Palestinian Foreign Ministry Welcomes Upgrading Membership to "Observer State" in ILO
Taarek Refaat
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the historic decision adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) to upgrade Palestine's membership from "national liberation movement" to "non-member observer state" in the organization, despite the Israeli occupation's attempts to obstruct its adoption.
The ministry stated, in a statement carried by the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) on Friday, that the decision was adopted after years of diplomatic efforts by the ministry and the Permanent Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in Geneva, in cooperation and coordination with relevant authorities. The voting results were a clear majority of 386 votes in favor, 15 against, and 42 abstentions.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that this resolution grants Palestine expanded observer rights in the International Labour Organization (ILO) and upgrades its status to "non-member observer state," in line with its status in the United Nations and UN General Assembly Resolution ES-10/23 of May 2024. This resolution balances Palestine's status in the ILO with its membership in other agencies such as UNESCO and the World Health Organization.
The resolution is based on the recommendation of the ILO Governing Body, adopted during its 352nd session in November 2024, which called for strengthening the status and participation of the State of Palestine in the organization's work, including attendance at Governing Body meetings, regional conferences, and technical committees.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates appreciated the positions of the countries that expressed their clear support for this resolution, calling on the countries that did not support the resolution and isolated themselves with their negative votes to review their positions and join the moral majority consistent with international law.
It emphasized that this step is important to preserve the rights of the Palestinian people, especially in light of the crimes committed by Israel, the illegal occupying power, since the Nakba in 1948.
It also emphasized that Palestinian diplomacy continues its efforts on all international levels—political, diplomatic, and legal—to enable the State of Palestine to exercise its full role in all UN and international organizations and enhance its international presence.
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