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United Nations

New Zealand's Recognition of Palestine: A Small but Significant Step

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As the international community grapples with the worsening situation in Gaza, New Zealand is under increasing pressure to recognise a Palestinian state. With a recent UN finding of genocide in Gaza, the Labour Party has urged the government to condemn Israel's actions and support Palestinian statehood. The question is whether New Zealand will follow suit and what implications this will have.

Key Takeaways:

  • New Zealand has a long-standing policy of not making formal acts of recognition or non-recognition of states, with recognition being "implied" through action and policy.
  • Palestine meets three out of the four criteria for statehood, with the sticking point being government, particularly due to the illegal occupation of its territory.
  • Palestine is already a state by either the "declarative" or "constitutive" theory of statehood, with 42% of New Zealanders believing the government should recognise a Palestinian state.
  • Recognition of Palestine would affirm its legal criteria for statehood, align New Zealand with most UN member states, and potentially strengthen the Palestinian case in international institutions.
  • The Russia Sanctions Act 2022 offers a blueprint for applying sanctions to Israel, which could be used in the event ofNZLabour adopting sanctions.
  • The UN General Assembly's 80th session will be a key forum for discussing the crisis, with Australia, Canada, Belgium, and France indicating they will join 147 other member states in recognising a Palestinian state.
  • The Labour Party has criticised the delay in making a decision on recognising Palestine, with a poll showing 42% of New Zealanders think the government should have already done so.

Statistics:

  • 42% of New Zealanders believe the government should recognise a Palestinian state, according to a recent poll.
  • New Zealand has a "long-standing policy of not making formal acts of recognition or non-recognition of states".
  • 76% of UN member states recognise a Palestinian state.
  • Palestine has diplomatic relations with 134 countries and has been a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (1969), UNESCO (2011), the Arab League (1976), Interpol (2017), the Olympic Council of Asia, and the International Olympic Committee.

Sources:

  • The Conversation (Au and NZ) -- By Myra Williamson, Senior Lecturer in Law, Auckland University of Technology
  • The Russian government's Russia Sanctions Act 2022

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