Additional rights and privileges of participation of the State of Palestine – Implementation of General Assembly resolution ES-10/23, entitled “Admission of new Members to the United Nations” – Note by Secretary-General

16 July 2024

Tenth emergency special session

Agenda item 5

Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Implementation of General Assembly resolution ES-10/23, entitled “Admission of new Members to the United Nations”

Note by the Secretary-General

1. The General Assembly, in paragraph 3 of its resolution ES-10/23, decided, on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent, to adopt the modalities set out in the annex to the resolution for the participation of the State of Palestine in the sessions and work of the Assembly and the international conferences convened under the auspices of the Assembly or other organs of the United Nations, as well as in United Nations conferences.
2. In paragraph 4 of the same resolution, the General Assembly requested the Economic and Social Council, insofar as the rights concerned could be exercised by a non-member of the Council, and other relevant organs, specialized agencies, organizations and entities within the United Nations system to apply the above-mentioned modalities.
3. In paragraph 8 of the same resolution, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to take the measures necessary to implement the resolution.
4. It is noted as an initial matter that resolution ES-10/23, including its annex, has not changed the status of the State of Palestine in the United Nations as a non-member observer State.
5. It is further noted that, pursuant to resolution ES-10/23 and the annex thereto, read together with other rules of the Organization, in particular the Charter of the United Nations and relevant decisions and resolutions (such as the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and the relevant Assembly resolutions, including other Assembly resolutions concerning the rights and privileges of participation of the State of Palestine), the additional rights and privileges of participation of the State of Palestine would be given effect through the following modalities as of the seventy-ninth session of the Assembly, without prejudice to its existing rights and privileges:

“(a) The right to be seated among Member States in alphabetical order”

The State of Palestine will be seated among Member States in alphabetical order. In the General Assembly Hall, the State of Palestine will be seated among Member States in the English alphabetical order.

In the General Assembly Hall, the State of Palestine will occupy three seats as well as the three seats immediately behind them.

“(b) The right of inscription on the list of speakers under agenda items other than Palestinian and Middle East issues in the order in which it signifies its desire to speak”

In plenary meetings of the General Assembly, the established practice concerning the inscription of the State of Palestine on the list of speakers under the agenda item entitled “Question of Palestine” will continue. Accordingly, the established practice to allow the State of Palestine to speak as one of the first speakers in plenary meetings where the agenda item entitled “Question of Palestine” is considered will continue, including in plenary meetings where the report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is considered under the agenda item entitled “Question of Palestine”.

In plenary meetings of the General Assembly under agenda items other than Palestinian and Middle East issues, the State of Palestine will be inscribed on the list of speakers in the order in which it signifies its desire to speak.

The established practice in the relevant Main Committees of the General Assembly to allow the State of Palestine to speak as one of the first speakers in their meetings where agenda items on Palestinian and Middle East issues are considered will continue.

“(c) The right to make statements on behalf of a group, including among representatives of major groups”

The State of Palestine will have the right to make statements on behalf of a group. When the State of Palestine wishes to make a statement on behalf of a group and among the representatives of major groups, the State of Palestine will be inscribed on the list of speakers among the representatives of major groups in the order, among groups, in which it signifies its desire to speak.

“(d) The right to submit proposals and amendments and introduce them, including orally, including on behalf of a group”

The State of Palestine will have the right to submit proposals and amendments.

Accordingly, the State of Palestine may submit proposals or amendments either for circulation as an official document or orally.

The State of Palestine may submit proposals or amendments on behalf of a group either for circulation as an official document or orally.

The State of Palestine may make statements to introduce proposals and amendments submitted by it, including on behalf of a group (in instances where such proposals and amendments were submitted by the State of Palestine on behalf of a group).

“(e) The right to co-sponsor proposals and amendments, including on behalf of a group”

The State of Palestine will have the right to co-sponsor proposals and amendments, including the right to co-sponsor proposals and amendments on behalf of a group.

“(f) The right to make explanations of vote on behalf of the States Members of a group”

The State of Palestine will have the right to make explanations of vote on behalf of the States Members of a group in the order in which it signifies its desire to make such explanations, except when the vote is taken by secret ballot. When the State of Palestine wishes to make such explanations among the representatives of major groups, the State of Palestine will be inscribed on the list of speakers among the representatives of major groups in the order, among groups, in which it signifies its desire to speak.

