GENEVA, June 6. /TASS/. The International Labor Organization (ILO) has raised Palestine’s status from a national liberation movement to an observer state.

The decision was made at the 113th session of the International Labor Conference, with 386 delegates voting for, 15 - against, and 42 abstaining. The new status will allow Palestine to take part in all meetings of the organization with trilateral delegations, and to appoint delegates to the conference’s Geneva office starting in 2026.

According to the WAFA news agency, the move was supported by many Arab countries, as well as Spain, China, France, and Switzerland.

The International Labor Conference is the ILO’s highest decision-making body, holding its sessions annually in Geneva. ILO member countries are represented at these sessions by trilateral delegations comprised of two delegates from the government, one from employers and one from employees. The 113th session, running from June 2 through 13, is being attended by delegations from 187 ILO member nations. Among other things, the session’s agenda includes potential international standards to protect employees from biological hazards at work.