The UN General Assembly voted by a wide margin on Friday to grant new "rights and privileges" to Palestine and called on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request to become the 194th member of the United Nations.
Welcoming the adoption of the resolution co-sponsored by Maldives, calling on the UN Security Council to favorably reconsider its request for Palestine to become the 194th member of the United Nations by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer reiterated the Maldives' stance to continue efforts towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
During the 10th emergency sitting held by the UN today, the United Arab Emirates submitted the "Admission of New Members to the United Nations" resolution.
The resolution received 143 votes in favor, 9 votes against, and 25 abstentions.
In a post on X, Minister Zameer said that despite setbacks, the resolution has paved the way to admit Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.
The Maldives welcomes the adoption of the resolution at the 10th Emergency Special Session on the Admission of New Members to the United Nations.
— Moosa Zameer (@MoosaZameer) May 10, 2024
As a staunch advocate for the Palestinian cause, the Maldives has co-sponsored this resolution and joined 142 other States to ensure…
"The Maldives will continue to extend its unwavering support to the people of Palestine in their pursuit for self-determination, including their right to an independent and sovereign state."
Even if the Resolution is passed by the General Assembly, Palestine will only obtain full UN member status if the resolution is also adopted by the UN Security Council. However, with the adoption of the resolution by the UNGA, Palestine will now have additional rights privileges which they did not previously possess.
The emergency sitting took place today following the United States' veto of a Palestinian bid, submitted by Algeria to the UN Security Council last month, to become a full member state. Member states can call for an emergency meeting when the UN Security Council is unable to perform its duties.
Palestine has been a non-voting observer to the UN since 2012. However, this is not the first time that Palestine has lobbied for full UN membership. A previous attempt in 2011 had not even resulted in a vote.