A wave of Palestinian statehood recognition: What to expect from the UN General Assembly

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Set to commence on Tuesday, the United Nations General Assembly will hold its 80th iteration under the theme “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.” World leaders will gather in New York from 22 to 30 September at a time characterized by multiple global crises converging—genocide, wars, economic slowdown, climate pressures, and rising mistrust in international institutions.

The General Assembly debates are set to begin the day after a conference on the New York Declaration on Monday, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, that seeks to lay the groundwork for a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The question of recognizing Palestine embodies the very essence of this year’s debate. “The Conference will reaffirm international commitments to the two-state solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, and seek to mobilize support for its implementation,” the UN wrote.

The resolution, formally titled “New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,” had already been co‑signed by 17 member states at an international conference held at UN headquarters in New York in July, and it was approved by the General Assembly on September 12 by 142 votes in favor to ten against, with 12 abstentions. Israel—backed by its closest ally, the US—voted against the resolution.

"Two peoples, two states, peace and security for all," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X on Saturday in reference to the declaration.

“We condemn the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on the 7th of October,” the declaration read. At the same time, it added, "We also condemn the attacks by Israel against civilians in Gaza and civilian infrastructure, siege and starvation, which have resulted in a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.”

The document notably calls for accountability over violations of international law: “There is no justification for breaches in grave violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, and we stressed the need for accountability.”

The declaration also includes a demand for “the release of all hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, the return of all remains, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and reiterated our determination to act for the achievement of these objectives. In this context, Hamas must free all hostages.”

Key provisions of the agreement include a vision for Gaza’s future: “In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State.”

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 65,141 Palestinians and the wounding of 165,925, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Vast areas of Gaza have been razed to the ground, displacing the vast majority of the territory's 2 million inhabitants. 

The document also addressed the political track. “Taking note that there is no ongoing negotiations between the parties, and that illegal unilateral actions are posing an existential threat to the realization of the independent State of Palestine, we reiterated that recognition and realization of the State of Palestine are an essential and indispensable component of the achievement of the two-State solution, while recalling that recognition is a sovereign decision of each individual State,” it stated.

It added that “full admission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations is an indispensable element of the political solution ending the conflict, which will enable full regional integration.”

Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein slammed the resolution’s adoption. The UN General Assembly has become “a political circus detached from reality,” said Marmorstein, adding that Israel “utterly rejects the declaration.”

The US described the resolution as “yet another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt,” calling it “a gift to Hamas.”

“The United States will not participate in this insult to the victims of October 7, but we will continue to lead real-world efforts to end the fighting and to deliver a permanent peace,” said US Counselor Morgan Ortagus in an address to the Assembly.

Mass recognition of a Palestinian state

Despite staunch US opposition, the winds of change regarding Palestinian statehood have blown across Europe as Israel's punitive campaign in Gaza has dragged on.

The Portuguese government announced on Friday that it will recognize the State of Palestine on Sunday, September 21, joining a wave of declarations by European countries that kicked off with France's recognition announcement in July.

Alongside France and Portugal, other countries—including Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, the United Kingdom and San Marino— will also recognize the State of Palestine, according to an adviser to the French president.

Palestine’s recognition by France and Canada marks a significant historical moment, as they became the first two G7 nations to take that step. The move followed a broader wave in 2024, when European nations such as Ireland, Norway, and Spain also formally recognized a Palestinian state.

Recognizing a Palestinian state means initiating official diplomatic relations that typically involve the exchange of ambassadors or other diplomatic personnel. In the case of Palestine, however, international recognition has a high symbolic and political value.

At the moment Palestine is recognized by almost all countries in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America, but by very few Western countries: almost all have announced it in recent months in an attempt to put pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza—is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly next Friday, just days after Israel launched a ground assault on Gaza City.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, will not attend in person after the United States refused to grant him a visa, instead allowing him to appear via video link. The General Assembly approved the arrangement following Washington’s decision to revoke visas for Abbas and about 80 other Palestinian officials, a move the US State Department said was based on national security concerns.

Iraq's role

Representatives from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are set to attend the General Assembly, with the delegation including Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani.

Iraq voted in favor of the New York Declaration in September and has long supported the Palestinian cause on the international stage.

Iraq’s Minister of Migration Evan Faek Gabro on Friday said that an international conference calling for the repatriation of persons from Syria’s al-Hol camp will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in preparation for the camp’s planned closure. Gabro said the conference will take place on September 26 and will be attended by regional and international representatives.

Located in northern Syria’s Hasaka province, al-Hol houses around 40,000 Islamic State (ISIS)-affiliated individuals from over 60 different nationalities and has often been referred to as a “ticking time bomb” by Iraqi authorities.

Iraq has repatriated over 15,000 of its nationals from the camp over the years—more than any other country—and aims to complete repatriation by the end of 2025. The camp reportedly still holds over 13,000 Iraqis.

Syria: A new beginning?

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will make a notable debut at the General Assembly, being set to be the first Syrian president to attend the Assembly since 1967. The new government under Sharaa has vociferously worked to garner international credibility following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in December, with the high-profile event marking a seminal opportunity for Damascus to further its campaign to remove sanctions on the country and enhance its global status.

Ahead of the General Assembly, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani traveled to Washington on Thursday to hold meetings with US officials on the lifting of sanctions on Syria, marking the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to the US in decades.

Sharaa is expected to address the Assembly on September 24.

Iran: A last-ditch effort to prevent sanctions

Iran's attendance at the proceedings are likely to see diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the imposition of UN Security Council sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program, coming after the Security Council on Friday failed to adopt a draft resolution that would have continued to provide sanctions relief to Iran and prevented triggering the “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal. 

Under the 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the snapback mechanism permits the reactivation of UN sanctions if Iran is deemed in violation of its nuclear obligations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are both expected to attend the General Assembly.