Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram said on Wednesday the Security Council should reconsider Palestine’s application for full membership to the world body after it was rejected last month following the American decision to cast a veto.
Palestine holds the status of a Permanent Observer State at the United Nations since November 29, 2012, allowing it to participate in General Assembly debates and co-sponsor resolutions, though it lacks voting rights.
Prior to that, it was considered merely an “entity” by the UN, which limited its ability to engage formally in proceedings and symbolized a lesser recognition of its sovereignty claims.
The Algerian resolution calling for Palestine’s full UN membership was blocked by the United States on April 18 despite being strongly supported by other countries.
“Pakistan has urged the UN Security Council to reconsider & recommend Palestine’s application for a full membership of the UN in line with the overwhelming global opinion,” the country’s mission at the UN announced in a social media post after a General Assembly meeting was held to review the development. “It said that such a step would rectify the historic injustice & be pivotal toward the Two-State solution.”
It informed Ambassador Akram told the meeting “diplomatic efforts being made for peace would get considerable momentum if the veto was lifted & Palestine’s admission to the UN was approved by the Security Council.”
The Pakistani diplomat reiterated his country’s stance over the ongoing war in Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and demanding unrestricted access to humanitarian aid.
He also said that any further escalation in the war must be prevented while seeking a revival of the peace process and asking the world community to hold Israel responsible for its “war crimes.”
“The veto cast against Palestine’s admission erodes the credibility of the assurances that have been held out to support the two-state solution,” Akram was quoted as saying by the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan news agency in its report.
