May 10 (CNN/GNA) – A United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling on the UN Security Council to reconsider Palestinian membership to the UN passed on Friday, with 143 votes in favor, nine votes against and 25 abstaining.
The resolution calls for the Security Council to “reconsider the matter favourably,” and stresses that the Palestinian Authority be granted UN membership, saying, “the State of Palestine is qualified for membership in the United Nations.”
Prior to the start of the UNGA session, the US Mission to the UN indicated that if the resolution was adopted and the membership application sent to the Security Council, the US would veto it again, saying, “We expect a similar outcome to what occurred in April.”
The US mission said the Palestinian Authority does not meet the criteria for UN membership and that the resolution does not resolve concerns previously raised about Palestinian membership.
In April, the Palestinian Authority relaunched its membership request, and later that month, the US vetoed the Palestinian attempt to achieve membership status. The vote in the Security Council saw 12 members in favor and one against, in addition to the US veto. Israel commended the US veto, calling the Palestinian bid a “shameful proposal” while the Palestinian Authority presidency called the veto “unfair, immoral and unjustified”.
In September 2011, the Palestinian Authority failed to win UN recognition as an independent member state. A year later, the UN decided that the Palestinian Authority’s “non-member observer entity” status would be changed to “non-member observer state,” similar to the Vatican.
GNA/Credit: CNN