{"id":34816,"date":"2024-05-18T08:43:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-18T06:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=34816"},"modified":"2024-05-18T09:00:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-18T07:00:48","slug":"un-general-assembly-presses-security-council-to-give-favourable-consideration-to-full-palestinian-membership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=34816","title":{"rendered":"UN General Assembly presses Security Council to give \u2018favourable consideration\u2019 to full Palestinian membership"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION<\/p>\n

A news release from the United Nations<\/a><\/p>\n

The UN General Assembly convened again in New York on Friday (May 10) for an emergency special session on the Gaza crisis and overwhelmingly passed a resolution which upgrades Palestine\u2019s rights at the world body as an Observer State, without offering full membership. It urged the Security Council to give \u201cfavourable consideration\u201d to Palestine\u2019s request.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

What does the resolution mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick recap of what this means: by adopting this resolution the General Assembly will upgrade the rights of the State of Palestine within the world body, but not the right to vote or put forward its candidature to such organs as the\u00a0Security Council\u00a0or the\u00a0Economic and Social Council\u00a0(ECOSOC).<\/p>\n

Granting Palestinian membership requires a recommendation from the Security Council. At the same time, the Assembly determines that the State of Palestine is qualified for such status and\u00a0recommends that the Security Council \u201creconsider the matter favourably\u201d.<\/p>\n

(Editor’s note: The negative vote of the United States on this resolution and their remarks quoted below suggest that they will continue to veto any resolution for UN membership of Palestine at the Security Council, as they did most recently on April 18<\/a>).<\/p>\n

None of the upgrades in status will take effect until the new session of the Assembly opens on 10 September.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the changes in status that Palestine will have a right to later this year:<\/p>\n

1. To be seated among Member States in alphabetical order
\n2. Make statements on behalf of a group
\n3. Submit proposals and amendments and introduce them
\n4. Co-sponsor proposals and amendments, including on behalf of a group
\n5. Propose items to be included in the provisional agenda of the regular or special sessions and the right to request the inclusion of supplementary or additional items in the agenda of regular or special sessions
\n6. The right of members of the delegation of the State of Palestine to be elected as officers in the plenary and the Main Committees of the General Assembly
\n7. Full and effective participation in UN conferences and international conferences and meetings convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or, as appropriate, of other UN organs<\/p>\n

4:59 PM<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia:<\/strong> Re-establish the truth<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabian Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil\u00a0recalled General Assembly resolutions adopted over the years that reaffirmed the rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe resolution presented today is fully in line with those resolutions. It seeks to implement the will of the international community and contribute to building true peace in the Middle East based on the two-State solution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is high time for the international community to re-establish the truth because the world can no longer ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people that has lasted for decades,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Alwasil further noted Israel, the occupying power, has perpetrated \u201call sorts of crimes\u201d against Palestinian people, scorning international law.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael is convinced that they are above these resolutions and that they enjoy a certain level of immunity\u2026which explains their ongoing hostile and brutal policies,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He highlighted the dire situation in Rafah, the last refuge for the Palestinian people which was also densely populated by those displaced from elsewhere and called he for a strong international position to put an end to the Israeli practices in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Concluding his statement, the Ambassador expressed Saudi Arabia\u2019s commitment to supporting the right of Palestinian people to self-determination and to build their own independent State within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with relevant resolutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

4:43 PM<\/p>\n

China<\/strong>: Resolution reflects the will of the international community<\/p>\n

Ambassador FU Cong of China\u00a0said that Palestine should have the same status as Israel and that Palestinian people should enjoy the same rights as Israeli people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the common responsibility of the international community to support and advance the process of Palestinian independent Statehood, and provide strong support for the implementation of the two-State solution and a lasting peace in the Middle East,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He further noted that on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, the United States repeatedly used its veto \u201cin an unjustified attempt\u201d to obstruct the international community\u2019s efforts to correct the \u201chistorical injustice long visited on Palestine\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not commensurate with the role of a responsible major country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also recalled the overwhelming support for the General Assembly resolution, adopted earlier in the day, reaffirming the right of Palestinian people to self-determination and recommending that the Security Council reconsider favourably its application to join the United Nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cChina welcomes this historic resolution, which reflects the will of the international community,\u201d Ambassador Fu said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that the special modalities adopted within the limits permitted by the\u00a0UN Charter\u00a0will enable the international community to listen more adequately to the voice of Palestine and help it to talk and negotiate with Israel on a more equal footing.\u201d<\/p>\n

