So the votes are in, and UNESCO has voted to accept Palestine as a full member. I have procured the full voting results, which to my knowledge, have not been made public yet. There were 14 “no” votes, 52 abstentions and 107 “yes” votes (there were also
20 21 Member States absent):
No: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sweden, United States of America, Vanuatu.
Abstentions: Albania, Andorra, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cook Islands, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Haiti, Hungary, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liberia, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Switzerland, Thailand, Macedonia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Zambia.
Yes: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Chad, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sant Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
Absent: Antigua and Barbuda, Central African Republic, Comoros, Dominica, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, ConFederated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Niue, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan.
Most of these are no surprise, although it is worth noting the division in Europe, with Spain, France, Ireland, Austria, Finland and Greece voting “yes,” Germany, Czech Republic and Sweden voting “no,” and the UK, Italy and Denmark abstaining. It’s also probably worth noting that the US didn’t manage to get a “no” vote from such solid supporters as countries like Latvia (which voted “no” to bringing the motion to the General Assembly earlier this month but abstained today) and Tuvalu, Nauru and other island states that almost always support the US in international forums. Another formerly stalwart US supporter who voted for Palestine is Iceland. I remember chatting with an Icelandic diplomat during the Bush administration who had told me that after one particularly egregious instance of Washington dictating terms on what should have been a bilateral decision between Reykjavik and DC the US could no longer count on their automatic support in international forums.
Note: I’ve transcribed these from documentation, so there may be some typos, but I think the numbers add up. Let me know in the comments if I’ve made a mistake.
Update: I’ve added the Member States that were absent. I don’t know if they were present for the General Assembly and just skipped this vote, but even if no one from the Member State came, to the best of my knowledge, with the exception of South Sudan, each has a permanent delegation at UNESCO, so that’s relevant information as well. As a friend just pointed out to me, being absent is “also a means of abstaining.”
Update II: I’ve just been told that if a Member State hasn’t paid its dues, it loses the right to vote, which might explain some (or all?) of the absent countries.
[…] Sean Lee has the full vote tally on his blog The Human Province: […]
By: UNESCO votes to admit Palestine as a full member on October 31, 2011
at 8:25 pm
cheers, i had some difficulty tracking down a full list.
By: drivingby on October 31, 2011
at 8:54 pm
I heard today that there are 185 voting countries @ UNESCO these days. Member States that have not paid their dues in over 2 years lose their vote.
There were 194 MS at the time of the vote (now 195). If you ad up yeses, nos and abst you’re in the 170s, some absent States had to be non voting state, not all.
By: Zazou on October 31, 2011
at 8:58 pm
Macedonia is missing from the list, do you have any info on the voting from
this country?
By: Goran on October 31, 2011
at 10:36 pm
[…] Sean Lee has the full vote tally on his blog The Human Province: […]
By: UNESCO votes to admit Palestine as a full member | freepalestinianprisoners.com on November 1, 2011
at 12:43 am
Macedonia is there. Towards the end of the abstentions.
By: sean on November 1, 2011
at 12:45 am
[…] Palau, Panama, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sweden, United States of America, Vanuatu. Details see: UNESCO and Palestine the human province AC yet the voting was way in favour 107-14, so Australia is completely out of step with decent […]
By: Unesco Recognises Paleatine - Up Israel's Arse - OzChess - Australia's Chess Forum on November 1, 2011
at 2:41 am
great! i was looking for it. Thanks.
By: anonymous on November 1, 2011
at 2:44 am
[…] I came across a link to this blog at an unlikely place, the comments section of a Slovakian newspaper, where also a lot of readers […]
By: Palestine UNESCO vote « ANTHEM on November 1, 2011
at 4:45 am
Was looking for the list everywhere! Interesting how these nations vote. They should all be free to vote ofcourse as they seem fit for their nations interest, but I always find the abstentions and absentees as cowards basically. The fact that the UN has been voting against Israel most of the time is also revealing about how most people in the world are still anti semitic. UN = United Nazis.
By: D-Undertaker ZSA on November 1, 2011
at 5:33 am
[…] For a full list check out Sean’s post in Human Province […]
By: UNESCO Gives Palestinians Full Membership « Asha Abdi on November 1, 2011
at 5:59 am
Thanks for posting this list. I think it should be published, at least by a link, by the usual electronic mainstream media. Don’t they think people want to know?
