Non-Member Observer

A Non-Member Observer is an entity admitted to participate in meetings of the United Nations General Assembly and certain subsidiary bodies without the right to vote, sponsor draft resolutions on its own, or stand for election to UN organs. The status is conferred by the General Assembly, usually through a resolution, and is distinct from full UN membership granted under Article 4 of the UN Charter.

Observers fall into several categories:

• Non-member observer States – sovereign states not party to the Charter. As of writing, the two recognized non-member observer States are the Holy See and the State of Palestine. Palestine was upgraded from "observer entity" to non-member observer State by General Assembly resolution 67/19 on 29 November 2012. Switzerland previously held this status before joining the UN as a full member in 2002.
• Intergovernmental organizations – such as the African Union, the European Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the League of Arab States. The EU's participation rights were expanded by resolution 65/276 (2011), allowing its representatives to speak in debate, circulate communications, and exercise a right of reply, though still without a vote.
• Other entities – including the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Observers may attend public meetings, receive UN documents, and make statements when invited by the presiding officer. They cannot vote in the plenary, although in some specialized conferences observer States have been granted vote-equivalent procedural rights.

In Model UN simulations, the status is often replicated: delegates representing the Holy See or Palestine in a GA committee speak and negotiate but are typically barred from voting on substantive matters and from being sole sponsors of draft resolutions, though they may sign on as signatories. Rules vary by conference, so delegates should check the rules of procedure.