Exclusive: Palestinians launch bid for UN General Assembly presidency

Palestinian United Nations Ambassador Riyad Mansour is mounting a bid to serve as the president of the U.N. General Assembly in 2026-2027, setting the stage for a likely clash with the Trump administration that risks destabilizing the world body at a time it is seeking to reset its relations with the United States. The U.N. Arab Group, which represents the U.N.’s 22 Arab countries, formally nominated Mansour on Monday in a letter to the chair of the larger Asia-Pacific Group, which represents some 55 member states, including the Arabs. Devex has seen a copy of the letter. The 193-member U.N. General Assembly selects its leader each year on the basis of regional rotation, and it is the Asia-Pacific Group’s turn to fill the slot. Germany’s outgoing foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, is likely to be elected later this year as the U.N. General Assembly president for the 2025-2026 session, replacing the current U.N. leader, Philémon Yang of Cameroon. A senior diplomat familiar with the campaign told Devex that potential competitors, Bangladesh and Cyprus, which had previously expressed interest in the post, will not challenge the Palestinian bid, paving the way for a potentially uncontested run for the Palestinian diplomat. The Arab Group delayed a decision to nominate Palestine, which was scheduled for February, because of concerns, particularly among Gulf states, that it would antagonize the U.S., the diplomat told Devex. But the resumption of Israel’s military offensive in Gaza solidified regional support for the Palestinian diplomat’s candidacy. There are potentially legal and political hurdles to the Palestinian campaign. Palestine is not recognized as a full-fledged member of the U.N., making its ascension to the General Assembly presidency unprecedented. The U.S. Congress has passed legislation threatening to withdraw funding for U.N. entities that recognized the state of Palestine. The Palestinian Liberation Organization secured status as a “non-member observer entity” back in 1974, and its status was upgraded in 2012 to a “non-member observer state.” In May 2024, the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to expand Palestine’s rights and privileges at the U.N., including the rights to speak on any matter before the General Assembly and to offer amendments to resolutions. But the U.S. vetoed a resolution in the U.N. Security Council that would have recognized Palestine as a full-fledged member state. Former U.S. alternate ambassador to the U.N., Robert Wood, who cast the U.S. veto at the time, said he did not believe Palestine has the legal status as a full-fledged member of the U.N. to serve as General Assembly president. He also said the timing was not good, coming on the eve of the confirmation of the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik, a staunch ally of Israel who has described the U.N. as a “den of antisemitism." “Why they are doing it, I don’t know,” Wood said. “They may be trying to get this administration to respond in some way. That is not advisable.” “We have seen this on numerous occasions, the Palestinians take steps they believe are going to win them support on the streets of Ramallah and in Gaza and it continually backfires, so I do think this effort if they decide to proceed is going to backfire.” The question of whether Palestine can run for the presidency of the General Assembly is unresolved. The May 2024 General Assembly resolution expanding rights to the Palestinians does not explicitly address whether it has the legal authority to pursue the presidency. But a subsequent interpretation of the resolution by U.N. Secretary General António Guterres in July concluded that while Palestine has no right to vote in the General Assembly “a member of the delegation of the State of Palestine may be elected as President of the General Assembly.” The prospect of a Palestinian campaign has fueled anxiety across the wider U.N. system, which is facing unprecedented U.S. budget cuts that have already forced the elimination of thousands of jobs. There are also U.S. laws on the books that would trigger a withdrawal of U.S. funding to U.N. agencies in the event it recognizes Palestine as a full-fledged member state. Asked to describe the potential impact of an election of a Palestinian as the head of the U.N. General Assembly, one U.N. official texted Devex an emoji with an exploding head. “For Palestinians it’s always about legitimacy and more recognition at the U.N.,” added a senior diplomat. The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Palestinians, backed by their Arab partners, appear willing to jeopardize the broader U.N. mission to make their point. “Palestinians might want to bring the ship down with them,” the diplomat said. Update, March 26, 2025: This article has been updated to reflect that Riyad Mansour is seeking the UNGA presidency for 2026-27, and that Annalena Baerbock is expected to be chosen as UNGA president for 2025-2026.