The U.N. Security Council's admissions committee is set to review the Palestinian application for statehood Friday.
It's the first meeting of that committee, which includes all 15 members of the council.
The debate is expected to be largely symbolic in the face of a promised U.S. veto. But the permanent observer of the Palestinian Authority to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, held out hope this week that the application would be accepted.
"As you see, the process is moving forward step by step, and we hope the Security Council (will) shoulder its responsibility and approve our application and send a recommendation to the General Assembly for the admission of Palestine into the United Nations," Mansour said Wednesday.
While a U.S. veto in the Security Council would block the bid for full U.N. membership, the General Assembly could still vote to upgrade the status of Palestinians, who currently hold the status of nonvoting observer "entity."
The body could change that status to permanent observer "state," identical to the Vatican's standing at the United Nations.
