The United Nations General Assembly is a pivotal event where global leaders gather to address the world’s most pressing issues. This year’s 80th session is particularly significant, marked by ongoing conflicts and internal budgetary challenges, yet it continues to serve as a crucial platform for international dialogue.
Key Focus: Palestinian Statehood Conference
What to Know About the Palestinian Statehood Conference
Palestinian statehood emerged as a central theme at a conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia during the UN General Assembly. A notable development saw approximately 10 countries, including France, Belgium, Australia, Britain, Canada, and Portugal, formally recognizing Palestine as a sovereign nation. This brings the total to 147 of the 193 UN member states.
This highly symbolic recognition aims to revive the stalled two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which appears increasingly distant as the Gaza war nears the end of its second year, Israeli settlements in the West Bank rapidly expand, and the humanitarian crisis in the enclave grows more dire. UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgency, stating, “We absolutely must do everything and mobilize as much as we can the international community to make sure that the two-state solution prevails. What is the alternative?”
In practice, the recognition of a Palestinian state is unlikely to change the reality on the ground. And at the United Nations, the move will not elevate Palestine to full membership from its status as an observer state. (The UN Security Council would have to approve that change, and the United States would most likely veto it.)
But diplomats from Europe, the Middle East and Asia have said that the conference will showcase the alignment of a majority of the international community and the isolation of the United States on the issue as several of its key Western allies diverge from Washington’s policy. Richard Gowan, the U.N. director for the International Crisis Group, commented that it “does underline that there is still some potential pathway to a diplomatic solution for the Palestinians, even if everyone recognizes that it is an extremely long pathway.”
The United States and Israel oppose the conference, arguing that recognizing a Palestinian state would embolden Hamas at a time when Israel is still at war with the militant group in Gaza and not all hostages captured during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, have been released.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, criticized the initiative as “one-sided,” saying: “This is not diplomacy. It is theater.”
Ahead of the conference, the General Assembly ratified with an overwhelming majority — 142 votes in favor — the “New York Declaration,” a document put forward by France and Saudi Arabia that calls for the creation of a Palestinian state next to the existing Israeli one.
The declaration sets out “tangible, time-bound and irreversible steps” toward a two-state solution. It also condemns the Hamas-led attacks in 2023 that started the war in Gaza, as well as Israel’s assaults on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave and the humanitarian crisis there.
Key Aspects of the Conference:
- Key speakers: The conference will be held at the U.N. General Assembly hall and is expected to last about three hours. Mr. Guterres and President Emanuel Macron of France will speak, and representatives of several other countries are likely to, as well. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia is set to address the gathering in a virtual video.
- Palestinian presence: Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, will address the conference virtually from Ramallah. He is unable to attend in person because the United States declined to grant him and his delegation visas.
- A new approach to peace: Many diplomats said that the way the world has sought to broker peace for decades — by saving the establishment of a Palestinian state for the last stages of negotiations in a comprehensive deal between Israel and Palestinians — had failed. The conference aims to turn that notion on its head, by starting with recognition of a Palestinian state and working from there to achieve peace.
- Protests: Emotions ran high in some countries as the U.N. prepared to address Palestinian statehood. Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets of several cities — including Milan and Rome — to protest in solidarity with Palestinians on Monday, in a one-day general strike called by trade unions. And in France, more than 50 town halls across the country defied a government warning and hoisted Palestinian flags on Monday, hours before President Emmanuel Macron was expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
Understanding Statehood: A Legal Perspective
The concept of Palestinian statehood raises fundamental questions about what defines a state, particularly when its borders are contested and leadership is divided. International law, specifically a 1933 treaty, outlines four key criteria for statehood: a permanent population, defined territorial boundaries, a government, and the capacity to engage in international relations.
Experts in international law largely agree that Palestine fundamentally meets these conditions. It possesses a permanent population and identifiable land, generally understood to be the Israeli-occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza, along with East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority serves as a governing body, representing Palestinians and authorized by the Palestine Liberation Organization.
While the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Hamas’s control of Gaza impose practical limitations on the Palestinian Authority, international recognition would establish direct diplomatic ties between the Authority and the recognizing nation.
Recognition would also send diplomatic and political messages. It would acknowledge the Palestinian right to self-determination and reject the positions and actions of the Israeli government that undermine that right, as explained by Zinaida Miller, a professor of law and international affairs at Northeastern University.
Ukraine’s Plea for Pressure on Russia
During the UN General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an urgent appeal, calling on world leaders to exert “real, powerful pressure on Russia” to end its war, now in its fourth year. His message, shared via social media, followed a new wave of deadly Russian strikes across Ukrainian regions including Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipro, Sumy, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson. Zelensky emphasized that “Action must be taken so that murder and war do not become routine.”
