The Palestinians have yet to decide how to go ahead with a bid to achieve statehood at a UN vote, the Palestinian envoy to the UN said on Thursday.
"We know that powerful states will try to prevent us from winning the Security Council vote by using their right to a veto. Even if we fail in the Security Council, we know that we still have an opportunity to press for recognition in the UN General Assembly," envoy Riyad Mansour said.
While most UN members support the bid, approval by the General Assembly would only give the Palestinians non-member state status. For full recognition, the bid would have to be approved by the UN Security Council - and the US has said it will use its veto to block it.
"We are yet to decide on the first step, we haven't yet finished drawing up our statehood bid," the envoy said, adding that the final decision would be announced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on September 23.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed last week he was planning to submit the application on September 19 and expected it to be formally lodged with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on September 21 or 22.
"We have enough support from the international community to run our state by ourselves. What we need is an end to the occupation. Moreover, we have won the support of more than two thirds of all states, and they are ready to recognize Palestine as an independent state within its 1967 borders," Mansour said.
