UNESCO to vote on Palestinian membership bid

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to vote on Monday on the Palestinian bid for full membership during the 36th session of the organization's general conference.
A diplomatic source told KUNA that a string of controversies and crisis would break out if the Palestinian bid was approved by the organization, adding that the United States would withdraw its financial support to UNESCO, which makes about 22 percent of the total budget estimated at USD 70 million.
He noted that two US legislative laws would prevent financing any UN agency that approves Palestine as a member.
He said that Kuwaiti Minister of Education and Higher Education Mohammad Al-Mulaifi has expressed his country's support for Palestine's membership, as well as the support of Arabic Group, the 77th Group, and Latin American Group. Other European countries have also expressed their support for the Palestinian membership, said the diplomatic source.
The Palestinian bid was added to the conference's agenda on Friday, and was followed by attempts to postpone it for 24 hours in order to make the due day expire, he added.
The source pointed out that the bid will be discussed after Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Maliki gives a speech later on today, noting there is an agreement on voting on the item and expressing the opinions of the member countries afterwards.
He said that according to UNESCO's statute on full membership, a country needs the approval of the Executive Board and then two-thirds of the votes of the 193 members during the General Conference.
The UNESCO's Executive Council recommended granting Palestine full membership during the organization's General Conference on October 5.
A draft resolution, presented by 24 states, including non-Arab nations, on Palestine's membership in the organization, won approval of 40 states. Fourteen abstained and four others voted against -- the United States, Latvia, Romania, and Germany.

UNESCO to vote on Palestinian membership bid -