The United Nations Security Council’s Committee on New Memberships failed to reach a consensus on granting full membership to Palestine within the international organization, a source from the Permanent Representation of Malta, which currently presides over the Security Council, informed Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
Malta is set to prepare a report on this matter to be distributed among the members of the Security Council.
Vanessa Frazier, Malta’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated in press remarks that there are no issues concerning the membership criteria and that two-thirds of the committee members support full membership for Palestine.
Robert Wood, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, mentioned that the full membership of Palestine in the international body is “a matter that should be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians,” reiterating that his country’s stance on this issue remains unchanged.
Palestine achieved non-member observer state status at the United Nations following a resolution adopted by the General Assembly by a significant majority on November 29, 2012.
Palestine submitted a request for full UN membership in 2011, but this request did not receive the necessary support within the Security Council.
On April 2, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting reconsideration of the membership application.
Guterres, in turn, wrote to the United Nations Security Council on April 3, urging the inclusion of Palestine’s request on the agenda.
The process of admitting new members to the United Nations begins with the Security Council, which, after discussions, refers the matter to the Committee on New Memberships.
If the committee issues a positive response, the Security Council proceeds to vote, requiring that none of its permanent members use their veto power and at least 9 out of the 15 members vote in favor of the committee’s decision.
Should the Council decide to accept, the matter is then referred to the General Assembly of the United Nations, where a two-thirds majority vote of the 193-member Assembly is required for membership approval.
