United Nations.- The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, asked the Donald Trump administration this Friday to issue visas to the representatives of the Palestinian delegation so that they can attend next week’s United Nations General Assembly.
“The Secretary-General urges the host country to ensure that visas are granted to all delegations, in accordance with its obligations under the Headquarters Agreement,” his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, stated this Friday at his daily press briefing, after being asked about the veto on travel permits for the Palestinian delegation.
As the spokesperson advanced, the United Nations will continue working on these visas before the meeting, which will bring together more than a hundred heads of State and Government, as well as other officials, in New York between Tuesday the 22nd and Monday the 28th.
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The U.S. Department of State extended its sanctions and denied travel permission for the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and his government officials to participate in the general debate of the General Assembly.
In a statement, the Department accused both the Palestinian Authority and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) of a “lack of reform” and of “internationalizing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” through complaints to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Dujarric stated that Guterres “deeply regrets” the U.S. announcement and is “concerned about the impact” of the decision.
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In the spokesperson’s view, this could diminish the State of Palestine’s ability to participate in the work and meetings taking place at the UN.
“The full participation of all delegations in the organization’s work is essential for its proper functioning,” he added.
The General Assembly approved a resolution yesterday, by a majority of 153 countries, to allow Abbas to participate via videoconference, as he did last year after also being vetoed.
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The United States, Israel, and Paraguay opposed it, while Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Peru abstained.
Last year, several countries announced the official recognition of the Palestinian State during the General Assembly, and a majority approved the New York Declaration to promote the two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
