The New York Peace Conference on Palestine

A high-level international peace conference on Palestine was convened in New York on July 28, 2025, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia under the auspices of the United Nations. The three-day summit brought together foreign ministers, diplomats, and global leaders to reignite momentum for the long-stalled two-state solution. With the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and escalating tensions in the West Bank as a backdrop, the conference aimed to chart a concrete path toward the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the “creeping annexation of the West Bank” and the “wholesale destruction of Gaza” must stop, calling the situation a systemic dismantling of peace efforts. While Israel and the United States boycotted the event, France pledged to formally recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, and Saudi Arabia announced a $300 million aid initiative for Gaza and the West Bank.

Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace laureate, delivered a powerful keynote at the New York peace conference on Palestine. He urged world leaders to recognize the State of Palestine as a catalyst for regional peace, drawing parallels to Colombia’s own peace process. Santos emphasized that recognition should not be contingent on negotiations or governance reforms, stating:

“Israel does not have the right to veto Palestinian self-determination or statehood... Recognition should not be linked to negotiations between the conflict parties.”

Despite criticism that the conference placed disproportionate demands on Palestinians without holding Israel accountable, organizers framed the summit as a turning point, one that could catalyze irreversible progress toward ending the occupation and realizing a just and lasting peace.