3:04 PM<\/p>\n

Assembly President Francis resumed the meeting, with about 72 speakers left to take the floor. The spokesperson for the General Assembly announced earlier in the day that due to the number of remaining speakers, the meeting will\u00a0likely continue\u00a0on Monday.<\/p>\n

1:07 PM<\/p>\n

With the last speaker for the morning having delivered their statement, the President of the General Assembly adjourned the meeting. It will reconvene at 3 PM New York time.<\/p>\n

1:00 PM<\/p>\n

Switzerland<\/strong>: Ceasefire urgently needed<\/p>\n

Swiss Ambassador Pascale Christine Baeriswyl\u00a0explained that her country\u2019s abstention from the vote was in line with its position at the Security Council last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt that in view of the great instability prevailing in the region, this stage was not conducive to improving the situation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout opposing it, we believe it would be preferable to consider admitting Palestine as a full member of the United Nations at time when such a step would insert itself in the logic of emerging peace,\u201d she added, noting that such admission would have to follow the procedures enshrined in the UN Charter.<\/p>\n

She also voiced Switzerland\u2019s firm support to the two-State solution, stating that only a negotiated solution in which two States \u2013 Israel and Palestine \u2013 live side by side in peace and security can lead to lasting peace.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Baeriswyl also voiced deep concern over the catastrophic situation of civilians in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, stating that it could worsen further in the event of a major Israeli military offensive in Rafah.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a prospect is unacceptable, and Switzerland reaffirms its opposition to such an operation,\u201d she said, emphasising the need to ensure protection of humanitarians and respect for international humanitarian and human rights laws.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, she called for an immediate ceasefire.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafety of civilians must be ensured. All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally, and safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian aid must be allowed via all crossing points.\u201d<\/p>\n

12:10 PM<\/p>\n

Firmly committed to two-State solution: UK<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barbara Woodward, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, said that her country remains \u201cfirmly committed\u201d to the two-State solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are abstaining from this resolution because we believe the first step towards achieving this goal is resolving the immediate crisis in Gaza,\u201d she said, emphasising that the fastest way to end the conflict is \u201cto secure a deal which gets the hostages out and allows for a pause in the fighting\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must then work together to turn that pause into a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that \u201csetting out the horizon\u201d for a Palestinian State should be one of the vital conditions from moving from a pause in fighting to a sustainable ceasefire.<\/p>\n

\u201cRecognising a Palestinian State, including at the UN, should be part of that process,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Woodward also noted that the UK remains deeply concerned about the prospect of a major operation in Rafah and that it will not support such an act, unless there is a \u201cvery clear plan\u201d on protecting civilians as well as their access to aid and medical care.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have not seen that plan, so in these circumstances, we will not support a major operation in Rafah,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

11:58 AM<\/p>\n

France<\/strong>: High time for political solution<\/p>\n

French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivi\u00e8re\u00a0said his country voted in favour of the resolution, noting also the clarifications provided in the text on the right to vote and the right to be elected, which are the prerogatives of Member States alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrance recalls that the procedure for admitting a new Member State is defined by the UN Charter, and it must not be circumvented,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also noted that France is in favour of the admission of Palestine as a full member of the Organization, which is why it voted in favour at the Security Council last month.<\/p>\n

Reiterating his country\u2019s condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas and other groups on 7 October, Ambassador de Rivi\u00e8re stated France\u2019s demand for a ceasefire and release of all hostages.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe offensive that has started in Rafah risks causing numerous victims and displacing people at a time where nowhere can be deemed safe today in Gaza. There is further risk of disrupting delivery of aid,\u201d he said, expressing his country\u2019s opposition to the military operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll parties must do everything they can to protect civilians and guarantee access for humanitarian aid. It is high time to mobilise for a political solution,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

(continued in right column)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Question(s) related to this article:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\n

What is the United Nations doing for a culture of peace?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Presenting the Palestinian side of the Middle East, Is it important for a culture of peace?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(continued from left column)<\/p>\n

11:46 AM<\/p>\n

Statehood must be negotiated: US<\/strong><\/p>\n

Explaining the US\u2019s negative vote,\u00a0Ambassador Robert Wood\u00a0said that it did not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been very clear that we support it and seek to advance it meaningfully. Instead, it is an acknowledgement that statehood will come from a process that involves direct negotiations between the parties,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no other path that guarantees Israel\u2019s security and future as a democratic Jewish State. There is no other path that guarantees Palestinians can live in peace and dignity in a State of their own,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

