French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said during a press briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday that the continuation of wars and international crises raises again the question of the Security Council’s ability to fulfill its responsibility in maintaining international peace and security, criticizing what he described as the misuse of the veto power by some permanent members of the Council.
the General Assembly, Barrow addressed the situation in Gaza, stating that the “New York Declaration” ended a situation he described as no longer tolerable, and opened a new phase in the political process aimed at ending the war and achieving a two-state solution.
The French minister indicated that, in his assessment, the war would have continued at the same pace as it had a year ago had it not been for the political developments that accompanied the “New York Declaration,” stressing that the ambition to reach a two-state solution represents a fundamental stage in ending the conflict and establishing a sustainable political path.
Speaking about the United Nations and the Security Council, Barrow said the Council finds itself powerless to stop atrocities and war crimes when the veto is used in a way that prevents collective action. These remarks come in the context of a French-Mexican initiative calling for a suspension of the veto in cases of mass atrocities, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and large-scale war crimes.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, as of September 2026, 128 countries had declared their support for the political declaration on suspending the use of the veto in cases of mass atrocities, following the addition of 21 new countries to the initiative in the preceding four months. The United Kingdom also became the second permanent member of the Security Council to announce its political commitment to this initiative.
With regard to the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian issue, Barrow referred to Security Council Resolution 2803 and the meetings held at the United Nations, as part of the international process related to the search for a political settlement to the conflict.
The French minister then turned to the issue of Palestinian elections, which he said represented a necessary step in the next phase. He noted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's commitment to holding legislative and presidential elections, a commitment he made in a letter dated June 9, 2025, to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
According to the announced schedule, the Palestinian legislative elections are scheduled to take place on November 28, 2026, with the presidential elections to be held during the first quarter of 2027. The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that these elections come after the absence of Palestinian national elections for nearly 20 years.
Barrow stressed that these elections “must be held,” considering that they allow the Palestinian people to express their will, make their voices heard, and exercise their right to self-determination.
The French minister linked the renewal of Palestinian institutions to the path towards a two-state solution, noting that elections, from France’s point of view, represent one of the steps required to enable Palestinian institutions to represent the Palestinian people and participate in the political process.
During the press briefing, Barrault said that legislative elections are expected in November, while presidential elections are expected to take place during the first quarter of 2027, noting that France is working with its European partners to support the electoral process.
France is placing the Palestinian elections file within its broader moves during the General Assembly meetings, alongside its efforts to relaunch the two-state solution process and regulate the use of the veto within the Security Council, in an attempt to strengthen the multilateral system’s ability to deal with international conflicts and crises.
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