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How did the United Nations recognize Palestine as a nonmember observer state?

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Panoramic view of a small valley with a stream, olive trees, and terraced hillsides in the countryside near Ramallah, Palestine, under a sky with scattered clouds. — Palestine View from a small valley with a stream between large hills of olive groves.

Following the failure of a 2011 bid for full UN membership, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sought to upgrade the status of the Palestinian mission to the United Nations to gain greater international recognition and access to global institutions.12

Abbas submitted a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly requesting that the mission’s status be changed from permanent observer to "nonmember observer state". On November 29, 2012, the resolution passed with 138 countries in favor, 9 opposed, and 41 abstentions.12

While this designation fell short of full UN membership, it provided the Palestinians with the ability to seek membership in various international bodies, such as the International Criminal Court. Following this recognition, the Palestinian Authority began referring to itself as the "State of Palestine" and subsequently acceded to the Rome Statute in 2015 to pursue litigation regarding international law.12