May 10, 2024
Mr. President,
Thank you for your swift response in convening this emergency special session of the General Assembly at the request of the Arab Group, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement.
As Chair of the Arab Group for the month of May, I am pleased to deliver this statement and introduce draft resolution A/ES-10/L.30/Rev.1.
At its core, this draft resolution recommends that the Security Council reconsiders Palestine’s application for full membership in the United Nations.
This draft resolution follows the use of veto by the United States against the draft resolution that Algeria submitted to the Security Council on behalf of the Arab Group on this matter last month.
Your Excellencies,
Today marks a defining moment in our history. The draft resolution before you will have a profound impact on the future of the Palestinian people.
For more than 75 years, the Palestinian people have endured persecution and the denial of their most basic rights. They have patiently waited with unwavering determination for the international community to champion their right to self-determination and enable their country to gain full membership in the United Nations.
Palestine is a peace-loving nation and deserves the opportunity to effectively serve humanity through the United Nations.
By acceding to international treaties and conventions, adhering to the United Nations Charter, meeting the criteria for membership, and with obtaining the recognition of 144 States, the State of Palestine has demonstrated that it deserves its place in the international community and is entitled to full membership.
The vast majority of countries in this hall are fully aware of the legitimacy of the Palestinian bid and the justice of their cause, which faces fierce attempts to suppress it and render it meaningless.
This is evident in the attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian people and confiscate their land, as well as the ongoing expansion of settlements, which fragment the Palestinian state.
Furthermore, the continuous and condemned Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, have resulted in death and destruction. The recent escalation in Rafah heightens the risk of exacerbating an already unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
Israel has disregarded all international resolutions, and overtly rejected the two-State solution. Israel has also denied the Palestinian people’s right to declare their independent and sovereign state.
As an international community, we have a responsibility to uphold the internationally agreed upon terms of reference for ending this conflict, most crucially the two-State solution based on the borders of June 4, 1967.
Granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations will send a powerful message in support of the two-State solution.
By voting in favor of today’s draft resolution, you will demonstrate that the international community refuses to settle for anything less than upholding the legitimate rights of peoples and rejecting double standards. This is the protective shield for our countries in the face of current conflicts and crises.
Fulfilling the UN’s historical obligations towards the Palestinian people is long overdue, but it is never too late. Today, more than ever, the Palestinian people need the support of the United Nations.
Today, each country has the freedom to choose its position and how it will be remembered in history.
Will you stand by truth, justice, and the principles of equality upon which the United Nations was founded?
Will you defend an international order rooted in the rule of law and the legitimate right of states to full membership?
Will you support a people who have endured occupation and aggression for more than seven decades?
Are we going to send a clear message to the Security Council today that we will not relent in demanding Palestine’s right to full membership, and that the Council must respond to the will of the international community?
Mr. President,
Your Excellencies,
The draft resolution presented today is unambiguous. As we have mentioned, it recommends that the Security Council reconsider and support Palestine’s request in light of the General Assembly’s recognition of Palestine’s eligibility, the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice dated 28 May 1948, and in accordance with Article IV of the United Nations Charter.
However, this resolution alone does not do justice to the State of Palestine, as it only grants additional rights, meaning that Palestine will remain an observer state without the right to vote in the General Assembly or put forward its candidature for United Nations organs.
Therefore, we call upon the Security Council to respond to the General Assembly, this global body, and to the overwhelming majority of the international community by issuing a positive recommendation regarding the membership of the State of Palestine. This will enable the General Assembly to decide on Palestine’s admission to the United Nations.
The draft resolution also affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including their right to establish an independent and sovereign state.
It also calls for renewed international efforts to end, without delay, Israel’s occupation that began in 1967, and to reach a just, lasting and peaceful settlement for Palestinian question.
Adopting this resolution will represent a historic step towards rectifying the historical injustice inflicted upon the Palestinian people for decades and will bolster Palestine’s status and participation in international forums.
Voting against this resolution would be an abandonment of moral and legal responsibilities towards the Palestinian cause.
It may also be interpreted as a green light for Israel to continue its violations, which undermine the two-State solution.
Therefore, the Arab Group calls on all peace-loving nations that defend the legitimate rights of states to vote in favor of this resolution.
Finally, while the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar continue their tremendous efforts to reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the Arab Group emphasizes the importances of the international community creating a serious political environment to relaunch the negotiating process that can contribute to achieving a just and comprehensive peace for the Palestinian people, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative and other international references.
Mr. President,
Before I conclude, I kindly request that you suspend the debate at 11 am this morning to proceed with taking action on the draft resolution A/ES-10/L.30/Rev.1, given the importance of this matter. It is understood the understanding that the debate will resume immediately after the vote on the draft resolution and that the tenth emergency session will be temporarily adjourned after the conclusion of the debate.
Thank you, Mr. President.