 | This article needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Follow-up conference in September. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025) |
 UN General Assembly hall (location of the conference) | |
| Date | July 28–30, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Venue | United Nations Headquarters |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Theme | Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-state solution[1] |
| Organised by |  United Nations France (sponsor) Saudi Arabia (sponsor) |
An international conference on the implementation of thetwo-state solution was held in New York City on July 28–30, 2025. The conference was authorized by a resolution of theUnited Nations General Assembly, adopted in December 2024 with a vote of 157 to 7.[2] It was initially scheduled for June 17–20 but was postponed due to theIran–Israel War.[3] The conference aimed to develop a widely supported international framework addressing the disarmament ofHamas,[4] the release ofhostages in Gaza, the reform of thePalestinian Authority, and post-conflict planning, including consideration of atwo-state solution.
The conference adopted a declaration envisioning a 15-month plan to establish asovereign Palestine.[5]France andMalta announced their intentions to recognize Palestine by September 2025, withSan Marino joining them by the end of the year; additionally,Canada and theUnited Kingdom announced conditional recognitions by September 2025 depending upon several factors. The conference resumed on 22 September 2025 due to the continuingGaza war.[6][7]
On 27 September 2024, during a ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, Saudi foreign ministerFaisal bin Farhan Al Saud launched aGlobal Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.[8] On December 4, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an international conference at the highest level, to be held from June 2 to 4, with the aim of irreversibly advancing the establishment of a Palestinian state. A preparatory meeting was scheduled to precede it in May.[2]
On May 24 in Paris, Foreign MinisterJean-Noël Barrot hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan for a working session dedicated to preparing for the conference. During his visit to Indonesia, French PresidentEmmanuel Macron stressed that only a political solution can restore peace and support long-term rebuilding.[9] On June 3, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that France is "fulfilling its role in supporting the convening of an international conference under United Nations auspices." He added that Paris is working to ensure the summit delivers ambitious and tangible outcomes.[10]
On June 9, 2025, Palestinian PresidentMahmoud Abbas sent a letter to both Macron and Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed Bin Salman in which he condemned Hamas's actions ofOctober 7. He also endorsed thedisarmament of Hamas and stated that the movement should play no role in thegovernance of the Gaza Strip.[11] He also pledged to reform thePalestinian Authority and hold elections within a year, and invited Arab and international forces to deploy in Gaza to stabilize the security situation.[12] On June 11, 2025, theTrump administration called on countries to not attend the conference, and warned of potential diplomatic consequences should any measures be taken that are deemed hostile toward Israel.[13] The message emphasized that the United States opposes any unilateralrecognition of a Palestinian state.[13]
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Prior to its initial postponement, the original purpose of the conference was to achieve further recognition ofPalestinian statehood.[14] At the time of the conference, 147 out of 193UN member states (76%) recognized the State of Palestine.[15] According to theAssociated Press, the incumbentNetanyahu government of Israel, which boycotted the conference along with the United States, opposes Palestinian statehood and instead prefers "the status quo, where Israel maintains overall control, and Israelis have fuller rights than Palestinians".[16]
In May 2025, Macron suggested that the recognition of a Palestinian state could be considered during the conference.[17] Israel rejected Macron's suggestion regarding recognition, stating that both the recognition and the conference itself would amount to a reward for Hamas.[18] Foreign Minister Barrot responded by encouraging Prime Minister Netanyahu to revisit his 2009 remarks endorsing a two-state solution.[19] On July 24, 2025, just before the conference, Macron announced that France would formally recognize Palestine at a ceremony convened in conjunction with the80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.[20][21]
Maltese Prime MinisterRobert Abela initially announced thatMalta would recognize Palestine following the conference,[22] though this decision was later delayed.[23] In June 2025,NPR correspondant Daniel Estrin reported thatBelgium,Luxembourg,Croatia, andGreece were expected to extend recognition during the conference.[24] According toPolitico, France also lobbiedthe Netherlands and theUnited Kingdom to recognize Palestine.[17]
Norwegian Foreign MinisterEspen Barth Eide has pledged that his country will provide 200 million Norwegian kroner in support of the Palestinian government, which is facing an economic crisis due to Israel's withholding of tax revenues since October 2023.[25]
On the second day of the conference, the United Kingdom announced that it would recognize Palestine in September, unless Israel agrees to reach a ceasefire in theGaza War and refrains fromannexing the West Bank.[26] Malta also announced that it would recognize Palestine in September at the UN General Assembly,[27] while San Marino announced it would recognize Palestine by the end of the year.[28]The Jerusalem Post described France's efforts to secure recognition of Palestinian statehood as an overall failure, with states such as Japan, Singapore,[a] South Korea, and Australia declining to recognize Palestine.[30] Late in July 29, a joint statement entitled the "New York Call" was co-signed by fifteen countries.[31] The statement called the recognition of Palestine an "an essential step towards the two-State solution" and suggested that several other states could recognize Palestine in the coming months.[31][32] The New York Call was endorsed by:[32]
Andorra
Australia
Canada
Finland France
Iceland
Ireland
Luxembourg
Malta
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
San Marino
Slovenia
SpainFollowing the statement, Luxembourg announced that it was "currently positively inclined" to recognize Palestine in September.[33] Canada announced that it would recognize Palestine in September, on the condition that Palestine bedemilitarized and that the Palestinian Authority holds ademocratic election in 2026 without Hamas.[34] New Zealand declined to immediately recognize Palestine.[35] A follow-up summit on Palestinian statehood was set for September 22, 2025, with the attendance of heads of governments and state.[36]
A seven-page "New York Declaration" was presented at the conference, laying out a 15-month phased plan for a demilitarized,sovereign Palestine.[37][5][38] The plan includes tasking thePalestinian Authority with governing the entirety of Palestine, and establishing a temporaryUnited Nations peacekeeping mission to provide security to Palestinians during the transition period.[37] The declaration encourages states to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, and denounces theOctober 7 attacks, calling onHamas to disarm and give up itsrule over Gaza while "mark[ing] a first condemnation by Arab nations of Hamas".[37]
The declaration establishes a specialized committee responsible for developing and overseeing all necessary mechanisms, through continuous and binding follow-ups, to ensure the implementation of the conference's outcomes.[38] The committee will comprise 19 countries and be jointly chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. It will include 17 chairpersons of the eight subcommittees emerging from this conference.[38] The New York Declaration was initially endorsed by, in order:[38]
France Saudi Arabia
Brazil Canada
China
Egypt
Indonesia Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Mexico Norway
Qatar
Senegal Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
European Union
Arab LeagueOn September 12, 2025, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution endorsing the New York Declaration in a 142–10 vote.[39]
On the opening day of the conference, theU.S. Department of State issued a statement in which it rejected the conference, describing it as unproductive and ill-timed. The statement asserted that the conference would not advance peace, but rather prolong the war, encourage Hamas by rewarding its destructive behavior, and undermine genuine efforts to achieve a lasting peace.[40] On July 30, 2025, the IsraeliSpeaker of the Knesset,Amir Ohana, stated in an address before theInter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva that a Palestinian state could be established in London or Paris.[41]
The conference was originally set to take place on June 17-20, 2025, but rescheduled to July 28-29, 2025. As detailed below, the original aim of the conference was to obtain recognition of a Palestinian state from UN member states.
He concluded by stating that 'the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is currently positively inclined to take this step and to recognise the State of Palestine in September'
