What Palestine Ought to do after becoming a state on 29 November 2012?

Abstract

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/19 of 29 November 2012, which overwhelmingly voted for the admission of Palestine as an observer State (138 States in favor vs. 9 States), might be similar to the hundreds of previous United Nations resolutions if the new move is not followed by a series of measures that should be undertaken in the coming few months by the Palestinians themselves. This note is largely based on a book, entitled ‘Membership of Palestine in the United Nations: Legal and Political Implications,’ that would be published by Cambridge Scolders Publishing in early 2013 (M. Qafisheh, ed., approx. 450 pages).This note addresses selected measures at the international and local levels, which will enhance access to justice for Palestinian victims of international law violations and further Palestine’s compliance with its international law obligations. It also sheds light on the domestic measures that Palestine should take to strengthen its status as a State.