'Step backwards': Top official reacts to UN's failure to recognise Palestine's full membership

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, emphasised that the US veto of the Palestinian membership application to the UN is a step backwards in the efforts to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), he reiterated the GCC's firm position in support of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Al Budaiwi urged the international community to work decisively and without delay to ensure the recognition of the State of Palestine and grant the Palestinian people their basic and legitimate rights, in accordance with UN resolutions and international law.

He stressed that the UN Security Council must take serious steps to re-evaluate international mechanisms concerning peace, to ensure that people's rights are respected and regional and global security and stability are safeguarded.

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