Source: CCTV news client
On 18 April, the UN Security Council held a high-level meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli issue before the vote on Palestine's accession to the United Nations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the international community to help Palestine realize its long-cherished vision of a sovereign and independent state.
At the Security Council's high-level meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, Guterres said that the ultimate goal of resolving the Middle East issue remains to achieve a "two-state solution," that is, Israel and Palestine, with Jerusalem as their capital, living side by side in peace and security on the basis of UN resolutions, international law, and previous agreements. It means ending the occupation and "establishing an independent, democratic, contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian State, of which Gaza is an integral part".
UN Secretary-General António Guterres: Failure to make progress on the two-state solution will only increase the instability and risks faced by hundreds of millions of people in the region, who will continue to live under the threat of continued violence. I urge the Governments concerned to use their influence and capabilities to promote confidence-building, common security and peace in the region.
At this high-level meeting on Israelis, the representative of Palestine called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution to promote the admission of Palestine as a full Member State.
ZIAD ABU AMR, Special Representative of the President of Palestine: We believe that the time has come for the Council to shoulder its historic responsibilities. Adopt a resolution to admit Palestine as a full Member of the United Nations in order to bring justice to the Palestinian people.
Palestine's "accession" process
In fact, Palestine applied for "membership" 13 years ago. Let's turn the clock back to 2011 and see what it was like back then.
In September 2011, Palestine submitted a formal application to then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for membership in the UN. However, Palestine's application for "joining the United Nations" was strongly blocked by the United States and Israel. The US insisted that the Palestinians and Israelis should first reach an agreement and threatened to use the veto, and in the end, the Palestinian application could not be submitted to the UN General Assembly for a vote.
White House Spokesperson at the time, Mark Carney (2011): Palestine will not and cannot achieve statehood through the United Nations.
In November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution granting Palestine observer status to the United Nations.
Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations (2012): Granting Palestine observer status to the United Nations means recognizing the existence of a Palestinian State.
However, observer states do not have the right to vote in the United Nations in contrast to full membership of the United Nations.
On 2 April this year, Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres requesting that Palestine's 2011 application for full membership in the United Nations be reconsidered. Guterres transmitted the letter to the Security Council on 3 April. The Council held a brief meeting on 8 August and unanimously agreed to begin consideration of the issue. This is the first time in 13 years that the Security Council has considered Palestine's application for "accession" to the United Nations.
(Source: CCTV News Client)