Recognition without resolution won’t bring peace

Next month, at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Australia will formally recognise a Palestinian state. The government’s intention is to signal support for Palestinian self-determination and to encourage momentum toward a two-state solution. Many will welcome the move as a step toward justice and peace.

But while the aspiration is worthy, the reality is more complex. Recognition may sound like progress, but in the current context it risks becoming symbolism at precisely the wrong moment - symbolism that could undermine both peace and the principles on which it must rest.

UNGA can adopt resolutions and declarations, but unlike the UN Security Council, it cannot create binding obligations on member states. An UNGA resolution to recognise a Palestinian state would carry political weight, but it would not compel Israel, Palestine, or any other party to alter their policies or actions.

Over 140 UN member states have already recognised Palestine, yet the reality on the ground has not shifted. Borders remain contested, governance is fractured, and violence continues. In 2010 Palestine was granted non-member observer status by the UN and in 2024, it received enhanced rights as a non-member observer State – but the diplomatic upgrades have changed little for Palestinians or Israelis.

Kosovo offers another warning: recognised by many Western countries after declaring independence from Serbia in 2008, it remains locked in disputes nearly two decades later, with its UN membership still blocked. Recognition without a negotiated settlement achieves neither peace nor stability.