Today, the UN Security Council voted on a resolution, tabled by Algeria, that recommended to the 193-member UN General Assembly that the current non-member observer State of Palestine be admitted to full membership of the world body.

The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, two abstentions and one against. The UN resolution was vetoed by the US, stopping long-standing Palestinian aspirations for full UN membership status.

Slovenia strongly supported the resolution and as stressed by the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon after the vote, “the two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace is the only long-term sustainable option. We regret that the Security Council was not in a position to adopt this resolution.”

The minister added that granting membership to Palestine could be an important step towards peace, strengthen the role of the Palestinian Authority and contribute to the security of Israel.

In the explanation of vote in the Council’s chamber, Ambassador Samuel Žbogar touched upon mutual recognition and sovereign equality. “We maintain our view that Palestine’s right to self-determination and UN membership are not contrary to Israel’s right to exist and be secure,” he underlined.

Slovenia believes that the UN should play a crucial role in the peace process, and therefore both states should have an equal status at the world body.

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