Palestine takes place among UN member states in 'historic moment' at opening session of General Assembly
New York City: Palestine took its seat among United Nations members at the opening session of the organization's General Assembly on Tuesday.
A UN resolution was passed in May recognizing Palestine as meeting the requirements for membership, and asking the Security Council to reconsider recognizing the state.
Palestine was granted additional rights, including the right to sit with member states in the United Nations, present resolutions and agenda items, and participate in committees, but it was not granted the right to vote.
Tuesday's symbolic event met with support from the Egyptian delegation, which introduced a point of order to mark the “historic moment,” but was opposed by the Israelis, who raised a counterpoint to the order.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the 79th session began against a backdrop of a “world in crisis”, but stressed that member states could work together to do something about it.
He said: “From day one, the United Nations has been a place for multilateral solutions, based on cooperation, dialogue, diplomacy and the Charter of the United Nations.
“And this is the place where respect for one another, and for the dignity and human rights of every member of the human family, is brought to life. As we welcome this 79th session, these tasks now fall to you.
“This is where solutions are made and we need solutions on board.”
Delegates from member states line up to welcome Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour as he arrives for the 79th session of the United Nations. (AP)
He addressed various topics including economic progress, climate change and artificial intelligence.
He added: “Step by step, solution by solution, we can rebuild trust and confidence in each other, and what we can achieve through cooperation and unity.
“The values that have brought us together since 1945 are needed more than ever. To meet the challenges before us, (the UN General Assembly) has become an indispensable tool and an important avenue for a peaceful and just future for all people.
The session was chaired by Philemon Yang of Cameroon, who was elected President of the General Assembly earlier this year.
Yang presented at this year's conference on topics including peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, global health and working for human rights.
The theme of this year's General Debate, which runs from September 24 to 30, is “Leaving No One Behind: Working Together for Peace, Sustainable Development and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations”.
Alongside the debate, there will be a future summit, which will aim to secure a “compact for the future” designed to promote global cooperation to effectively address current challenges for future generations.
There will also be high-level meetings on broad topics such as nuclear disarmament; Addressing threats posed by rising sea levels; and strengthening global health systems against antimicrobial resistance.
