António Guterres demands visas from the U.S. for the Palestinian delegation to the UN General Assembly
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has formally urged the United States government to fulfill its international commitments and facilitate the necessary visas for the Palestinian delegation to participate in the upcoming General Assembly. The request comes after it was learned that U.S. authorities refused to grant travel permits to the Palestinian representatives.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the organization, emphasized that the host country has a legal obligation, under the Headquarters Agreement, to ensure access for all international delegations. Given the proximity of the summit, which will bring together more than one hundred heads of state and government in New York between September 22 and 28, the UN is actively working to resolve this situation.
The full participation of all delegations in the work of the organization is essential for its proper functioning.
Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesperson
Reasons behind the US veto
The U.S. Department of State has justified the denial of visas, including that of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, citing an alleged lack of internal reforms and the Palestinian entity’s decision to internationalize the conflict through complaints to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. Guterres expressed his deep concern regarding this measure, warning that it directly affects Palestine’s ability to exercise its role within the world body.
Diplomatic alternatives
Given the persistence of the restrictions, the General Assembly recently approved a resolution with the support of 153 countries to allow Mahmoud Abbas to intervene via videoconference, a modality that has already been used on previous occasions. Meanwhile, the international community continues to closely observe this diplomatic conflict, recalling that last year multiple nations took advantage of the UN forum to reaffirm their official recognition of the Palestinian State and advocate for the two-state solution.
