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Palestine seated among member states at UN General Assembly

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Palestine seated among member states at UN General Assembly

2024-09-14 13:15 Last Updated At:17:27

Palestine has taken its place among member states at the United Nations General Assembly for the first time, a symbolic move from the rear of the chamber as an observer state.

The Palestinian delegation was seated alphabetically alongside full UN members at the 79th GA session in New York, which opened on Tuesday.

Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, took his place on Tuesday afternoon at a table marked State of Palestine. On May 10 this year, the Palestinian delegation was granted additional rights, including being seated with member states, the right to introduce proposals and agenda items, and participate in committees, but not the right to vote.

The move was confirmed during the session's opening when Egypt's UN Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek asked for verification of Palestine's new seating arrangement.

"I request you to confirm with the Secretariat that His Excellency Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the distinguished permanent representative of the State of Palestine, is seated among the member states accordingly," said Osama Abdel Khalek, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN.

"I have been informed that all arrangements have been made to have Palestine seated where it's supposed to sit," said Philemon Yang, the General Assembly's President.

After the meeting, Mansour was greeted by a long queue of delegates from other member states offering their congratulations.

"I feel great, this is a historic moment, it is a significant step in acquiring our right, legal right, natural right to become a full member ... there was a long line of people coming to our seat extending their congratulations. We appreciate that and we cherish that," Mansour said after the opening meeting of the session.

In September 2011, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas applied to then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for an upgrade of Palestine's status in the UN General Assembly from observer to full member State.

In 2012, Palestine's observer status was changed from "non-member observer entity" to "non-member observer state".

Palestine has been a Permanent Observer State at the UNGA since then, enjoying the status that allows it to participate in all of the Organization’s proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies, from the Security Council to the General Assembly and its six main committees.

The seating change came amid ongoing tensions in the region. The Office of the President of the General Assembly announced on Friday that an emergency special session on the Israel-Palestine conflict will resume on Sept 17, following requests from Syria, Mauritania and Uganda.

The General Assembly will vote on a draft resolution on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. This draft resolution demands that Israel immediately end its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory 12 months after the adoption of the resolution.

According to the relevant resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1950, when a major international incident occurs and the Security Council is unable to fulfill its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security due to lack of consensus among its permanent members, the General Assembly shall immediately hold an emergency special session to consider the matter.

Palestine seated among member states at UN General Assembly

Palestine seated among member states at UN General Assembly

Palestine seated among member states at UN General Assembly

Palestine seated among member states at UN General Assembly

The 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2024) opened Monday in Italy's Milan, bringing together experts, professionals, and enthusiasts from more than 150 countries to explore advancements in space technology, research, and exploration.

Organized by the International Astronautical Federation, the premier global space event will run through Friday, offering a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among key stakeholders from all around the world. The congress features plenary events, technical presentations, exhibitions, and discussions on some of the main topics which are shaping the future of space exploration.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially kicked off the event at the Milan Convention Center, while there were calls for greater collaboration among countries.

"Space must be approached responsibly and together. Let us strive for higher standards and best practices that ensure sustainability," said Clay Mowry, president of the International Astronautical Federation.

At a panel session, Li Guoping, chief engineer of the China National Space Administration, revealed China will be discussing international collaboration opportunities in its expanding space program, including updates on its future lunar and Mars missions.

Through global cooperation, China is set to construct an international lunar research station (ILRS) with a network linking the moon's south pole, equator and far side by the year 2050.

"Currently, 15 countries and two international organizations have signed to join our international lunar research station plan. In addition, many countries are discussing with us to join the lunar research station," said Li.

At the space event, lunar samples from the far side of the moon, brought back by China's Chang'e-6 mission in June this year, were exhibited to the public for the first time in history.

The Chang'e-6 mission represented one of China's most ambitious international joint missions in which it carried out cooperation with the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan on four scientific payloads.

The IAC has been a venue since 1950 for scientists, engineers, companies and politicians of space-faring nations to discuss cooperation.

Milan hosts world's largest space conference with calls for greater global cooperation

Milan hosts world's largest space conference with calls for greater global cooperation

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