Indonesia said it was “hopeful” that the historic United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote last week that gives Palestine additional rights in the world body would pave the way for Palestine to be accepted as a full-fledged member of the UN.

At an emergency special session on Friday at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, the General Assembly backed a resolution, whose 77 co-sponsors included Indonesia, for Palestine to be given “additional rights and privileges” as a non-member observer starting in the next UNGA in September.

The resolution grants Palestine, among other things, the right to sit among other UN members and to propose and co-sponsor resolutions, but not the right to vote at the General Assembly, nor does it give full UN membership.

To become a full UN member, Palestine must first secure approval from the UN Security Council (UNSC), before securing the support of at least two-thirds of the 193 countries at the General Assembly.

Indonesia has fresh hopes that Palestine will be able to do so after last week’s assembly also determined that Palestine had qualified for the UNSC’s approval, and that the council should “reconsider the matter favorably”, said Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry.

“With Palestine's increasing role [and its move] toward full UN membership, it is hoped that the political visibility of the Palestinian issue and struggle will increase,” the ministry said in a press statement on Saturday.

The ministry also hailed last week’s General Assembly vote for reaffirming “increasing global support for the Palestinian cause” and that Indonesia would continue to push for Palestine's full membership in the UN.

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