NAIROBI, Kenya, May 11 — The Palestinian Embassy in Kenya has welcomed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote adopting a resolution to admit the State of Palestine as a full UN Member.
The statement comes after 143 States, including Kenya, voted in support of the resolution giving Palestinians additional rights and privileges, with 25 states abstaining and nine countries, including the United States and Israel, voting against the resolution.
Though the resolution does not give Palestine full UN membership, but recognizes it as qualified to join the organization, Palestine termed the vote a win for the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination.
“We welcome the sweeping vote and international consensus in the most important international body, the United Nations General Assembly, on a resolution affirming the eligibility of the State of Palestine to obtain full membership, and granting it additional rights and privileges in the United Nations and its various bodies,” the Palestinian Embassy in Kenya said on Friday.
“Today’ ([Friday) vote is a clear message of confirmation from the international community of the natural, legal and historical right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and their aspirations towards liberation, independence and living on their land in security and peace like the rest of the peoples of the world.”
Vetoed
The Security Council, where the US enjoys veto powers, exclusively grants Membership of the UN under Rule 136.
The US vetoed a resolution for full membership to the UN on April 18.
Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Martin Kimani told the Assembly that Kenya fully supports Palestinian’s right to self-determination and urged the Security Council to reconsider the application as soon as possible.
“We [Kenya] cannot deny others who legitimately seek self-determination any more than we can deny our very being as a nation,” Ambassador Kimani told the Assembly during the Tenth Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly in New York.
“The Palestinian people aspire for all facets of their governance to be sovereign and peace-loving, and to be reflected in a state that embraces the obligations of full membership, as demanded by Article 4 of the UN Charter.”
