On Friday, September 12, 2025, UN member states endorsed the New York Declaration, a seven-page framework prepared with the involvement of France and Saudi Arabia.
The declaration, first approved by the UN in July 2025, lays out steps for the implementation of the two-state solution.
The idea of dividing the land between Israelis and Palestinians is not new; it was first endorsed by the UN in 1947. However, repeated challenges have prevented its implementation, leading to renewed debate in recent years.
According to the New York Declaration, the plan should be carried out within 15 months, in phases. It envisions the creation of a sovereign, independent, economically viable, and democratic state of Palestine â€" but without a standing army.
It also requires Hamas to disarm and transfer governance of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, while foreign nations would formally recognize Palestine as a state.
On Friday, Rwanda voted in support of this framework, alongside countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Qatar. In total, 142 countries voted in favor, while 10 opposed â€" including Israel, the United States, Tonga, and Hungary.
Another 12 countries abstained, among them the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Fiji, South Sudan, and Samoa.
Rwanda's vote came just one day after issuing a statement condemning recent Israeli strikes in Qatar that targeted leaders of Hamas.
IGIHE
