Calls are mounting to relocate the United Nations General Assembly session from New York to Geneva after the United States refused visas to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation, media reports said.
Important decisions regarding the recognition of Palestine are expected at the session. High-level debates at the General Assembly are scheduled from September 23 to 27, and the session will conclude on September 29, according to media reports.
The Trump administration has refused visas to about 80 Palestinian officials. In 1988, the US also barred PLO leader Yasser Arafat from travelling to New York.
This is the first time in UN history that such a blanket ban has been attempted. The aim is to prevent participation in one of the most significant events in Palestinian history since the Oslo Accords.
Under a 1947 UN “headquarters agreement”, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York. However, Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
A one-day General Assembly conference on the two-state solution will be held on September 22 in New York. Abbas was to attend the conference led by Saudi Arabia and France. The session may see Britain, France, Australia, Canada and other countries recognise Palestine as a state.
