By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, September 30 -- On the hot issue of Palestine, while the Group of 77 has come out with a pro-Palestinian Paragraph 108 to its declaration, as Inner City Press exclusively reported on September 29, this has triggered "reservations" from Paragraph 108 from such countries as current Security Council member Colombia, financial powerhouse Singapore, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Panama and the Bahamas.
Now the list of those distancing themselves from the pro-Palestinian position includes the small island states of Nauru, Micronesia and Barbados according to sources in the GRULAC Latin American and Caribbean grouping, and Guatemala, slated through an October 21 election to join in 2012 the Security Council, whose Committee on Admission of New Members was meeting Friday about Palestine.
While the Palestinian Observer mission is publicly dismissive of these reservation, the inclusion of prospective Security Council member Guatemala cannot be helpful. Some in the GRULAC were surprised.
Colombia, which already distanced itself not only from the G77 but also Non-Aligned Movement pro-Palestinian statements, is slated to host a visit by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas within ten days -- to what end is not clear.
There appear to be other reservations as well. Watch this site.
How an initial G-77 memo about reservations was phrased:
To : Permanent Missions of the Member States of the Group of 77 and China
Attn.: Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Committee delegates
From : Office of the Chairman
Date : 28 September 2011
In continuation of its last circular of 26 September 2011, the Chair wishes to provide delegations with copies of Notes that it has received from the Permanent Missions of Colombia, the Republic of Cameroon and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire which are hereby circulated upon their request regarding paragraph 108 of the Declaration adopted by the Thirty-Fifth Annual Meeting of Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 on 23 September 2011 at UN Headquarters in New York.
Watch this site.
