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Palestine formally applies for full UN membership

23 September 2011 19:09 (UTC +04:00)

Abbas appeared solemn as he entered the conference room with Ban. As he handed over the application for UN statehood to Ban, the two exchanged words. After the presentation, Abbas smiled while the secretary-general, appearing pleased, shook his hand.

The meeting between Ban and Abbas took place on the sidelines of the general debate of the 66th General Assembly session.

The Palestinian letter to the secretary-general requests that the application be immediately and directly forwarded to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, diplomatic sources said here, adding that the letter also includes a Palestinian pledge to uphold the UN Charter.

Membership of the United Nations is open to all peace-loving nations which accept the obligations of the UN Charter and able to carry out these obligations. The General Assembly admits new member states on the recommendation of the Security Council.

The statehood application was submitted by the Palestinian president despite the U.S. vows to veto such an effort at the Security Council.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, seen as a big test for the international peace efforts, overwhelmed other matters here at the UN Headquarters in New York as 193 member states gathered here for the annual high-level debate of the UN General Assembly.

The Palestinian statehood bid, though strongly opposed by Israel and its close ally the United States, enjoys great support from most UN members, who have voiced their endorsement in the General Assembly.

The United States is scrambling with its last-minute diplomacy to avoid the showdown at the Security Council, where it is a permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council and has the veto power.

The Middle East Quartet, which groups the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States, held talks on Thursday and a new meeting is to be held on Friday.

After his speech at the General Assembly, Abbas was to leave New York, the seat of the UN Headquarters, for home to discuss on the next steps forward, diplomats said here.