Palestine got 107 votes from the United Nation's 193 voting members Monday at the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) here, making UNESCO the first UN agency to recognize Palestinian statehood.
However, the first step towards full membership in the United Nations cannot guarantee that the road in front of Palestine is clear of all obstacles, as the UNESCO and the United Nations have different admission processes.
MAJORITY SUPPORT AT UNESCO
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) received 107 votes for its membership bid in UNESCO. Although some member states were absent, 14 countries voted against and 52 countries abstained, giving Palestine the necessary two-thirds majority of all 193 voting members.
There were congratulations and cheers in the UNESCO conference hall from many countries who had supported the PNA, including France and China.
China supports the PNA's bid for independent statehood, which would benefit peace and development in the Middle East, said Shi Shuyun, Chinese ambassador to UNESCO.
Gabon didn't see a conflict between Palestine's membership in UNESCO and peace in the Middle East, an anonymous Gabonese delegate told Xinhua.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki expressed the willingness to continue peace talks with Israel during the following press conference.
After its accession to UNESCO, Palestine can engage in peace talks more equally with Israel, which is helpful to maintain dialogue, al-Malki said.
U.S.-ISRAELI RESISTANCE
Earlier in October, when UNESCO's Executive Board recommended accepting the PNA as a full member state and agreed to vote on the issue during its 26th General Conference, the United States had warned to withdraw its part of funds financing the organization citing a legislation dating back more than 15 years.
U.S. delegates voiced their discontent over the voting result, deeming the admission a setback to the Palestine-Israel peace process.
The United States repeated its support for "the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state" but under the condition that such a state can be only realized through direct Israel-Palestine negotiations.
An angry Israeli envoy called the voting outcome a "tragedy," saying that UNESCO's acceptance of a "non-existing" state as a full member would harm the UN organization's image.
Later in Washington, the United States formally announced to halt its 60-million-dollar budget financing to UNESCO in November.
As the organization's biggest contributor, the U.S. share accounts for 22 percent of the UN branch's annual budget, about 70 million dollars a year.
Now, U.S. and Israeli vetoes are more likely out of concern about Israel, which is expected to suffer more international pressure in negotiations now that Palestinian statehood was recognized by a UN agency.
ROCKY ROAD AHEAD FOR UN ENTRY
During the press conference, al-Malki recalled Palestine's application for UNESCO membership in 1989, stressing that it was not related to its application for full UN membership, which was issued in September.
The Palestinian senior diplomat said the PNA would continue to strive for admission by other UN agencies and the UN itself, but that objections from the long-term allies United States and Israel would continue.
It's not the first time that the United States used its veto right over issues concerning Palestine. This time, Sweden, The Netherlands and Germany were also among those wielding a veto.
The UNESCO's admission is more of a symbolical than a political victory, as the result may set the precedence for Palestine's pursuit of other recognitions, an anonymous UNESCO official told Xinhua.
However, what effect this symbolical victory will have remains to be seen. U.S. funding is important to UNESCO, therefore the move of cutting off funds could harm the UN body despite its independence.
In a letter aiming to win back the United States, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stressed the organization's wide-scope mission went "far beyond the politics of the Middle East," saying UNESCO "supports many causes in line with U.S. security interests."
For Palestine, UNESCO membership doesn't make admission to the United Nations any easier because the U.S. veto power is much more decisive in the United Nations, as the superpower is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
As a last resort, the PNA hopes to secure a seat in the United Nations as an observer state, the anonymous UNESCO official said.
Xinhua/ AFP