By: Dennis on November 1, 2011
at 7:20 am
U.S. lickspittles and toadies – a useful list from those voting ‘No.’ Names to take every opportunity to boycott, economically and otherwise – Australia’s US puppet Gilliard, Canada’s Zionist Nazi Harper, Germany, the Reich-wing Netherlands and Wikileaks-persecuting Sweden – this means YOU!
The Abstentions and Absent likewise – a useful list of those succumbing to the USUK Empire’s arm twisting.
But those voting ‘Yes’ – a wonderful, cheering list!
– Ex Pat
By: Ex Pat on November 1, 2011
at 8:01 am
[…] November 1, 2011. Thanks to Sean at The Human Province see the voting results […]
By: Long Live Palestine « Freelance on November 1, 2011
at 9:48 am
Hah, “Confederated.”
It’s actually the “Federated States of Micronesia.”
By: Tim Thomason on November 1, 2011
at 9:58 am
thanks for posting
By: manabrau on November 1, 2011
at 10:02 am
I’m surprised about this comment made un = nazis. Seriously could you even consider that it is not about istrael! You really cannot hide behind the fact that Palestine exists and it is not going away, they have the right like any other human being to claim for their recognition, and if I do remember that’s what israel did!
By: leila on November 1, 2011
at 10:31 am
[…] [Finland voted in favor: "Most of these are no surprise, although it is worth noting the division in Europe, with Spain, France, Ireland, Austria, Finland and Greece voting “yes"] […]
By: FINLAND VOTED IN FAVOR OF P.A. ADMITTANCE AS MEMBER TO UNESCO, US CUTS FUNDING OF IT……. | on November 1, 2011
at 5:18 pm
The hypocrisy is so clear and obvious, that to those hypocrites israel is allowed to be part of UNESCO and Palestine isn’t. But the people of the world are not blind, they never were. Now, the governments are also standing up and taking a more ‘moral’ stand. All I can say is that these oppressors’ days are numbered…no one even listens to the US anymore, its a big joke. One more thing, mark my words! If you look at the list, you will see that every Arab and Islamic country voted in favor. We are united on the issue of Palestine and in the near future, the hypocrites of the west and the puppets of israel will see the power of Arab/Islamic unity. Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)!
By: muslim on November 1, 2011
at 6:10 pm
The video showing part of the roll call in Paris showed the Chairwoman saying that the total members on UNESCO who are entitled to vote is 185. Those who voted numbers 173. Majority required to admit Palestine was 81.
By: AER on November 1, 2011
at 6:18 pm
The video showing part of the roll call in Paris showed the Chairwoman announcing officially that the total UNESCO members who are entitled to vote were185. Those who actually voted numbered 173. Majority required to admit Palestine was 81. Those who voted YES numbered 107
By: AER on November 1, 2011
at 6:21 pm
Uh sorry muslim – a lot of Asian countries voted for Palestine as well.
We didn’t vote for Palestine for you to go all Allahu Akbar and Arab unity on the rest of the world.
If you would cut half the rhetoric and be part of the world community and stop drawing these inflammatory religious lines, there wouldn’t be half the trouble.
By: tahout@aman.com on November 1, 2011
at 8:18 pm
thanks. this was really hard to find.
By: renting on November 1, 2011
at 11:20 pm
[…] […]
By: UNESCO grants Palestinians full membership - Page 2 - US Message Board - Political Discussion Forum on November 2, 2011
at 1:01 am
Quote, “We didn’t vote for Palestine for you to go all Allahu Akbar and Arab unity on the rest of the world.”
Ofcourse not, you did it in an attempt to destroy Israel/Jews and erase any of their religious and historical connection to their own land.
The whole Allahu Akhbar and sharia law and Islamic supremacy on the rest of the world bs will simply be an unexpected consequence of your own hatred for Israel. You see, that’s how god works. He won’t destroy you. He simply opens the door so you can destroy yourself through your own hatred. He gives us a vote so to speak. You voted…..the wrong way.
What you needed to do is love yourself (and your childrens’ future) MORE than you hate Israel/Jews. You couldn’t bring yourself to do that. So PLEASE stop whining now about Allahu Akhbar. Thank you.
By: Israel Akhbar on November 2, 2011
at 1:18 am
I’m ashamed that my country abstained the vote, but very happy the large majority finally has the courage the stand up against the US domination. Long enough have Jewish extremists capitalized on their suffering in WWII. There were other peoples like the Sinthi or the Roma in Europe that suffered just as much as the Jews. Yet Europe has tolerated any crimes against humanity during the last 60 years, out of shame. The rising power of China now allows emerging and 3rd world countries to make a stance for justice, because they depend less on the US.
