PALESTINE AFTER RESOLUTION 67/19

Gogić Ognjen (Student master studija na Fakultetu političkih nauka), ognjen.gogic@gmail.com

After the Palestinian application for the UN membership came to a standstill, UNGA adopted the Resolution 67/19 on 29 November 2012 in order to upgrade Palestine’s status from a “permanent observer entity” to a “non-member observer state”. In this article, the author examines potential legal and political implications of such an outcome. The author argues that although not being legally binding, under certain circumstances GA resolutions can be interpreted as reflecting the opinion of the international community. Since the Resolution 67/19 was adopted by an overwhelming majority, the author considers that it presents an “unequivocal indication” that GA considers Palestine to be a state under international law. The adoption of the Resolution 67/19 should therefore allow Palestine to access the multilateral treaties open to “all states”.

Keywords: Palestine, Resolution 67/19, General Assembly permanent observers, statehood, international treaties