He further expressed the US commitment to intensifying its engagement with Palestinians and the rest of the Middle East region to advance a political settlement that will create a path to Palestinian statehood and subsequent membership in the UN.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis resolution does not resolve the concerns about the Palestinian membership application raised in April in the Security Council\u2026and should the\u00a0 Security\u00a0Council take up the Palestinian membership application as a result of this resolution, there will be a similar outcome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

11:24 AM<\/p>\n

Draft resolution passed overwhelmingly<\/p>\n

The vote is in. It has passed overwhelmingly with\u00a0143 countries in favour, nine against and 25 abstaining.<\/strong><\/p>\n

11:22 AM<\/p>\n

The Assembly just voted to pass the draft resolution as long as two thirds agree.<\/p>\n

11:18 AM<\/p>\n

Pakistan<\/strong>: Resolution vote will determine strong support<\/p>\n

Ambassador Munir Akram of Pakistan\u00a0said there will come a day when Israel will be held accountable for the crimes committed against Palestinians, especially in Gaza.<\/p>\n

The insults hurled today are \u201cthe arrogance of the aggressor\u201d reflecting the impunity of the occupier, he said, explaining his delegation’s position ahead of the vote on the draft resolution.<\/p>\n

He also expressed hope that the international community will appropriately respond in that regard.<\/p>\n

The Ambassador underscored that the resolution\u2019s adoption will determine the widespread support for Palestine to be accorded full UN membership.<\/p>\n

11:05 AM<\/p>\n

Russia<\/strong>: A moral duty<\/p>\n

The Assembly is now preparing to vote on the draft resolution.<\/p>\n

Before that, some countries are exercising their right to make statements before the vote, starting with\u00a0Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia.<\/p>\n

He is criticising the US, saying that the resolution is complicated because it is attempting to advance Palestinian membership as far as possible without provoking another veto from Washington on full membership.<\/p>\n

He said Palestine deserves nothing less than full membership at the UN.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the moral duty of everyone,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly full-fledged membership will allow Palestine to stand alongside other members of the Organization and enjoy the rights that this status implies.\u201d<\/p>\n

10:55 AM<\/p>\n

Israel<\/strong>: Extra benefits for Palestine would appease terrorists<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s Ambassador Gilad Erdan\u00a0said that after Hitler\u2019s rise to power, the Nazis had sought to annihilate the Jewish people and all those they deemed sub-human, but the forces of good fought to return peace to the world, and the UN was founded to ensure that such tyranny never raised its head again.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, you are doing the opposite\u2026welcoming a terror State into its ranks,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have opened up the United Nations to modern-day Naziism. It makes me sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

The terrorist group Hamas controls Gaza and has taken over areas of the West Bank, he said, holding up a poster showing Hamas\u2019s leader, who he described as \u201ca terrorist diplomat whose stated goal is Jewish genocide\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, you have a choice between weakness and fighting terror,\u201d he said, adding that the UN is appeasing \u201cmurderous dictators\u201d and destroying the UN Charter. \u201cThis day will go down in infamy.\u201d<\/p>\n

In closing, he held up a mini portable electric document shredder and inserted the cover of the UN Charter.<\/p>\n

10:48 AM<\/p>\n

Palestinian flag \u2018flies high and proud\u2019<\/p>\n

Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the observer State of Palestine<\/strong>, recounted the devastating impacts of the ongoing war in Gaza, with over 35,000 Palestinians killed, a further 80,000 injured and over two million displaced.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo words can capture what such loss and trauma signify for Palestinians, their families, their communities and for our nation as whole,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He added that the Palestinians in Gaza have been pushed to the \u201cvery edge\u201d of the Strip \u201cto the very brink of life\u201d with \u201cbombs and bullets haunting them\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mansour highlighted that despite the attacks and destruction, the flag of Palestine \u201cflies high and proud\u201d in Palestine and across the globe, becoming a \u201csymbol raised by all those who believe in freedom and its just rule\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u2018Lives cannot be restored\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is true that we will not disappear, but the lives lost cannot be restored,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

The Permanent Observer said people have to make a decision: stand by the right of a nation to live in freedom and dignity on its ancestral land, standing with peace and recognising the rights of Palestinians or they can stand on the sidelines of history.<\/p>\n

Mr. Mansour said after holding observer status for 50 years, \u201cwe wish from all those who invoke the UN Charter to abide by the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination guaranteed by the Charter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA \u2018yes\u2019 vote is a vote for Palestinian existence; it is not against any State, but it is against attempts to deprive us of our State,\u201d he added, stating that it would be an investment in peace and empowering the forces of peace.<\/p>\n

