United Nations General Assembly observers
(Redirected from United Nations non-member observer state)
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In addition to the current 192 member states, the United Nations welcomes several other international agencies, entities, and one non-member state as observers. Observers have the right to speak at United Nations General Assembly meetings, but not vote on resolutions.
Non-member states
Non-member states are recognized as sovereign entities, like any actual member. They are free to submit a petition to join the General Assembly at their discretion. They can only accede to full membership after a vote in the Security Council. For example, Switzerland was also an observer state from 1948 to 2002, until its admission after a referendum.
Holy See (sovereignty over the territory of the 
Vatican City): became a UN Permanent Observer State on 6 April 1964, and by resolution A/RES/58/314 on 1 July 2004, gained all the rights of full membership except voting.
International organizations and entities
Certain intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and entities whose statehood or sovereignty are not precisely defined, are invited to become observers at the General Assembly by resolutions. Some of them maintain a permanent office in the United Nations headquarters in New York City, while others do not; however, this is the choice of the organization and do not imply differences in their status.
- African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States: A/RES/36/4 (15 October 1981)
African Development Bank: A/RES/42/10 (28 October 1987)
African Union (formerly the Organisation of African Unity): A/RES/2011(XX) (11 October 1965) & General Assembly decision 56/475 (15 August 2002)- Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean: A/RES/43/6 (17 October 1988)
Andean Community: A/RES/52/6 (22 October 1997)- Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (formerly the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee): A/RES/35/2 (13 October 1980)
- Asian Development Bank: A/RES/57/30 (19 November 2002)
Association of Caribbean States: A/RES/53/5 (15 October 1998)
Association of Southeast Asian Nations: To be approved formally [1]- Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization: A/RES/54/5 (8 October 1999)
Caribbean Community: A/RES/46/8 (17 October 1991)- Central American Integration System: A/RES/50/2 (19 October 1995)
- Collective Security Treaty Organization: A/RES/59/50 (2 December 2004)
- Common Fund for Commodities: A/RES/60/26 (23 November 2005)
Commonwealth of Independent States: A/RES/48/237 (24 March 1994)
Commonwealth Secretariat: A/RES/31/3 (18 October 1976)
Community of Portuguese Language Countries: A/RES/54/10 (26 October 1999)- Community of Sahelo-Saharan States: A/RES/56/92 (12 December 2001)
Council of Europe: A/RES/44/6 (17 October 1989)
East African Community: A/RES/58/86 (9 December 2003)- Economic Community of Central African States: A/RES/55/161 (12 December 2000)
Economic Community of West African States: A/RES/59/51 (2 December 2004)- Economic Cooperation Organization: A/RES/48/2 (13 October 1993)
Eurasian Economic Community: A/RES/58/84 (9 December 2003)- European Union: A/RES/3208 (XXIX) (11 October 1974)
- GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development: A/RES/58/85 (9 December 2003)
- Hague Conference on Private International Law: A/RES/60/27 (23 November 2005)
- Ibero-American Conference: A/RES/60/28 (23 November 2005)
- Inter-American Development Bank: A/RES/55/160 (12 December 2000)
- Inter-Parliamentary Union: A/RES/57/32 (19 November 2002)
- International Centre for Migration Policy Development: A/RES/57/31 (19 November 2002)
International Committee of the Red Cross: A/RES/45/6 (16 October 1990)
International Criminal Court
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol): A/RES/51/1 (15 October 1996)- International Development Law Institute: A/RES/56/90 (12 December 2001)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: A/RES/49/2 (19 October 1994)
International Hydrographic Organization: A/RES/56/91 (12 December 2001)- International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance: A/RES/58/83 (9 December 2003)
- International Organization for Migration: A/RES/47/4 (16 October 1992)
International Organization of la Francophonie: A/RES/33/18 (10 November 1978) & General Assembly decision 53/453 (18 December 1998)
International Seabed Authority: A/RES/51/6 (24 October 1996)- International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: A/RES/51/204 (17 December 1996)
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (or the World Conservation Union): A/RES/54/195 (17 December 1999)
- Latin American Economic System (SELA): A/RES/35/3 (13 October 1980)
- Latin American Integration Association: A/RES/60/25 (23 November 2005)
- Latin American Parliament: A/RES/48/4 (13 October 1993)
League of Arab States: A/RES/477 (V) (1 November 1950)
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development: A/RES/53/6 (15 October 1998)- Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States: A/RES/59/52 (2 December 2004)
- Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe: A/RES/48/5 (13 October 1993)
Organization of American States: A/RES/253 (III) (16 October 1948)
Organization of the Islamic Conference: A/RES/3369 (XXX) (10 October 1975)
Pacific Islands Forum: A/RES/49/1 (17 Oct. 1994)
Palestine Liberation Organization: A/RES/3237 (XXIX) (22 November 1974) [= observer status]; A/RES/43/160 (9 December 1988) [= designation "Palestine"]; A/RES/43/177 (15 December 1988) [= right to circulate communications without intermediary]; A/RES/52/250 (7 July 1998) [= right to participate in general debate and additional rights]- Partners in Population and Development: A/RES/57/29 (19 November 2002)
- Permanent Court of Arbitration: A/RES/48/3 (13 October 1993)
Shanghai Cooperation Organization: A/RES/59/48 (2 December 2004)
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation: A/RES/59/53 (2 December 2004)
Southern African Development Community: A/RES/59/49 (2 December 2004)
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: A/RES/48/265 (24 August 1994)- World Customs Organization (formerly the Customs Cooperation Council): A/RES/53/216 (23 March 1999)
References
- Organizations granted observer status in the General Assemby (last updated 30 November 2005)
- List of non-Member States, entities and organizations having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly (last updated 30 November 2005)
- Permanent Missions to the United Nations (Blue Book) (last updated April 2006)
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