RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian leaders are pleased with the UN General Assembly's recent vote to enhance Palestine's observer-state UN status, allowing it to head the Group of 77 and China (G-77) next year.
The Palestinian UN delegation will work with the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in the next two months to complete all the preparations and arrangements for Palestine to assume the G-77's rotating presidency. Palestine will be heading the largest intergovernmental bloc of UN member-states for one year effective Jan. 1. The G-77's initial membership of 77 developing countries has grown over the years to 134. Its purpose is to defend the economic, environmental and developmental interests of its members. It aims to strengthen their leverage with major powers such as the United States or European countries.
On Sept. 27, the G-77 elected the State of Palestine to chair the group for 2019, a position held by Egypt for 2018. Palestine is a full member of G-77, but only an observer-state member of the UN.
On Oct. 17, the 193-member UN General Assembly agreed to grant temporary extra rights to Palestine to fulfill its leadership role. Of those present, 146 members voted in favor of the resolution, 15 abstained and three voted against it: Israel, the United States and Australia.
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