10:29 AM<\/p>\n

Security Council must heed global call for Palestinian statehood: UAE<\/p>\n

On behalf of the Arab Group<\/strong>,\u00a0Mohamed Issa Hamad Mohamed Abushahab, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates\u00a0to the UN, introduced the draft resolution, saying it recommends that the Security Council reconsider Palestine\u2019s full UN membership application.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday marks a defining moment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The State of Palestine has demonstrated that it deserves full membership in the international community by acceding to international treaties, adhering to the UN Charter and meeting requirements of statehood. In addition, more than 140 countries now recognise Palestine as a State, he said.<\/p>\n

Voting for the resolution amid the ongoing conflict would support the two-State solution to the crisis, he said, adding that the Security Council must respond to the will of the international community.<\/p>\n

Vote to take place at 11:00 AM<\/p>\n

After delivering his statement, the UAE Ambassador called on the Assembly to vote on the draft at 11:00 AM New York time.<\/p>\n

Members agreed to do so and would afterwards resume the debate.<\/p>\n

10:17 AM<\/p>\n

Middle East on course for \u2018full-scale catastrophe\u2019, warns General Assembly President Dennis Francis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. Francis said from the podium of the Assembly Hall that the Israel-Palestine crisis was the original crisis before the world body when it was founded in 1946.<\/p>\n

Peace has remained elusive, and today has become an untenable situation that is deteriorating “at an alarming speed”, he told delegates.<\/p>\n

This is \u201cbringing countless innocent victims into its deadly fold and pushing the region further to the brink of full-scale catastrophe\u201d.<\/p>\n

He urged the international community to not look away from the dire situation that has unfolded since the \u00a07 October terror attacks and the ensuing Israeli devastation of Gaza.<\/p>\n

End the scourge of war<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, let us remember the legacy from which we hail. We stand proudly upon the shoulders of those who, many decades ago, recognised their ultimate responsibility to forge a peace that will banish the\u00a0scourge and terror of war,\u201d he urged.<\/p>\n

\u201cI therefore call upon the membership to\u00a0purposely assess the situation before us, with nothing else in mind but a commitment to peace as our utmost ambition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He called upon the parties to the conflict, supported by nations with leverage, to\u00a0urgently come to an agreement on a ceasefire\u00a0to bring to an end to the suffering of countless people and secure the release of all hostages.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must believe in the essential goodness of others,” he said, and \u201cin the understanding that no problem of human relations is insoluble\u201d, calling on them to help bring lasting peace, save lives and end the violence.<\/p>\n

10:14 AM<\/p>\n

He\u2019s inviting the Assembly to recognise the fact that some members are in arrears with their mandatory contributions. If you don’t pay up, you lose your vote. Those are the rules. But, there are exceptions that have been made, including today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

10:12 AM<\/p>\n

The\u00a0President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis\u00a0has just gavelled in the resumed session on the Gaza crisis.<\/p>\n

09:55 AM<\/p>\n

Aid operations have come to a standstill since the start of the military\u2019s ground operation in Rafah this week, with an estimated 100,000 Palestinians displaced once again in a highly fluid situation, according to humanitarians.<\/p>\n

The Assembly is also expected to vote on a draft resolution, co-sponsored by a group of countries, concerning the\u00a0status of the observer State of Palestine\u00a0at the United Nations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Read our explainer on Palestine\u2019s status at the UN\u00a0here.<\/p>\n

The draft resolution follows the veto cast by United States at the Security Council\u00a0<\/a>on 18 April<\/a>, which blocked Palestine\u2019s admission\u00a0as a full UN Member State. That draft resolution, submitted by non-permanent Council member Algeria, had received 12 votes in favour, with Switzerland and the United Kingdom abstaining.<\/p>\n

– – – – – –<\/p>\n

If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION A news release from the United Nations The UN General Assembly convened again in New York on Friday (May 10) for an emergency special session on the Gaza crisis and overwhelmingly passed a resolution which upgrades Palestine\u2019s rights at the world body as an Observer State, without offering full membership. It … Continue reading UN General Assembly presses Security Council to give \u2018favourable consideration\u2019 to full Palestinian membership<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,76,93],"tags":[11,94],"class_list":["post-34816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-information","category-global","category-united-nations","tag-global","tag-united-nations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34816\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}