Kosovo's bid to join UNESCO fails

UNESCO has not accepted Kosovo as a member; the proposal failed to gain a two-thirds majority at the organization's General Conference in Paris on Monday.
Source: B92 Monday, November 9, 2015 | 13:52

(Beta/AP, file)

142 countries voted - 92 in favor, 50 against, while 29 abstained. Pristina's bid required 95 votes in favor to be successful.
Among the countries that voted against were Brazil, China, Russia, Spain, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Palestine, North Korea, Slovakia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bahrain, Indonesia.

Those who abstained, included, among others, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Greece, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Zambia.

Among the countries that were in favor of the bid were Belgium, France, Canada, Bulgaria, Belize, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Malaysia, Pakistan, Panama, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, the Czech Republic, the UK, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Chad, Thailand, Turkey, Afghanistan, Albania, Germany, Andorra.

Earlier in the day, Serbia tabled a proposal to postpone a decision - but this proposal was rejected.

The request to allow Kosovo to join was explained as an issue "unrelated to recognizing Kosovo as a state or supporting its UN membership," while a vote in favor would "give citizens of Kosovo access to cultural values and education and support UNESCO's mission."

Serbia and others who opposed the request maintained that allowing Kosovo to join would represent "a politicization of the organization, and a violation of international law."