The Palestinian Authority will ask the United Nations Security Council for admission as a full member of the institution later this month, according to a report by Reuters.
The group’s U.N. representative, Riyad Mansour, told the news agency that he would make a formal request for membership at an upcoming April 18 meeting on Middle Eastern issues.
A successful application would require approval from the 15-member commission, in addition to the confirmation of two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly. The process could be blocked with a Security Council veto by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, or the United States.
None of the nations that hold veto power, including the U.S., have yet to comment on what decision they would make.
Palestinian diplomats at the world body have had some level of participatory recognition since 1974. The current administration was granted “non-member observer state status” by the General Assembly in November of 2012.
In 2011, the Security Council received a similar request from Ramallah, but never voted on the measure due to concerns regarding a lack of support and the possibility of a U.S. veto.
If the proposition is successful, the ‘State of Palestine’ would be the first new member since South Sudan’s acceptance in 2011.
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