The draft resolution, presented by the United Arab Emirates on behalf of the Group of Arab Countries, and co-sponsored by around 40 countries, received 143 votes in favor – including Portugal -, nine against and 25 abstentions from the 193 UN member states.
The UN General Assembly approved this Friday, May 10, with overwhelming support from 143 countries, a resolution that grants “additional rights and privileges” to Palestine and calls on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request for full membership. the organization.
The draft resolution, presented by the United Arab Emirates on behalf of the Group of Arab Countries, and co-sponsored by around 40 countries, received 143 votes in favor – including Portugal -, nine against and 25 abstentions from the 193 UN member states.
Countries such as Israel, the United States or Hungary voted against this text and among the countries that abstained are Ukraine, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany or Canada.
“The General Assembly determines that the State of Palestine is qualified to be a member of the UN in accordance with article 4 of the Charter of the United Nations and should therefore be admitted as a member of the United Nations”, states the resolution.
The text also asks the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, “to take the necessary measures to implement this resolution”.
Among the new rights granted to Palestinians in this resolution are to be seated among the member states in alphabetical order, to present proposals individually or on behalf of a group before the General Assembly, to request the right of reply, to make statements or to request changes to the agenda, among others.
The resolution also asks that the rights claimed for Palestine – and which represent an improvement in its status as an Observer State – be considered “an exception and not taken as a precedent”.
“The State of Palestine, in its capacity as an Observer State, does not have the right to vote in the General Assembly or to present its candidacy to United Nations bodies”, emphasizes the resolution.
Before the vote, the United States, Israel’s unwavering ally, had already announced that it would vote against the resolution, having urged the remaining member states to do the same.
“Efforts to advance this resolution do not change the reality that the Palestinian Authority does not currently meet the criteria for UN membership under the UN Charter”, said today, before the vote, the spokesperson for the United States mission with the UN, Nate Evans.
The spokesperson warned that if the Palestinian membership request is sent back to the UN Security Council, a “result similar to what occurred in April” will be expected, when Washington vetoed the project.
Tags: General Assembly grants rights Palestine supports full membership
