The United Nations Security Council has referred the application of the observer State of Palestine for full membership to the specialized committee set up to vet new members.

The Council’s President made the announcement on Monday (Apr. 8).

“I shall refer to the Committee on the Admission of New Members the request that renewed consideration be given to the application of the Observer State of Palestine during the month of April 2024. As I hear no objection, it is so decided.”
The specialized commitee shall examine any application referred to it and report its conclusions thereon to the Council.

Palestine is a non-member observer State of the UN, the same status as held by the Holy See.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas delivered the Palestinian Authority’s application to become the 194th member of the United Nations to then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sept. 23, 2011, before addressing world leaders at the General Assembly.

After decades of failed on-and-off peace talks, the Palestinians hope the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will become a reality.