Does anyone know why Taiwan is not in any list? Are they not recognized as country be UNO?
By: hoping for new world order on November 2, 2011
at 7:22 am
If I understand correctly, most countries have avoided official recognition of Taiwan, especially since the latter’s government has traditionally considered itself the rightful government of not just Taiwan, but also all of mainland China. In any case, Taiwan is not a member of the UN or UNESCO.
By: sean on November 2, 2011
at 7:59 am
[…] Human Province blog has a complete vote tally for the UNESCO decision. It turns out that Spain, France, Ireland, […]
By: Likud Government takes "Revenge" on Palestinians for UNESCO Membership | Informed Comment on November 2, 2011
at 11:55 am
Thanks for this list. It is odd that countries seem hesitant to let their people know how they voted. Ashamed? Scared of repurcusions? Spineless…
By: Martin on November 2, 2011
at 12:14 pm
[…] Human Province blog has a complete vote tally for the UNESCO decision. It turns out that Spain, France, Ireland, […]
By: Arab News Blog » Likud Government takes Revenge on Palestinians for UNESCO Membership on November 2, 2011
at 1:20 pm
Probably because they did not pay their dues.
By: AER on November 2, 2011
at 2:49 pm
[…] Edit: The vote tally can be found here. […]
By: One Small Step for Palestine | Bear Market Investments on November 2, 2011
at 6:57 pm
That guy which writes Allahu Akbar might be a Hasbara! You never know who is behind the keyboard. I can write “We Atheists will….whatever….Allahu Akbar, Ommmm, Shalon, or whatever Mortal Combat, Harry Potter things, RULE THE WORLD!!!”
Think about it!
By: Mr. Muslim Atheist Wtf on November 3, 2011
at 4:04 am
THOSE WHO STAND WITH ISRAEL in this very crucial matter: STAND WITH THE GOD OF ISRAEL & HIS COVENANT with His people [imperfect as they are] AND THE LAND given them **by Covenant BY GOD {YHVH, THE ETERNAL}** … there is also “the little matter” of Israel’s national security living next to a SOVEREIGN terrorist-State that seeks her destruction, … just a tiny, minor little detail.(!) ** Read Zechariah’s prophecy in Zech.chapters 12, 13 & 14.** – it’s clear enough. unmistakable, actually.
By: Len Hummel on November 3, 2011
at 12:42 pm
Please stop those inflammatory words, stop insulting USA because we still worry about VETO bla bla bla …
By: surya on November 5, 2011
at 3:37 am
It is about time the world said enough is enough. TEAR DOWN THAT WALL. DIsmantle the refugee camps and let those people go home! Israel has never been a democratic country. America has buckled to its mistress!
By: Sandy on November 5, 2011
at 10:25 pm
[…] The Human Province blog has a complete vote tally for the UNESCO decision. It turns out that Spain, France, Ireland, Austria, Finland and Greece in Europe voted “yes,” which is a pretty big set of defections from US leadership. And, the UK, Italy and Denmark all abstained, which given the way this vote worked, essentially supported the Palestinians. […]
By: P.S. Chatterbox Nov. 5, 2011 « The Paltry Sapien on November 8, 2011
at 2:26 am
Sean, thanks for standing with the anti-semites as always. Normally, I wouldn’t hold you responsible for the comments made on your board, but the fact that you actually replied to someone who accused Jews (not Israelis) of exploited the Holocaust to commit war crimes. Well done! You’ve finally lost credibility explicitly (P.S., Syrians still dying, Arabs and you still not caring)
By: nitsanc on November 9, 2011
at 6:24 am
[…] Croker sent me this wonderful visual representation of the UNESCO vote (which I broke down for you here). It’s a much clearer and more visually striking way of looking at the vote. Click the image […]
By: A visual representation of the UNESCO vote on Palestine « the human province on November 10, 2011
at 4:07 am
Thanks for the list.
Being Dutch myself, I couldn’t help noticing that you forgot my country (the Netherlands) in your list of European countries that voted ‘no’.
I’m now trying to find out the reasons for our vote, but I just wanted to let you know.
By: Kim on December 13, 2011
at 12:23 pm
Thanks for the comment, Kim, but the Netherlands is listed right there between Lithuania and Palau…
By: sean on December 13, 2011
at 4:12 pm
[…] a full tally of the UNESCO vote, here’s a full tally of this evening’s UN General Assembly vote on Palestine. I […]
By: Palestine at the UN « the human province on November 30, 2012
at 3:01 am