Palestinians win UN backing to lead developing country bloc

UNITED NATIONS, United States: The Palestinians won backing to lead the biggest bloc of developing countries at the United Nations, raising their profile at the world body despite opposition from the United States.

The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to grant the observer- state of Palestine temporary rights to act as chair of the Group of 77 plus China, a bloc that has grown to 134 countries at the United Nations.

A resolution drafted by Egypt was adopted by a vote of 146 to 3 with 15 abstentions. The United States, Israel and Australia were the only three countries to oppose the measure in the 193-nation assembly.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley branded the decision a ‘ UN mistake,’ recalling that the ‘Palestinians are not a UN member state or any state at all’ and should not be granted privileges reserved for full-fledged members.

“Today’s UN mistake undermines the prospects for peace by encouraging the illusion held by some Palestinian leaders that they can advance their goals without direct peace negotiations,” said Haley in a statement.

The result came as no surprise as the G77 had agreed last month to give the Palestinians the chair and could easily garner enough support in the General Assembly to win approval for the measure.

The resolution gives the Palestinians, who take up the yearlong chair in January, additional rights such as the authority to submit proposals on behalf of the G77 and request that they be put to the vote.

The measure does not, however, change the status of the Palestinians, considered a nonmember observer state at the United Nations without voting rights at the General Assembly.

Only UN member-states with full recognition should be entitled to speak and act on behalf of groups of countries, US Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told the assembly ahead of the vote.

Calling the resolution “misguided,” Cohen warned that the United States will “leave no doubt about where we stand” and will not recognize the Palestinians in their new UN role.

“When the Palestinians speak as chair of the G77 in the General Assembly, we will remind our fellow member- states that the United States does not recognize that there is a Palestinian state and that no such state has been admitted as a UN member state,” he said.

— Reuters photo Vote tallies are shown by members of the United Nations General Assembly on whether to allow the Palestinians to procedurally act like a member state during meetings in 2019 when they will chair the group of 77 developing nations at the United Nations in New York, US.