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United Nations

Palestine's UN Bid: Implications for Human Rights and Statehood

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Palestinian Authority's diplomatic efforts to upgrade its status at the United Nations have sparked significant attention at the General Assembly in New York. The Palestinian Authority's bid for full membership of the United Nations is part of its strategy to seek broader recognition of a Palestinian state. However, Amnesty International does not take a position on the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or on issues of statehood, including the current Palestinian initiative. The organization's concern is that any resolution or agreement fully respects the human rights of Palestinians and Israelis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Palestinian Authority is requesting full UN membership, but its current status at the UN is that of an observer entity, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
  • A two-thirds majority in the General Assembly is required for the application to be approved, but a favorable recommendation from the Security Council is necessary for a full membership bid.
  • Another option for upgrading Palestine's status at the UN is for the Palestinian Authority to bring a resolution to the General Assembly calling on member states to recognize Palestine bilaterally and support its application for membership of the UN and other international organizations.
  • Amnesty International opposes attempts to prevent the Palestinians from accessing the International Criminal Court (ICC) and urges the Palestinian Authority to sign and ratify all relevant human rights treaties.
  • If Palestine were to sign and ratify the main UN human rights treaties, this would strengthen efforts to pursue accountability for human rights violations by the Palestinian Authority.
  • The Palestinian Authority's statehood bid could also harm its ability to access the ICC, as the EU has proposed upgrading Palestine to a non-member observer state on condition that the Palestinians forgo recourse to the ICC.

Statistics:

  • Over 120 governments have recognized Palestine as a state.
  • At least nine of the 15 members of the UN Security Council would need to vote in favor of the Palestinian request for full membership.
  • The US administration opposes the Palestinian bid and could veto it if necessary.
  • The Palestinian Authority has accepted the ICC's jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory since July 2002.
  • The ICC Prosecutor has been considering the legal implications of the Palestinian declaration since it was submitted in January 2009.

Sources:

  • Amnesty International
  • Palestinian Authority
  • United Nations
  • United States administration
  • European Union
  • International Criminal Court (ICC)

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