The Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that the country’s government has decided to formally recognize Palestine as a state.
“The Government of the Bahamas believes that the recognition of the State of Palestine strongly demonstrates the Bahamian commitment to the principles contained in the Charter of the United Nations and the right of peoples to self-determination as articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) “, stated in the ministry’s statement.
The Bahamas supports the legal right of the Palestinian people “to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development,” it added.
The number of countries that have recognized Palestinian statehood at the UN level has recently increased in the direction of Palestine gaining full membership in that intergovernmental organization.
Palestine was accepted as an observer state by the UN General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in UN debates and organizations, but without voting rights.
States are admitted to membership in the UN by decision of the General Assembly, and on the recommendation of the Security Council.
The adoption of the Council’s resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the permanent members – USA, Great Britain, France, Russia or China, AA writes.
