NAM Voices Support for Palestine’s Bid for Full UN Membership

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) has reaffirmed support for the full membership of the state of Palestine in the United Nations, saying the oppressed Palestinian nation should be given its rightful place in the world community, according to Press T.V.

In a Wednesday statement issued on behalf of the NAM, Es’haq Al-e-Habib, Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, said the UN recognition in 2012 of Palestine as an observer state highlights “the international community’s longstanding, principled support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination, independence, and for the two-state solution, based on the pre-1967 borders.”

 The NAM “reaffirms support for the State of Palestine and to ensure its rightful place in the community of nations including by the achievement of admission to membership in the United Nations, in fulfillment of the application for full membership submitted by President Mahmoud Abbas on 23 September 2011, which remains pending before the Security Council,” the statement added.

In November 2012, the United Nations General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status from “non-member observer entity” to “non-member observer state” despite strong opposition from Israel.

Thanks to that status, Palestine has joined dozens of international organizations and agreements, among them the International Criminal Court and UNESCO.

Palestine’s flag was hoisted for the first time at the UN Headquarters in New York in September 2015.

The Palestinian president has expressed hope that 2017 would be “the year of the independent Palestinian state.”

R.S