Toronto: Canada has announced that it would formally recognize Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly in September. The statement came after Britain made a similar announcement on July 29, with its recognition conditional on a ceasefire. France and Malta have also said they will recognise Palestine.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would support Palestinian statehood in September unless Israel halts its military campaign, abandons annexation plans in the West Bank, and engages in peace efforts to establish a two-state solution. This decision marks a major shift in UK foreign policy.
According to reports, as many as 147 out of 193 UN member countries recognize the state of Palestine at present. The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) will open on September 9 in the US.
To become a full UN Member State, Palestine would need a recommendation from the UN Security Council, followed by a two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly. However, any of the five permanent members (P5) of the Security Council (US, UK, France, Russia, and China) can veto the application.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has warned Ottawa that its recognition of Palestine will have consequences. “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh Canada!!!” he wrote on Truth Social. Canada faces 35 percent tariffs on its exports to the US unless a deal is struck.
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UN members renew push for 2-state solution India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said that deliberations during the preparation for the UN High-Level International Conference on ‘The Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’ confirm that the international community continues to believe there is no substitute for a two-state solution. A 25-page outcome document titled ‘New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution’ asserted that the war in Gaza must end now and Hamas must free all hostages. “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,” the outcome document said. |
