Nigeria Backs Palestinian President’s UN Video Address After U.S. Visa Denial

Nigeria has thrown its weight behind a United Nations resolution permitting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the General Assembly through a pre-recorded video, after the United States denied visas to his delegation.

The resolution, passed on Saturday with 145 votes in favour, five against and six abstentions, ensures that Abbas’s remarks will still feature during the high-level session. His video address will be introduced by a Palestinian representative based in New York.

Israel, the United States, Paraguay, Palau and Nauru opposed the measure, while Albania, Fiji, Hungary, North Macedonia, Panama and Papua New Guinea abstained.

Nigeria’s UN envoy said the country supported the move in order to guarantee that “Palestine’s voice is not silenced in critical deliberations on peace and the two-State solution.” He added that allowing virtual participation reinforced the UN’s commitment to inclusivity and multilateral dialogue.

The decision also opens the door for Abbas and other Palestinian officials to contribute virtually to future high-level conferences on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the UN’s 80th session.

Separately, the Assembly endorsed, without objection, a Saudi-backed motion enabling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to also deliver his remarks virtually at a high-level meeting slated for September 22.

The U.S. State Department had announced on August 29 that it would not issue visas to the Palestinian delegation, citing national security grounds and accusing Palestinian authorities of undermining peace efforts in the past.

Reacting, a Palestinian UN representative described the resolution as “a reaffirmation that dialogue must not be curtailed by unilateral restrictions,” while extending appreciation to Nigeria and other countries that rallied behind the vote.