider Palestine’s request for membership in a positive light. The expectations are that the resolution will be approved by the General Assembly.