The UN General Assembly will meet today in a session convened after the United States vetoed the process of Palestine’s admission to full membership of the United Nations.

The forum will review in plenary the decision that halted the long-awaited recognition process, already granted by 140 UN member states.

On 18 April, the US delegation vetoed Palestine’s application for full membership of the UN with the sole vote against a resolution tabled by Algeria.

The use of this exclusive privilege by the five permanent members of the Security Council led to the failure of the project, which, had it been approved, would have taken another vote in the General Assembly.

The draft, in a terse form, recommended that the 193-member forum admit Palestine with a full seat.

Shortly before, the Palestinian Authority had requested reconsideration of a 2011 application for membership in a letter sent to Secretary-General António Guterres on 2 April.

That year, the Security Council considered the request but failed to find unity to send a recommendation to the General Assembly, which under the UN Charter must hold a vote involving all 193 member states.

The procedures for the accession of new members involved the creation of the specialised committee and the drafting of a report that would return to the security body for a vote.

At least nine of the Council’s 15 members had to approve the aspiring party for membership, including the US, Russia, China, France and the UK, the permanent members.