UNESCO to hoist Palestinian flag

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has stated the Palestinian flag would be raised at its Paris headquarters next week. This comes as Palestine now enjoys full membership, despite Israeli and US objections, which cut off UNESCO funding. The flag will be hoisted Tuesday, "to mark Palestine's admission to the organisation" in the presence of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and foreign minister Riad Maliki, according to a UNESCO statement. The vote that secure the full membership October 31, 2011, was considered "a step towards its eventual recognition as a UN member state." Palestine became the 195th member state of the UNESCO officially upon signing the UN agency's statute November 23. The vote result was 107 countries for, 14 against, and with 52 states abstaining. The Arab group's request to approve the admission received support of a majority of 40 out of 58 votes at the UNESCO's executive bureau. The organisation said there would be live coverage of the event, in Arabic, French, and English, with Abbas giving a following press conference. The UNESCO membership is a step towards securing membership in other UN agencies, including the UN Security Council which is set to vote on it December 11. Meanwhile, Norway announced a contribution of USD 1.2 million for a UNESCO project involving preservation and restoration of rare Islamic artifact in the Aqsa Mosque. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova in a statement expressed appreciation for Norway's longstanding support of projects in preservation of human heritage sites and artifact. "This project attests to UNESCO's important support to the preservation of many manuscripts which constitute the memory of humanity," she said. The Norwegian Ambassador to UNESCO, Tore Eriksen, meanwhile emphasised the difficult circumstances in which the Palestinians work to protect their cultural and natural heritage and his country's support in ensuring the sustainability of the Center for Restoration of Islamic Manuscript of the Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem, which is a landmark initiative in this sense. The project will contribute to the preservation of the Islamic cultural heritage to foster intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace. The Ambassador also added that his Government's policy is geared to supporting the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace with secure and recognised borders.