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The Palestinian government on Sunday welcomed a sweeping declaration from the African Union's 39th summit endorsing Palestine's bid for full United Nations membership and condemning any plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land.
The AU summit, which concluded its session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, issued a comprehensive final statement affirming that full UN membership represents a legitimate expression of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. The declaration also denounced forced displacement efforts as a "severe violation of international law."
Palestine's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the positions expressed at the summit were "clear and firm," reflecting broad African support for what it called the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. The ministry further described the push for full UN membership as a "legitimate and natural political and legal right," signaling that Ramallah views the AU's backing as more than symbolic.
The 55-member African Union represents the largest regional bloc at the United Nations, and its collective diplomatic weight has historically carried influence in General Assembly votes. A unified African position in favor of Palestinian statehood could intensify pressure on the Security Council, where previous membership bids have stalled due to vetoes by permanent members.
Palestine currently holds the status of non-member observer state at the UN, a designation granted by the General Assembly in November 2012. That vote, which passed by an overwhelming margin, upgraded Palestine's standing from "observer entity" but stopped short of granting it the voting rights and full legal standing that come with membership.
In May 2024, the General Assembly adopted a further resolution supporting Palestine's application for full membership, a step that nonetheless requires Security Council approval to take effect. The Council has not advanced the application.
The AU's declaration is the latest in a series of international moves that have expanded diplomatic recognition of Palestinian statehood in recent years. More than 140 UN member states now recognize Palestine, though several major Western nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have not done so.
By coupling its membership endorsement with an explicit rejection of forced displacement, the summit statement also addressed one of the most politically charged aspects of the conflict, framing population transfer not merely as a policy dispute but as a breach of the international legal order.
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