Israel has praised Ecuador for withdrawing from the United Nations' "Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People" (CEIRPP).
Ecuador's Permanent Rep. to the UN, Andrés Montalvo Sosa, formally informed the UN of his country's withdrawal on 2 February.
Sosa stressed that his country remains committed to promoting peace and the peaceful settlement of disputes in the Middle East, and that the decision was taken without prejudice to Ecuador's long-standing commitment to a two-state solution.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar praised "the moral leadership" shown by President Daniel Noboa Azin and Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld. "This body is a primary example of the inherent bias against Israel within the UN," Sa'ar said, adding that, by withdrawing, "Ecuador chooses truth and moral clarity over political theater."
CEIRPP was created in 1975 by Resolution 3376 at the time of the adoption of the “Zionism is Racism” resolution. It is responsible for recommending ways to enable the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination, national independence, and sovereignty; and to return to their homes and property from which they had been displaced. The Committee reports annually to the General Assembly, where its recommendations are endorsed. It also organizes international meetings and conferences, conducts an annual training programme at UN Headquarters, and maintains publications.
The committee has taken a strongly anti-Israel stance throughout the decades, and actively promotes BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions), and demonization campaigns.
The BDS campaign against Israel was actually launched in Paris in 2005 at a meeting sponsored by CEIRPP.
UNGA's only human rights committee devoted to a single cause
As UN Watch noted, “It is the only General Assembly human rights committee devoted to a single cause."
“The Committee’s mandate concerns Israeli actions only and is inherently prejudiced and one-sided. Its reports systematically turn a blind eye to Palestinian terrorism against Israeli civilians."
In November 2023, CEIRPP platformed the Palestinian observer who accused Israel of “crushing the skulls of infants and shedding the blood of children."
Currently, the members of the committee are: Afghanistan, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Cyprus, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
Ecuador's voting record on Israel at the UN General Assembly (2015 - Present) has been predominantly hostile, voting 83% of the time against the Jewish State. It has never voted in favor of Israel, but has abstained 17% of the time.
Despite officially recognizing the State of Palestine in December 2015 and opening an embassy in Ramallah, Ecuador inaugurated its representative office in Jerusalem on the campus of the Hebrew University in May 2025.
Under President Noboa, Ecuador has designated Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organizations.
Naboa visited the Western Wall during an official trip to Israel in May 2025 and declared "his unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish people." He also wore a hostage pin.