A high-level conference for advancing the two-state solution has kicked off in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Saudi Arabia and France co-host the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, in a bid to advance peace in the Middle East and end the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and the French President, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday jointly launched the conference at the UNGA.
The conference builds on the New York Declaration, endorsed by the UNGA earlier this month following the Two-State Solution Conference in July.
It charts a roadmap for the achievement of the two-state solution, which includes an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the establishment of a Palestinian State that is both viable and sovereign.
The two-state solution envisages the establishment of an independent Palestinian State along the 1967 borders (which involves the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip), with East Jerusalem as its capital, allowing Palestinians and Israelis to live side by side in independent nations.
To this end, several countries intend to formally recognize a Palestinian State during Monday’s conference, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, San Marino, and Malta.
On Sunday, the UK, Canada, Portugal and Australia formally recognized Palestinian Statehood, joining more than 145 UN member states which already do.
Moreover, the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, is expected to deliver a statement through videoconference or a pre-recorded message.
