Palestine is a non-observer state to the United Nations.
United Nations:
The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday formally asked the United Nations Security Council to reconsider its 2011 application to become a full member of the world body.
Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told Reuters on Monday that the Security Council aims to make a decision at a ministerial meeting on the Middle East on April 18, but a vote has not yet been scheduled.
Here are the details for United Nations membership:
What is the current status of the Palestinians at the United Nations?
Palestine is a non-member observer state of the United Nations, with the same status as the Holy See.
In November 2012, the 193-nation United Nations General Assembly approved de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine and upgraded its observer status in the world body from “entity” to “non-member state”. The voting result was 138 votes in favor, 9 votes against, and 41 abstentions.
How does the United Nations accommodate new member states?
Countries seeking to join the United Nations usually apply to the United Nations Secretary-General, who submits the application to the 15-member Security Council for evaluation and voting.
Mansour wrote to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday asking the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s 2011 application for full membership. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres had sent the letter to the Security Council.
A 15-member Council committee first evaluates the application to see if it meets the requirements for United Nations membership. The application can then be put on hold or submitted to the Security Council for a formal vote. Ratification requires at least nine votes in favor, with no vetoes from the United States, Russia, China, France or the United Kingdom.
If the Council approves the membership application, it will be submitted to the General Assembly for approval. Applications for membership require a two-thirds majority to be approved by Parliament. A country must be approved by the Security Council and the General Assembly to join the United Nations.
What happened to Palestine’s application in 2011?
A U.N. Security Council committee has been evaluating the Palestinian application for weeks to determine whether it meets the requirements for U.N. membership. But the committee failed to reach a unanimous position, and the Security Council never formally voted on a Palestinian membership resolution.
Diplomats say the Palestinians lack the at least nine votes needed to pass a resolution. Even if they win enough support, the United States has said it will veto the move.
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