Palestine welcomes African Union’s support for its bid for full UN membership

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestine’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday welcomed the decision of the 39th African Union (AU) Summit to support full UN membership for Palestine and reject plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians.

In a statement, the ministry described the clear and firm positions expressed at the summit as encouraging, reflecting the African continent’s support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.

Palestine also expressed appreciation for the summit’s call to end the Israeli occupation and accelerate recognition of the State of Palestine’s full UN membership, emphasizing that this demand is a legitimate and natural political and legal right.

The AU concluded its 39th session in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Sunday with a comprehensive final statement calling for granting the State of Palestine full membership in the UN, affirming that this step represents a legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

The summit statement also strongly condemned any attempts to forcibly displace the Palestinian population, describing such actions as a “severe violation of international law.”

Palestine holds the status of a “non-member observer state” at the UN, which was granted by the UN General Assembly on Nov. 29, 2012.

In May 2024, the General Assembly also adopted a resolution supporting Palestine’s application for full UN membership.