New York: Europe and the Arabs
Tomorrow, Monday, April 8, the UN Security Council will hold a meeting on the accession of new members to the United Nations, after the President of the Council received a letter from the Secretary-General regarding a request submitted by the State of Palestine.
In his speech, Secretary-General António Guterres presented a letter from the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, referring to an application submitted by Palestine on September 23, 2011, for full membership in the United Nations.
In his letter to the Secretary-General, the Palestinian delegate requested that the Security Council reconsider the request during the current month.
The current status of Palestine in the United Nations
Palestine obtained the status of a non-member observer state at the United Nations after a resolution adopted by the General Assembly by a large majority on November 29, 2012. The resolution was issued with 138 countries in support, 9 against, and 41 abstentions.
In the resolution, the General Assembly expressed the hope that the Security Council would respond to the request submitted by the State of Palestine in September for full membership in the United Nations. According to what was stated in the United Nations daily news bulletin.
Steps to join the United Nations
Countries are admitted to membership in the United Nations by decision of the General Assembly based on the recommendation of the Security Council.
Any State wishing to become a member of the United Nations shall submit an application to the Secretary-General containing a declaration in an official document stating that the State concerned accepts the obligations contained in the Charter of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General shall, for your information, transmit a copy of the request to the General Assembly, or to the Members of the United Nations if the General Assembly is not in session.
The Secretary-General shall immediately present the application for membership to the members of the Security Council. The President of the Council refers the request to a Security Council committee in which every member of the Council is represented. The committee examines any request referred to it and informs the Council of its findings.
The Security Council decides whether the applicant State is, in its assessment, a peace-loving State capable and willing to fulfill the obligations under the Charter, and then whether it recommends the admission of the applicant State to membership. Any recommendation must receive the support of 9 members of the Council out of 15, with no veto from any of the five permanent members of the Council: the Russian Federation, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
If the Security Council recommends the admission of the requesting state to membership, it must send the recommendation to the General Assembly together with a complete record of the discussion.
If the Security Council does not recommend the admission of the requesting state to membership or postpones consideration of its application, it must submit to the General Assembly a special report accompanied by a full record of the discussion.
If the Council recommends acceptance of accession, the recommendation will be submitted to the General Assembly for consideration. A two-thirds majority must be obtained in the General Assembly vote to accept the new state.
If the Security Council does not recommend the admission of the requesting state to membership or postpones consideration of its application, the General Assembly, after thoroughly studying the special report of the Security Council, may return the application to the Council along with a complete record for discussion in the Assembly, in order to consider it again and make a recommendation or Report on it.
The Secretary-General shall inform the requesting State of the General Assembly's decision. If the application is accepted, membership becomes effective from the date on which the General Assembly takes its decision on the application.