Subject: GS 02 International Relation
Context
India along with 142 other nations voted in favor of a draft U.N. General Assembly resolution determining qualification for a full United Nations membership for The Palestine State.
- Palestine, in its capacity as a Non Member Observer state, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to U.N. organs.
The Resolution On Palestine’s bid for full UN Membership
The Admission of new Members to the United Nations Resolution was introduced by the Arab Group in support of the State of Palestine’s full membership in the UN.
- The resolution got 143 votes in favor including India, Nine against (Includes The United States, Israel, Argentina, Czechia, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea) and 25 abstentions.
- The resolution was presented by the UAE, as Chair of the Arab Group in May and the The 193-member General Assembly met for an emergency special session to vote upon the resolution.
India’s Stand over Palestine membership over the years:
- India reiterated its support for the two-state solution, towards establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, living side by side in peace with Israel.
- India was the first non-Arab State to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in 1974.
- India was also one of the first countries to recognise the State of Palestine in 1988
- Delhi opened its Representative Office to the Palestine Authority in Gaza in 1996 which was later shifted to Ramallah in 2003.
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- Passed:The Resolution was passed to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and called on the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become the 194th member of the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter of the U.N.
- It recommended for the Security Council to reconsider the matter favourably, in the light of this determination by UNGA.
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Article 4 of The United Nations Charter:
- Membership: It is open to all the peace-loving states which accept the obligations of the UN Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations.
- The admission of any such state to membership in the United Nations will be effected by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
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Is Palestine a full member now?
- NO, The recent Resolution, while providing Palestine with some new rights and privileges, broadly reaffirms that it remains a non-member observer state without full U.N. membership, as the resolution only Determined whether The State of Palestine is qualified for membership or not.
- Additional Rights: It will be effective as of the 79th session of the General Assembly that begins in September in 2024.
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- The right to be seated among member states in alphabetical order
- The right to make statements on behalf of a group, including among representatives of major groups.
- The right of members of the delegation of the State of Palestine to be elected as officers in the plenary and the Main Committees of the General Assembly.
- The rights to speak on all issues not just those related to the Palestinians and Middle East
- To propose agenda items and reply in debates
- It allows Palestinians to participate in U.N. and international conferences convened by the United Nations, but without the right to vote.
Background on the Struggle for a Full UN membership:
- Palestine Partition: In 1947, with the UN General Assembly adopting a resolution partitioning the then-mandated Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. Only Israel became a full member of the UN in 1949.
- Observer status: In 1975, the General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and conferred on the PLO the status of observer in the Assembly and in UN conferences.
- Non member observer state: The State of Palestine received permanent observer status in 2012 after UNGA passed a resolution on it.
- Temporary powers of a full member: Palestine also held powers of a full member during its tenure as Chair of the G-77 and China grouping in 2019
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May 11, 2024