UNSC to Revisit Palestine's UN Membership Application

On Monday, Maltese Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, who holds the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), confirmed that Palestine's request to become a full member of the United Nations will be discussed in April.

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Without objections from any of its members, the Security Council send the case to the Admissions Committee, which is made up of 15 UNSC members and will begin to meet on Monday afternoon to discuss Palestine's application.

Previously, the Palestinian representative wrote to UN Secretary Antonio Guterres to request for renewed consideration of its Sept. 23, 2011, application for UN membership. The UN Secretary transmitted the request to the Security Council on April 3. 

Under the United Nations Charter, the admission of new members is decided by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The Admission Committee will deliberate on the matter and report its conclusions to the UNSC. The council then, by resolution, takes a decision to make a recommendation to the General Assembly.

As admission to UN membership is considered a substantive issue, a UNSC decision requires the agreement of at least 9 out of 15 members and is subject to veto. Admission to UN membership requires a two-thirds majority at the General Assembly.

In 1974, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution 3237, approving the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as an observer.

In December 1988, the assembly acknowledged the proclamation of the State of Palestine and decided that Palestine should be used in place of the PLO, maintaining Palestine in the non-state observer category.

In July 1998, the UNGA elevated Palestine to a status higher than all other observers. In November 2012, the General Assembly adopted a resolution to accord Palestine the status of a non-member observer state of the United Nations.