SL played vital role to admit Palestine to UNESCO

7 November 2011 11:21 am

Sri Lanka played a key-role to admit Palestine to UNESCO at its biannual general conference on the 31st of last month and was commended by many a  member country for the act, Senior Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana said today.

The vote at UNESCO’s Paris headquarters which required approval by two-thirds of the agency’s General Conference, passed by a vote of 107 to 14, with 52 abstentions, he said.

The US who led the group of countries manly comprising western nations and Isrel, responded immediately by cutting her contribution of US$ 60 million for the month of November.

Apart from the US and Israel western nations such as Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany were among those voting no. A surprise yes vote came from France, Minister Vitharana added.

A majority of Non-Aligned nations from Asia, Africa and Ocenia voted for the resolution.

“Sri Lanka was prominent in its campaign for the Palestine course and launched a concerted effort to win the vote to admit Palestine as the newest member of  the UNESCO. Our diplomat in France and UNESCO, Mr. Dayan Jayatilaka carried out a successful canvassing among many member states and was able to persuade them to vote ‘yes’,” Minister Vitharana said. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)