Pakistan calls on UN to grant Palestine full membership

Pakistan’s UN ambassador, Munir Akram has strongly advocated for the Security Council to reconsider and endorse Palestine’s application for full UN membership, aligning with the majority of global opinions.

The Pakistani UN mission stated in a press statement that this move “would rectify the historic injustice against the Palestinian people and pave the way for the establishment of the two-state solution.”

During a council meeting on April 18, the United States vetoed a draft resolution recommending that the General Assembly hold a vote to allow Palestine full UN membership.

A 2022 initiative calls for the UN’s most representative body to meet if the veto is used in the Security Council by one of its permanent members China, France, Russia, Britain, and the United States who are granted the voting power.

Palestine’s recent attempt to become a full member of the United Nations was the focus of discussion in the General Assembly on Wednesday.

Highlighting the vetoed resolution presented by Algeria on behalf of the Arab Group, Akram underscored the ongoing injustice faced by the Palestinian people in their quest for full UN membership.

He said the “diplomatic efforts for peace would gain considerable momentum if the veto was lifted and Palestine’s admission was approved by the Security Council.”

He pointed out the disparity in treatment between Israel and Palestine, noting that “while Israel, one of the partitioned states in 1947, is now a UN member, Palestine continues to be denied admission inspite meeting all criteria for membership.”

Akram also detailed the hardships faced by the Palestinian people over the past seven decades, including denial of self-determination, expulsion from their homeland, and enduring a prolonged and brutal foreign occupation.

He criticised the recent statements by the Israeli prime minister, as well as Israel’s recent actions in Gaza, indiscriminate bombings, and the blockade of humanitarian aid, actions that the International Court of Justice has described as “plausible genocide.”

He also warned of severe consequences if Israel proceeded with its plans to attack Rafah.

Akram also condemned the “impunity granted to the apartheid Israeli regime,” which, he said, had allowed it to disregard Security Council resolutions on ceasefires and overlook provisional measures set by the International Court of Justice.

He called upon the United Nations and the broader international community to enforce an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, ensure unrestricted access to humanitarian aid and prevent further escalation of the conflict.

“The UN should provide international protection for Palestinians, revive the peace process, and hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.”