MFA: Roamnia have voted against Palestine’s accession to UNESCO
Date: 10-10-2011
Romania voted against Palestine’s accession to UNESCO, as they consider that this organization should not decide on a matter under analysis of the main decision-making organism of the United Nations, the Security Council. The explanation was given by MFA spokeperson, Doris Mircea, on Thursday after AFP related that Romania, the United States, Germany and Latvia voted against the recommendation to attribute to Palestine the state statute with full rights of UNESCO. “Romania considers that UNESCO should not decide on a matter which is under the analysis of the Security Council of the UN which is one of the main decision-making organisms and at the same time, responsible for what means peace keeping and international security” MFA explained. According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the main thing is the resumption of direct negotiations between the two parties, according to the declaration of the Quartet of 23 September. “ The solutions in the Peace Process must result from negotiations between the parties directly involved, with the help of the Quartet. Romania does not support unilateral initiatives, which could affect significantly the Peace Process, irrespective of which part they come” MFA says.
Romania, the US, Germany and Latvia voted on Wednesday against a recommendation to attribute Palestine the state statute with full rights of UNESCO, but the Executive Council of the organization approved the recommendation with an overwhelming majority, AFP relates. The Palestines got a first diplomatic victory in their attempt to get acknowledgement for a state of Palestine. According to some sources in the UN for Education, Science and Culture, the executive council of this agency approved by 40 votes out of the total of 58 a recommendation to attribute Palestine the state statute with full rights.
Four countries voted against, including the US, and 14 abstained from voting, according to the sources. According to the Spanish minister of foreign affairs, “ it was not possible” to have a joint European position and Germany, Latvia and Romania voted against. Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Poland abstained from voting.
The initial recommendation was initiated by a group of Arabic countries, and it will be presented for approval to the General Conference of UNESCO at the end of the month.For Palestine to get the state statute member of UNESCO, the conference needs to approve the recommendation with a majority of two thirds of the 193 members during the session to take place between 25 October and 10 November in Paris where the headquarters of the organization are.
The approval of this recommendation has a strong symbolic value, in a period when the Palestines presented a request for membership to UN as a member state with full rights through the means of the Security Council The US threatened to exercise their veto right.
The executive council of UNESCO where there is the veto right is the counterpart of the Security council while the General Conference can be compared to the General Assembly of the UN.
The Palestines have at present the observer statute for UNESCO.
