Tuesday, November 8, 2011

No consensus on Palestinian bid, UN report

A draft report by a key UN Security Council committee, obtained by an international news agency today, declared that members could not reach consensus on whether Palestine should be accepted as a UN member state.

"The committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council," said the draft report of the council's committee on admitting new member states.

It was circulated to all 15 Security Council members today.

The four-page draft appears to confirm that the Palestinian move to join the world body as a full member, which Western envoys said was doomed from the outset due to a US vow to veto it if it ever came to a vote in the council, is set to fail due to the council's irresolvable deadlock.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas applied for full UN membership for the state of Palestine on Sept. 23.

The Palestinians can still call for a vote in the Security Council, but diplomats say it is not clear whether they will do so given that Washington will likely not need to use its veto to block it.

The Palestinians would score a moral victory and force Washington to cast its veto if they are able to muster nine votes to support them in the council. A council resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes to pass.

But UN diplomats say the Palestinians have so far secured only eight backers.

The draft report details how the council is divided into three groups – those planning to support the Palestinian bid, those opposing it and those planning to abstain from any vote on it. It does not identify the countries.

The draft may be revised before it is formally presented to the Security Council on Friday, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.