“(g) The right of reply regarding positions of a group”

The presiding officer will accord the right of reply regarding positions of a group to the State of Palestine in the order in which it signifies its desire to make a reply. When the State of Palestine wishes to make such reply among the representatives of major groups, the State of Palestine will be inscribed on the list of speakers among the representatives of major groups in the order, among groups, in which it signifies its desire to speak.

“(h) The right to raise procedural motions, including points of order and requests to put proposals to the vote, including the right to challenge the decision of the presiding officer, including on behalf of a group”

The State of Palestine may raise procedural motions, including points of order, requests to put proposals to the vote, appeals against the rulings of the presiding officer on points of order, the adjournment of debate, the closure of debate and the suspension or adjournment of the meeting, in accordance with the applicable rules of procedure.

The State of Palestine may raise procedural motions on behalf of a group.

“(i) The right to propose items to be included in the provisional agenda of the regular or special sessions and the right to request the inclusion of supplementary or additional items in the agenda of regular or special sessions”

The State of Palestine may propose items to be included in the provisional agenda of the regular sessions of the General Assembly.

Insofar as the provisional agenda of a special session is concerned, the provisional agenda for a special session shall, in accordance with the relevant rule of procedure of the General Assembly, consist only of those items proposed for consideration in the request for the holding of the session. Special sessions are convened by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council, at the request of a majority of the Members of the United Nations, or upon the concurrence of a majority of the Members of the United Nations in the request of any Member to convene a special session. Accordingly, in instances where a special session is to be convened at the request of a majority of the Members of the United Nations or at the request of any Member of the United Nations (upon the concurrence of a majority of the Members), the State of Palestine may request that those Members or that Member, as the case may be, include, in their request for the holding of a special session, an item that the State of Palestine proposes for consideration at the special session.

The State of Palestine may request the inclusion of supplementary or additional items in the agenda of regular sessions or special sessions in accordance with the relevant rules of procedure of the General Assembly.

“(j) The right of members of the delegation of the State of Palestine to be elected as officers in the plenary and the Main Committees of the General Assembly”

A member of the delegation of the State of Palestine may be elected as President of the General Assembly.

Members of the delegation of the State of Palestine may be elected as Chair, Vice-Chair or Rapporteur of the Main Committees of the General Assembly.

The State of Palestine may be elected as Vice-President of the General Assembly.

The State of Palestine may submit the candidacy of members of the delegation of the State of Palestine for the sole purpose of election as President of the General Assembly or as Chair, Vice-Chair or Rapporteur of the Main Committees of the Assembly, or its own candidacy for the sole purpose of election as Vice-President of the Assembly.

“(k) The right to full and effective participation in United Nations conferences and international conferences and meetings convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or, as appropriate, under the auspices of other organs of the United Nations, in line with its participation in the high-level political forum on sustainable development”

The General Assembly, in its resolution 67/290, decided that all meetings of the high-level political forum on sustainable development shall provide for the full and effective participation of all States Members of the United Nations and States members of specialized agencies. The State of Palestine, as a State member of specialized agencies, has participated in the meetings of the high-level political forum convened under the auspices of the Assembly and in the meetings of the high-level political forum convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council with the same rights and privileges as Member States (including the right to vote).

Accordingly, the State of Palestine may participate in United Nations conferences and international conferences and meetings convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or, as appropriate, under the auspices of other organs of the United Nations which are open to States Members of the United Nations and States members of specialized agencies as well as those which are open to all States, with the same rights and privileges as Member States (including the right to vote, in instances where voting is permitted).

Furthermore, the State of Palestine may participate in United Nations conferences and international conferences and meetings convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or, as appropriate, under the auspices of other organs of the United Nations which are open to all Member States with the same rights and privileges as Member States (including the right to vote, in instances where voting is permitted).

In United Nations conferences and international conferences and meetings convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or, as appropriate, under the auspices of other organs of the United Nations which are open to a limited number of Member States and which are open to participation by other Member States and the State of Palestine as observers, the State of Palestine may participate in such conferences and meetings with the same rights and privileges as Member States that are participating as observers.

The modalities mentioned in the preceding three paragraphs are without prejudice to any separate arrangement which other principal organs may make.

Some international conferences convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or under the auspices of other organs of the United Nations are also referred to as “United Nations conferences”.

“(l) The State of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer State, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs”

The State of Palestine will not have the right to vote in the General Assembly, including in elections, without prejudice to its existing rights and privileges.

The State of Palestine shall not have the right to put forward candidates, including to submit its own candidacy for any election or appointment by the General Assembly to a United Nations organ, except as outlined in section (j) of the present note.