The 193 members of the United Nations Normal Meeting are anticipated to vote on the Israel-Gaza battle on Friday, however as an observer somewhat than a member, Palestine is not going to have a say.
Jordan, appearing on behalf of Arab international locations, has proposed a Normal Meeting decision calling, amongst different issues, for a humanitarian ceasefire after the smaller extra highly effective UN Safety Council failed to take motion,regardless of the rising loss of life toll from Israel’s continued bombardments.
“I enchantment to all of you to vote to cease the killing. Vote for humanitarian support to succeed in these whose very survival relies on it. Vote to cease this insanity,” Palestine’s UN ambassador Riyad Mansour stated in an emotional speech to the UN Normal Meeting on Thursday.
The Palestinian international minister additionally addressed the UN Safety Council at a particular session this week, however as a non-member observer state, Palestine is just not capable of take part in the identical means as full UN member states.
As UN members proceed to debate how they’ll reply to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, here’s a fast information to Palestine’s standing on the UN.
Non-member observer
In 2012, nearly all of the 193 members of the Normal Meeting voted to grant Palestine non-member observer standing.
A complete of 138 of the UN Normal Meeting’s 193 members voted sure, whereas 9 voted no and 46 abstained or didn’t vote.
Among the many international locations that voted no had been the USA, Israel and Canada in addition to Pacific Island nations together with Nauru and Palau.
Non-member state observer standing is just not formally recognised within the UN Constitution however has an extended historical past. It was first held by Switzerland and is presently held solely by Palestine and the Holy See, often known as the Vatican.
The choice to grant Palestine non-member standing was removed from the primary, or final time, the Normal Meeting has voted on Palestine.
In 1947, the then-members of the UN Normal Meeting voted on a decision titled the longer term authorities of Palestine.
The decision determined that Palestine could be “[partitioned into two states” with the creation of “Independent Arab and Jewish States” as well as a “Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem”.
The resolution passed with 33 of the then-57 members of the UN General Assembly voting yes.
The number of members of the UN at the time was significantly smaller than it is today, as dozens of present member states had yet to gain independence from European colonial powers.
Two years later, in 1949, the State of Israel was admitted to the UN as its 59th member.
Who represents Palestine?
On Tuesday this week, Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki addressed the UN Security Council open debate.
Al-Maliki is part of the Palestinian Authority, which is led by a different political grouping to Hamas, which controls Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority continues to represent Palestinians at the UN although at home its authority to govern on behalf of all Palestinians is complicated.
Could Palestine become a full UN member?
In 2019, the UN General Assembly voted to allow Palestine to temporarily exercise limited additional powers while it chaired the Group of 77, a grouping at the UN which originally had 77 members, but now has more than 130.
One of the countries that opposed the temporary measure was Australia.
Gillian Bird, Australia’s ambassador to the UN at the time told the General Assembly that Australia voted no because it saw “Palestinian attempts to seek recognition as a state in international fora [as] deeply unhelpful to efforts towards a two-state answer.”
Whereas the Normal Meeting casts votes on new proposed members, it’s the Safety Council which decides which candidates are thought of.
The council has 15 members, however the 5 everlasting members – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US – have the facility of veto. The US has used it some 34 occasions to dam resolutions essential of Israel.
Who will get to vote?
“When the Safety Council is unable to behave, the Normal Meeting should step up,” Dennis Francis, the president of the Normal Meeting, stated when he referred to as a particular assembly of the Normal Meeting this week on the request of Jordan, Mauritius and several other different international locations.
NEW: Arab Group circulates amended #UNGA draft decision to #UN member states which replaces name for “fast ceasefire” in #Gaza/#Israel with a name for “a direct, sturdy & sustained humanitarian truce resulting in a cessation of hostilities.”
Amended draft now… https://t.co/KoWtWmCnMI pic.twitter.com/niilXg3X7N
— Rami Ayari (@Raminho) October 26, 2023
In contrast to the Safety Council, which has solely 15 members, the UN Normal Meeting contains all 193 of the UN’s member states.
Votes within the UN Normal Meeting are additionally simpler than within the Safety Council, the place resolutions have typically been blocked by the everlasting veto. China, Russia and the USA have all used their veto to dam Safety Council resolutions on Israel-Gaza within the final two weeks.
However whereas UN Normal Meeting members do generally take a special method to Palestine than the UN Safety Council, UN Normal Meeting resolutions are thought of much less legally binding than Safety Council resolutions, particularly in terms of the presently much-contested requires ceasefires.
As each UN our bodies proceed to contemplate their fastidiously worded resolutions, Mansour reminded UN members to “keep in mind we’re assembly right here whereas Palestinians in Gaza are below the bombs”.
