80 Years of the UN Charter: The Israel–Palestine Dossier

by Walter Baier, President of the EL

On 24 October 1945, after its ratification by 50 states, the Charter of the United Nations came into force. It is worth recalling that its present form was shaped by two defining historical processes: the struggle against fascism and the dismantling of colonialism.

As early as 1942, twenty-six nations – including the leading powers of the anti-Hitler coalition – had agreed on the principles of a collective security system for the post-war world. The path to the United Nations ran through the wartime conferences in Moscow, Tehran, and Yalta. The UN Charter was finalised and signed by 50 states on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco, while the war in the Pacific was still ongoing. Shortly afterwards, Poland joined as the 51st founding member.

The Charter enshrined principles whose relevance has endured to this day:

  • International cooperation in addressing economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian challenges.
  • The preservation of peace and collective responsibility for the prevention of war;
  • Equal rights and self-determination for all nations;

The current composition of the United Nations reflects the second formative force behind its creation – the process of decolonisation, which accelerated in the 1960s and 1970s. By the end of that period, membership had expanded to 152 states (today there are 193). In 1971, the People’s Republic of China replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the representative of China, against strong opposition from the United States. In 1974, South Africa was effectively suspended from participation in the UN and only returned in 1994 after the end of apartheid.

In 1992, the UN General Assembly condemned the U.S. embargo on Cuba for the first time — a resolution that has been reaffirmed annually ever since. The growing assertiveness of countries in the Global South, and the shift toward a more multilateral world order, can also be seen in the Assembly’s willingness to condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine by an overwhelming majority.

Thus, the UN Charter, and the United Nations founded upon it, remain the essential framework for global peace, environmental stewardship, and development policy.

The Israel–Palestine Dossier

On 12 September 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted the “New York Declaration” with 142 votes in favour, 10 against, and 12 abstentions. The declaration calls for the implementation of the two-state solution and affirms that the recognition of Palestinian statehood is a prerequisite for lasting peace. It stands in direct contrast to the Trump–Netanyahu plan.

Both Israel and the United States have ignored this expression of the will of the overwhelming majority of nations — just as they have disregarded earlier UN resolutions over the decades:

  • Resolution 242 (1967), calling for Israel’s withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six-Day War;
  • Resolution 3236 (1974), in which the General Assembly recognised the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, national independence, and sovereignty;
  • Resolution 67/19 (2012), granting Palestine observer-state status at the United Nations.

By consistently failing to acknowledge these resolutions, successive Israeli governments have placed the country outside the legal framework established by the UN — forgetting that Israel’s own founding was based on a UN resolution, the 1947 partition plan that proposed the division of the British Mandate into a Jewish and an Arab state.

So, is the United Nations powerless? Not necessarily. Its influence endures when it aligns with global public opinion, which — as seen in the case of Gaza — has demanded an end to mass violence against civilians, the release of hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

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