Endorsement of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution

Condemnatory

Yes

Analysis

• UN Decision 80/506 endorses the so-called New York Declaration, the outcome of a UN-sponsored “two-state resolution” conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. Convened under General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24, the conference was designed to advance implementation of the July 19, 2024 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank illegal and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
• In practice, the conference’s main purpose was to secure broad international recognition of a Palestinian state — a move widely seen by Israel and its supporters as rewarding Hamas for its October 7 atrocities and ongoing violations, including the continued captivity of Israeli hostages. Rather than promoting peace, the resolution effectively legitimizes Hamas’s strategy of terror and coercion. Unsurprisingly, Hamas “warmly welcomed” the adoption of the New York Declaration.
• The United States sharply condemned the decision. U.S. Representative to the UN Morgan Ortagus called it “a gift to Hamas,” warning that “far from promoting peace, the conference has already prolonged the war, emboldened Hamas, and harmed the prospects for peace in both the short and long term.” Likewise, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon stated, “The only beneficiary is Hamas … When terrorists are the ones cheering, you are not advancing peace, you are advancing terror.”

Main Sponsors

France, Saudi Arabia

Vote

Yes - 142, No - 10, Abstain - 12, Absent - 29

See Full Vote

Key Praise

None

Key Criticism

• "Recalling its resolution ES-10/24 of 18 September 2024, in which it decided to convene during the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly an international conference under the auspices of the Assembly for the implementation of the United Nations resolutions pertaining to the question of Palestine and the two-State solution for the achievement of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East."
• "Endorses the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution submitted by the Co-Chairs of the Conference and the Co-Chairs of the working groups to the Conference."