On the eve of the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York the undersigned Global Unions , representing over 200 million workers worldwide through the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Global Union Federations (GUFs), and the Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC), fully support the growing commitment of governments to recognize the State of Palestine.
We call on all countries to take this vital step towards achieving a democratic and sovereign Palestine, living in just and lasting peace alongside a secure Israel.
In May 2024, leaders from across the Global Unions joined a historic delegation to Palestine. In Ramallah, they met with trade unions and senior figures within the Palestinian Authority. The message was clear: recognition of Palestine as a state is essential for building a sovereign, democratic future and for ensuring peace and dignity for its people.
Already, 147 of the 193 United Nations member states have formally recognized Palestine. The Global Unions commend those governments preparing to move forward with recognition during the 2025 UN General Assembly. Recognition affirms the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, strengthens international law, and helps create the conditions for genuine negotiations between two equal parties. Recognition is also a step towards redressing the imbalance of power, which prolongs the illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and instability while it continues.
Recognition of Palestine is not only a matter of justice but also of necessity. Decades of delay have brought only cycles of violence and despair, and today those failures have culminated in catastrophic loss of life, mass destruction, and the gravest humanitarian crisis faced by the Palestinian people in decades, as highlighted by UN experts last week. Recognition now would send a powerful signal that the international community will no longer accept endless deferral of Palestinian rights. It is the foundation on which a real peace process can be built.
For the global trade union movement, the principle is clear: workers everywhere are entitled to live in freedom, dignity, and security. The Palestinian people deserve no less. Recognition of the State of Palestine must not be treated as a reward at the end of negotiations. It is an essential element of a just and durable peace.
We urge all governments to commit to this step at the United Nations. Recognition is a concrete expression of the international community’s will to uphold human rights, ensure compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, and advance the path to a free, independent, and viable Palestine. Only on that basis can a secure Israel and a sovereign Palestine live side by side in peace.
Signatories:
- David Edwards, General Secretary, Education International
- Atle Høie, General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union
- Luc Triangle, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation
- Christy Hoffman, General Secretary, UNI Global Union
- Stephen Cotton, General Secretary, International Transport Workers’ Federation
- Ambet Yuson, General Secretary, Building and Wood Workers International
- Adriana Paz Ramírez, General Secretary, International Domestic Workers Federation
- Daniel Bertossa, General Secretary, Public Services International
- Kristjan Bragason, General Secretary, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations
- Veronica Nilsson, General Secretary, Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD
- Anthony Bellanger, General Secretary, International Federation of Journalists
Photo credit: Le Pictorium via Reuters Connect
