The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to recommend the accession and recognition of Palestine. The resolution, which is a victory for the Palestinian cause, passed with 143 votes in favor, nine against and 25 abstentions.

The votes against came from United States, Argentina, Hungary, Czech Republic, Israel, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau. The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Austria, Canada and Sweden are among the 25 countries that abstained.

It is a resolution, so it does not make Palestine a member state of the United Nations. It is, however, a form of support for the interests of Palestine and the authorities that represent it at the United Nations, such as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Since the founding of the PLO in the 1960s, the organization has aimed to obtain as much international recognition as possible. The United Nations admitted it as an observer organization and as a representative of the so-called Palestinian people.

The United Nations Security Council ultimately decides on the accession of Palestine to the international organization. In this U.N. body, the United States has the right to veto resolutions, and for this reason, Palestine has never succeeded in obtaining its passage to the international organization and full recognition.

Changes in the UN status of Palestine

The U.N. General Assembly has recommended and deemed fit the recognition of Palestine. The resolution also provides Palestinian representatives with a seat in the full U.N. General Assembly, albeit without voting rights.

In the same way that it obtains a seat, as of September, the representatives of Palestine will also have the right to make statements, submit proposals and amendments, propose items on the agenda of the plenary sessions, as well as to participate in international conferences of the United Nations. Finally, members of the Palestinian delegation will also have the right to sit on General Assembly committees.