India votes in favour of resolution for full UN membership for Palestine

United Nations/New Delhi: India on Friday voted in favour of a draft UN General Assembly resolution for admitting Palestine as a full member of the United Nations and which also recommended that the Security Council should “reconsider" the matter “favourably”.
In the 193-member General Assembly, the Arab Group-moved resolution in support of the State of Palestine's full membership in the UN, received 143 votes in favour, including India, nine against and 25 abstentions.

The resolution was presented by the United Arab Emirates, as Chair of the Arab Group.
The United States, Israel, Hungary, Argentina, were among those who voted against, while the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Ukraine, Sweden, Switzerland were among the 25 nations that abstained.

Earlier, on May 2, India had voiced hope that Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the United Nations would be reconsidered and its endeavour to become a member of the United Nations will get endorsed.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said in a statement in the UN General Assembly on the Use of Veto: “While we have noted that Palestine’s application for membership at the United Nations was not approved by the Security Council because of the aforesaid veto, I would like to state here at the very outset that in keeping with India's long-standing position, we hope that this would be reconsidered in due course and that Palestine’s endeavour to become a member of the United Nations will get endorsed.”

On April 18, the UN Security Council had rejected Palestine’s request for UN membership, with the United States casting a veto. The 15-nation Council had voted on a draft resolution that would have recommended to the 193-member UN General Assembly “that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations”.

The resolution got 12 votes in its favour, and two abstentions – of Switzerland and UK, while the US cast a veto. To be adopted, the draft resolution required at least nine Council members voting in favour, with no vetoes by any of the five permanent members.In her address, Ruchira Kamboj had said that India has emphasised on two-state solution on the Palestine issue.

“India is committed to supporting a two-state solution where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders with due regard to the security needs of Israel,” she said.To arrive at a lasting solution on the issue, India has urged all parties to foster conditions conducive to resuming direct peace negotiations at an early date, she said.

Explaining the US’s negative vote today, US Ambassador Robert Wood said that it did not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood.“We 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,” he said.

“This resolution does not resolve the concerns about the Palestinian membership application raised in April in the Security Council…and should the Security Council take up the Palestinian membership application as a result of this resolution, there will be a similar outcome,” he said.
Today's UNGA resolution does not grant the Palestinians full UN membership but recognizes them as qualified to join.

The resolution states, "The State of Palestine... should therefore be admitted to membership" and "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably."

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 organs such as the Security Council or the Economic and Social Council.

Granting Palestinian membership requires a recommendation from the Security Council. At the same time, the General Assembly determines that the State of Palestine is qualified for such status and recommends that the Security Council "reconsider the matter favorably."

The resolution, proposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on behalf of 22 Arab countries and co-sponsored by about 65 states, asserts that "the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations in accordance with Article 4 of the Charter and should therefore be admitted."

UAE's permanent representative to the United Nations, Mohamed Abushahab, addressed the General Assembly before the vote, emphasizing the broad recognition of the legitimacy of Palestine's bid."The vast majority of countries in the General Assembly are fully aware of the legitimacy of the Palestinian bid and the justness of their cause, which faces fierce attempts to suppress it and render it meaningless today," he said.

He further noted that granting Palestine full membership would send a "powerful message" in support of the two-state solution, adding, "Fulfilling the UN's historic obligation towards the Palestinian people is long overdue, but it is never too late."(UNI) <>