A majority of UNESCO members voted today in Paris to admit Palestine as a full member of the UN’s cultural agency.
The UNESCO vote further isolated the US on the world stage regarding the Israel-Palestine peace process because the US and Israel have said that Palestinian membership in UNESCO would create an obstacle to peace. The US argument against Palestinian membership was rejected by a huge majority and exposed division in Europe over how to move the stalled peace process forward with many former stalwart American allies voting instead to grant Palestine membership and many others simply just abstained.
No: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sweden, United States of America, Vanuatu.
Abstentions: Albania, Andorra, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Thailand, Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Zambia.
Yes: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sant Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Absent: Antigua and Barbuda, Central African Republic, Comoros, Dominica, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Confederated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Niue, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan.
Both the US and Israel have responded to Palestinian efforts to gain membership in UNESCO by threatening to withhold funds to UNESCO and the Palestinian Authority as well. Immediately after the vote, the US did halt funding -- the vote approving membership triggered a US law to defund any UN agency supporting Palestinian statehood before Israel and Palestine have a peace agreement.
Meanwhile in Israel, PM Netanyahu gathered his senior ministers to discuss possible sanctions against the Palestinian Authority for achieving full membership for Palestine in UNESCO.
There is also speculation that after their successful bid for UNESCO membership, the Palestinian Authority is expected to seek membership in the World Bank, WTO, WHO, and even the IAEA among other UN agencies.
The Palestinian successful bid also highlighted the growing influence of BRIC countries in the international arena. Every BRIC member country supported the Palestinians in their efforts for statehood and membership in UNESCO. These countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China are the fastest emerging markets and their combined economies are expected to overtake the G7 (G8 minus Russia) by 2027.
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