World : WHO Defers Palestine Status Debate
The World Health Organization annual assembly voted by a slim majority today to postpone debate by 48 hours on a divisive Palestinian bid for membership in the U.N. agency.
The United States has warned that it will immediately cease all payments to the agency if Palestinian observer status is changed to that of member state “Palestine.”
Austria, seconded by Canada, proposed a 48-hour delay until Friday to give delegations time to consult their governments and try in private negotiations to find a compromise on deferring the issue until next year. Fifty-six of the 160 nations attending the conference voted in favor of postponing debate, while 47 opposed it and 20 abstained. The remainder did not take part in the vote.
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