São Paulo – This Monday (18th), Palestine participated in a United Nations (UN) vote for the first time. According to the news agency France Presse and the TV network Aljazeera , the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Ryad Mansour, was applauded by other ambassadors upon casting his country’s vote for the election of a judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
In November 2012, Palestine was granted observer status at the United Nations, which does not allow it to vote on UN resolutions. On the other hand, the Palestinians can take part in votes for international tribunal judges. This Monday, the judge voted for the court was Koffi Kumelio Afande, from Togo.
After casting his vote, Mansour stated this was “a very special” moment in the history of the Palestinian people at the United States, and said the applause he received is proof that other countries want the State of Palestine to become a full member of the UN.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
