At UNGA India backs Palestine President Abbas to address high-level session

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution ‘Participation by the State of Palestine’ during its 80th session, with 145 nations voting in favor while five against and six abstained from the Vote

On September 19, 2025, India cast its vote in support of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that permits Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to speak at the forthcoming high-level meeting remotely via video, following the U.S. government’s refusal to grant visas to Palestinian delegates, which blocked their physical attendance. During the 80th UNGA session, the 193-member body approved the measure, known as “Participation by the State of Palestine,” with 145 countries affirming it, five rejecting it, and six opting to abstain. While the United States and Israel stood against the proposal, India joined the majority in backing it. The decision allows Abbas to deliver a pre-recorded message during the General Debate on September 25, which will be screened in the Assembly Hall following an introduction from a Palestinian envoy on site.

The General Debate for the 80th UNGA is set to begin on September 23, positioning the Palestinian leader’s slot on the 25th among speeches from global heads of state. Under the new framework, Palestine is empowered to provide a video-recorded address from its president or a senior official for any UN gathering or event organized by the Assembly—or relevant UN bodies—should barriers prevent on-site involvement. Palestine holds “non-member observer state” status at the UN since 2012, granting it involvement in discussions but no ballot rights. The Holy See remains the sole other entity with this observer designation.

India’s endorsement reflects its pioneering role, as one of the earliest nations to acknowledge Palestine’s statehood in 1988, alongside unwavering backing for a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.