The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) sent 13 draft resolutions to the UN General Assembly on Friday covering a range of social development issues, including the right to self-determination for Palestinians.

The draft resolution on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination — approved by a recorded vote of 158 in favour, to 6 against (Israel, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States) with 10 abstentions (Australia, Cameroon, Guatemala, Honduras, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, Togo, Tonga) — received the most attention.

The representative of Egypt, introducing the draft on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stressed that all States have the right to live in peace within internationally recognized borders.

By the text, the Assembly would reaffirm the right of the Palestinian people to an independent State, urging all States and specialized United Nations agencies and organizations to support them in the early realization of the right to self‑determination.

Before the vote, Israel’s representative claimed the draft goes beyond the Third Committee’s purview and his delegation would therefore vote against it. He invited Member States to consider other approaches to resolving the question of Palestine, as traditional ones do not work.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates lauded the draft resolution and said the overwhelming vote in favor of this resolution constitutes an international response to all Israeli practices and crimes and affirms the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over the land of the State of Palestine, where they must exercise their right to self-determination.

The Ministry urged the member states of the United Nations to assume their responsibilities to protect the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and to take practical measures to dismantle the Israeli apartheid regime.