• UN conference ends with global push for two-state solution
• Malta also announces intention to recognise Palestine in September

WASHINGTON: France and 14 other Western nations called on countries worldwide to move to recognise a Palestinian state, France’s top diplomat said on Wednesday.

The foreign ministers of 15 countries late on Tuesday issued a joint statement following a conference in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at reviving a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians.

“In New York, together with 14 other countries, France is issuing a collective appeal: we express our desire to recognise the State of Palestine and invite those who have not yet done so to join us,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X.

The three-day gathering, convened at United Nations headquarters under UN General Assembly’s Resolution 79/81, ended with the adoption of a resolution urging member states to take concrete steps — without further delay — to implement existing UN mandates on Palestine and support the two-state framework.

While not adopted as a formal resolution, the declaration — titled the ‘New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine’ — is being circulated for endorsement by all 193 UN member states ahead of the General Assembly’s 80th session in September, where a progress report on its implementation will be presented.

The United States and Israel boycotted the conference and strongly opposed the two-state solution.

The declaration calls for the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel, based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital, accompanied by security guarantees for both parties.

“The war in Gaza must end now,” it states, condemning both the Oct 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and Israel’s military response, which has killed thousands of civilians and destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure.

The plan urges immediate implementation of a phased ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, to halt hostilities, secure the release of hostages and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

It proposes reunifying Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority (PA). Hamas would be required to relinquish power and surrender its weapons. A transitional administrative committee, backed by international partners, would be formed under PA authority, supported by a UN-led stabilisation mission to protect civilians and manage the security and governance transitions.

The declaration received broad backing from participants who chaired the conference’s working groups, including Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt, Japan, Ireland and the EU.

Commitments

Several countries made firm commitments during the conference. President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognise the State of Palestine in September, becoming the first major Western power to do so.

Malta also confirmed it would recognise Palestine at the same session, with Prime Minister Robert Abela describing the decision as a “concrete step” in support of Palestinian self-determination.

Brunei reiterated support for Palestine’s full UN membership, calling recognition “reflective of international consensus on justice and sovereignty”.

Russia reaffirmed its position, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin noting that Palestine has had an embassy in Moscow since 1990.

Meanwhile, the UN’s humanitarian agency said on Wednesday that the conditions for delivering aid into Gaza were “far from sufficient” to meet the immense needs of its “desperate, hungry people”.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2025