Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the UN, has withdrawn his candidacy to preside over the UN General Assembly after opposition from the US and Israel.
Mr Mansour was nominated in March last year by the 22-member Arab Group. Under the UN’s regional rotation system, the Asia-Pacific Group, which includes Arab states, is next in line to fill the post, and Palestine had been competing with candidates from Bangladesh and Cyprus.
In a letter to the office of the current president of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, the Palestinian mission to the UN said the decision was made due to the "prevailing conditions in Palestine".
The mission thanked the Arab Group for its nomination and expressed gratitude to states that supported the bid, renewing assurances of its “highest consideration” to the assembly President’s office.
The presidency of the 193-member assembly is largely ceremonial but carries political influence.
According to sources, the US and Israel applied pressure on the Arab Group to have Mr Mansour withdraw his candidacy.
In May 2024, the General Assembly approved an unprecedented measure expanding the Palestinian Authority’s participation rights beyond those of a traditional non-member observer state, including the ability to speak on any agenda item and propose amendments to draft resolutions.
The move stopped short of full membership.
The US, under former president Joe Biden, blocked a Security Council resolution in April that year that would have granted the Palestinians full member-state status, arguing that Palestine did not yet meet the required criteria for statehood.
The decision to veto the request prompted criticism from around the world.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, welcomed Mr Mansour's withdrawal.
“Submitting this candidacy was another attempt to turn the UN General Assembly into a political circus against Israel,” Mr Danon said in a statement, urging a focus on reform within the Palestinian Authority instead.
