Bulgaria Abstained in UNESCO Palestinian Membership Vote

Politics » DIPLOMACY | November 2, 2011, Wednesday // 11:37
Bulgaria: Bulgaria Abstained in UNESCO Palestinian Membership Vote A handout photo issued by UNESCO shows the Palestinian Authority and other delegates applauding after the General Conference admits Palestine as UNESCO member state in Paris, France, 31 October 2011. EPA/BGNES

Bulgaria was one of the countries which abstained during the controversial vote in UNESCO in which the majority of the member-states of the UN agency voted to admit the Palestinian Authority as a member.

The vote taken at the UNESCO General-Assembly on Monday allowed Palestine in even though the PA has not been internationally recognized as a sovereign state.

It created an international diplomatic crisis, with the Bulgarian Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova being in the toughest spot, after Israel reacted strongly to Palestine's admission, the USA cut off funding for UNESCO (about 20% of the Agency's budget, or some USD 70 M, come from the US contribution), and Canada said it was mulling quitting.

Palestinian Authority granted full membership of UN cultural agency after 107 voted in favor, 14 voted against and 52 abstained. The way individual states voted was published by The Guardian in the wake of the vote.

The list reveals that Bulgaria is one of the 52 nations that abstained.

Countries that voted against Palestine's UNESCO membership:

Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sweden, USA, Vanuatu.

Abstentions:

Albania, Andorra, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, BULGARIA, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands, Ivory Coast, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Thailand, Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Zambia.

Votes in favor:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

Absent (includes states that lost right to vote because membership fees were not paid):

Antigua and Barbuda, Central African Republic, Comoros, Dominica, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Niue, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, East Timor, Turkmenistan.

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Tags: Palestine, UNESCO, Irina Bokova, US, funding, Palestine Liberation Organization, PA, Palestinian Authority, USA, UNESCO, Israel, canada

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