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**United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/19**

**Background and Adoption**

On 29 November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 67/19, granting Palestine non-member observer status to the United Nations. This resolution was adopted at the 67th meeting of the General Assembly.

**Status Change**

The resolution changed the status of Palestine from a non-member entity of the Organization to a non-member State, similar to the situation of the Holy See. The Palestinian delegation, formerly known as the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), was granted observer status at the United Nations without prejudice to its acquired rights, privileges, and role in the United Nations.

**Equivalent Status**

The resolution gave the Palestinian State an equivalent status within the United Nations to that of the State of Vatican City. This means that Palestine has a similar status to other non-member States, such as the Holy See, which also have permanent observer status at the United Nations.

**Request and Submission**

The request for adoption of this status was submitted by the President of Palestine, Abū Māzen, who stated that his country needed a "birth certificate" to formalize its international presence. The resolution was adopted despite warnings from Israel that such a move violates the Oslo Accords (1993), which created the framework for Palestinian self-governance.

**International Day of Solidarity**

The adoption of Resolution 67/19 coincided with the anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of Resolution 181(II) in 1947, which decided on the division of Mandate Palestine into Arab and Jewish States. Since 1974, this day has been celebrated by the United Nations as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

**Date**

The resolution was adopted on 29 November 2012, although some sources indicate that it was initially submitted to the UN on 26 November 2012.