Palestine's UN membership bid to be discussed again at UN General Assembly

NEW YORK

The UN General Assembly will convene Friday to discuss a draft resolution to reconsider Palestine's membership bid and grant additional rights.

Palestine's membership to the UN was vetoed April 18 by the US at the Security Council.

According to the information obtained by Anadolu, the new resolution, which is set to be presented to the General Assembly for a vote, is sponsored by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the rotating representative of the Arab Group.

It highlights that Palestine meets membership criteria, according to Article 4 of the UN Charter and therefore should be admitted as a member.

It advises the Security Council to reconsider the issue in a "positive" manner within the framework.

Calling for certain arrangements to be made to allow Palestine's participation in General Assembly sessions, the resolution also urges Palestine to participate in meetings organized by UN bodies and UN conferences, with the condition that this is done "exceptionally and without setting a precedent."

The resolution urges the Economic and Social Council to implement those arrangements for Palestine "without being a member of the Council," and requests that it applies to other UN organs, specialized agencies and bodies within the UN system.

Referring to the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and statehood, the resolution urges UN chief Antonio Guterres to take necessary steps to implement the decision.

Some of the arrangements requested for Palestine listed in the annex of the resolution include: "The right to be seated among Member States in alphabetical order; The right of inscription on the list of speakers on agenda items other than Palestinian and Middle East issues in the order in which it signifies its desire to speak; The right to make statements, submit proposals and amendments on behalf of a group; The right of members of the delegation of the State of Palestine to be elected as officers in the Plenary and Main Committees of the General Assembly; The right to full and effective participation in United Nations conferences and international conferences and meetings."

Palestine's UN membership bid

Palestine applied for full membership in the UN in 2011 but did not receive the necessary support from the Security Council. In 2012, Palestine obtained "permanent observer status" at the UN.

Palestine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour, sent a letter to Guterres on April 2, requesting a review of Palestine's membership application.

On April 3, Guterres wrote to the Security Council and urged consideration of Palestine's request.

On April 8, the Council referred Palestine's request to the "Committee on the Admission of New Members." After two meetings, the Committee announced it could not reach an agreement.

Afterward, Algeria submitted a draft resolution to the Council on April 18 for Palestine's membership, which was vetoed by the US.

*Writing by Merve Aydogan in Canada