This paper explores and explains the EU’s approach in relation to the Palestinian search for status at the UN, focusing on the decision of UNESCO to grant the Palestinians membership on 5 October 2011 and the decision of the UNGA to upgrade their status to non-member observer state on 29 November 2012. Both decisions were taken in the aftermath of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the EU’s subsequent campaign for upgrading its status. Yet the voting records reveal a high degree of division and even inconsistency. Zooming in on the EU’s approach towards the decisions of UNESCO and UNGA and building upon primary documents, secondary literature and expert interviews, this paper takes a comparative perspective on the EU’s functioning and performance at the UN in New York and Paris. It falls into three parts. The first part explores the EU’s functioning in UNESCO, looking into the dynamics of policy-formation, coordination and representation, and comparing them to the EU’s practice at the UNGA. The second part explores the EU’s involvement in the decisions mentioned, focusing on output, outcome and impact. The final part summarizes the main findings and explores the way forward.
