The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has overwhelmingly voted to support a Palestinian bid to become a full United Nations (UN) member by recognising it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council “reconsider the matter favourably”.
Sri Lanka was among the 143 countries that voted for the resolution. Nine countries including the US and Israel voted against, while 25 abstained.
Memberships can only be decided by the UN Security Council. However, the vote has enhanced Palestine’s rights within the organisation.
Palestine has had non-member observer state status since 2012, which allows some rights short of a full member.
Friday’s vote can be seen as a gesture of support for the Palestinians by the full UN body, despite strident Israeli opposition.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution, saying it supported Palestinian efforts for another vote on the issue by the Security Council.
“Palestine will continue its endeavour to obtain full membership in the UN,” he said in a statement.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said the body had welcomed a “terror state” into its ranks.
Nations voting against the resolution were the US, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea. The UK was one of 25 nations to abstain. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour told the General Assembly before the vote that a “yes” vote was “a vote for Palestinian existence, it is not against any state. It is an investment in peace”.
“We want peace, we want freedom,” Mansour told members.
The vote comes as several European countries reportedly plan to recognise a Palestinian state. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Spanish broadcaster RTVE on Thursday that Spain would do so on 21 May. He has previously said Ireland, Slovenia and Malta would also take the step, without confirming the date.
Friday’s UN resolution confers additional rights on Palestine at the world body, allowing it to take part fully in debates, propose agenda items and have its representatives elected to committees.
It will still not, however, have the right to cast a vote – something the General Assembly does not have the power to grant and would have to be backed by the Security Council. In 1988, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), the main representative of the Palestinians, first declared the establishment of the State of Palestine. (BBC)
