US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood votes in the UN Security Council. US vetoes draft resolution on Palestine’s UN membership UN
On Thursday evening, the United Nations Security Council voted on a draft resolution prepared by Algeria calling for full Palestinian membership in the UN. During the vote, the United States vetoed the project. 12 countries voted in favor. Great Britain and Switzerland abstained.
USA: reforms needed
US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood said that members of the Security Council have a special responsibility to ensure that their actions contribute to the cause of international peace and security and are consistent with the requirements of the UN Charter.
By According to him, the report of the Committee for the Admission of New Members showed that there was no consensus among the members of the Security Council on whether the candidate met the criteria for membership in accordance with Article IV of the UN Charter.
“We have long called on the Palestinian Authority to undertake necessary reforms to help establish signs of readiness for statehood, and note that the terrorist organization Hamas currently controls Gaza, an integral part of the state called for in this resolution,” the US diplomat said . It was for these reasons that the United States voted “no,” he explained.
Russia: The United States found itself isolated
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said that this is the fifth time the United States has vetoed a Security Council resolution since the start of hostilities in Gaza.
According to him, the United States “once again demonstrated what they really think about the Palestinians.” “In Washington’s view, they don’t deserve to have their own state,” he said. “They are only a barrier to the realization of Israel’s interests.”
According to the Russian diplomat, currently the absolute majority of the world community supports Palestine’s application for the status of a full member of the UN.
“The US delegation’s use of the veto today is a hopeless attempt to stop the inevitable course of history,” Nebenzya said. “The results of the vote, during which Washington found itself almost completely isolated, speak for themselves.”
History of the issue
Palestine is currently a “permanent observer state” at the UN. This status allows it to participate in all meetings of the Organization, but it does not have the right to vote in the main bodies of the UN.
On April 2, 2024, Palestine sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General requesting reconsideration her application for UN membership, originally submitted in 2011. Having received the request, the UN head forwarded it to the Security Council, which on Monday, April 8, considered the issue at an open meeting. In accordance with the provisional rules of procedure, the Security Council referred the matter to its Committee on the Admission of New Members.
The Committee discussed the Palestinian application at its meetings on April 8 and 11, but did not came to a unanimous opinion. In 2011, the Committee already considered Palestine’s request for full membership for two months with the same result. Various proposals were made, including an interim step.
So, on November 29, 2012, the General Assembly adopted a resolution granting Palestine the status of a UN observer state that is not a member of the Organization United Nations. This decision was supported by 138 countries at the time, and nine opposed (Canada, the Czech Republic, the Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Panama, Palau and the United States of America). 41 delegations abstained.