Amidst ongoing rescue efforts, the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed that President Trump is scheduled to meet with Mr. Zelensky in New York. Despite some cautious optimism about U.S.-led peace initiatives, Zelensky highlighted that this marks the fourth consecutive year Russia’s actions have overshadowed this high-level diplomatic event.
He urged Europe, the United States, the Group of 7 and the Group of 20 countries to place “strong sanctions, strong political pressure and accountability for Russia’s war.” This call comes after the European Union’s 19th package of sanctions, signaling a readiness to meet Trump’s demand for European nations to cease Russian oil imports. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated, “It is time to turn off the tap,” affirming the measures as an effective economic tool to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
Separately, Zelensky discussed the need for air-defense systems and missiles with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The UN Security Council is set to address the Ukraine war on Tuesday, with Zelensky scheduled to speak on Wednesday.
France Defies Government, Raises Palestinian Flags
In a powerful act of defiance, more than 50 French town halls raised the Palestinian flag on Monday, just hours before President Emmanuel Macron’s anticipated formal recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations. This symbolic gesture, involving 86 of France’s nearly 35,000 municipalities, went against warnings from the French Interior Ministry, which deemed it a breach of public service neutrality rules and a potential cause of public disturbance.
However, left-leaning mayors in major cities like Rennes, Nantes and Lyon, alongside various Parisian suburbs, proceeded with the action. Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, clarified that the flag represents “men and women who also have the right to freedom and self-determination,” not Hamas. He stressed that while a flag alone wouldn’t change the region’s fate, it signals France’s broader support for the move beyond the President’s official stance.
Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state has been controversial in France, a country with significant Jewish and Muslim communities. While praised by the left as a vital step toward peace, right-wing politicians and some in the Jewish community argue it could embolden Hamas and that statehood should only follow direct peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
Despite the Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau’s directive for prefects to challenge such actions in court, some municipalities, like Saint-Ouen, even displayed both Israeli and Palestinian flags together. On Sunday evening, both flags, along with an image of a dove carrying an olive branch, were projected onto the Eiffel Tower in Paris, symbolizing a complex search for peace.
Anticipated Highlights of the UN General Assembly Week
The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly is a high-stakes week for world leaders, convening in New York to tackle pressing global challenges amidst ongoing wars and internal financial strain. The General Debate, starting Tuesday, will be a key forum for member states to voice their positions.
Key Events to Watch:
- Monday: Palestinian statehood takes center stage, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, following recent formal recognitions by several Western nations. The Security Council will also hold an emergency meeting on Russian fighter jet incursions into Estonian airspace.
- Tuesday: The Security Council will discuss the war in Gaza and Middle East security, followed by a separate meeting on Ukraine.
- Wednesday: Leaders will convene for a climate summit to present new commitments and solutions for climate change.
- Thursday: Discussions will focus on artificial intelligence.
Beyond formal sessions, numerous one-on-one meetings are expected, including a potential encounter between UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Trump. The Russian foreign minister may also meet with his U.S. counterpart, despite recent stagnant diplomatic efforts regarding Ukraine.
Scheduled Speakers:
- Tuesday, Sept. 23:
- Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will open the debate.
- The United States President Trump will speak second, potentially addressing Gaza, Ukraine, immigration, and trade tariffs.
- Leaders from Turkey (Recep Tayyip Erdogan), Jordan, Qatar, and Egypt will address the assembly.
- France’s President Emmanuel Macron will speak, advocating for Palestinian statehood.
- Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki will discuss concerns over Russian drones.
- Mexico’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, will address pressures from the U.S. on trade and drug cartels.
- Wednesday, Sept. 24:
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to focus on Russia’s invasion.
- Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian will speak following a recent war with Israel.
- Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Shara, will make his UN debut after ousting Bashar al-Assad.
- Thursday, Sept. 25:
- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will participate virtually due to U.S. visa denials, amidst a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- Sudan’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris will speak about the ongoing civil war in his country.
- Friday, Sept. 26:
- Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will open the day, facing international isolation and domestic opposition over his Gaza strategy.
- He will be followed by Premier Li Qiang of China, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
- A representative from Nepal is also expected to speak following recent government upheaval.
- Saturday, Sept. 27:
- Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will discuss an “action plan” regarding Trump’s tariffs.
- Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov will deliver remarks, reiterating calls for “security guarantees” in Ukraine.
- Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil will address the Assembly amid heightened U.S. naval presence and accusations against President Nicolás Maduro.
- Monday, Sept. 29:
- Representatives from Afghanistan and South Sudan are slated to conclude the week’s remarks.