Palestine Becomes Full Member of UNESCO

It's not quite the general assembly, but Palestine's ascension to the cultural body puts U.S. funding for UNESCO at risk.

Palestine's bid to become a full member of the United Nations might be stalled, but they can claim a partial victory by winning a vote to become a member of UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or UNESCO. This morning, 107 UNESCO members voted for Palestine to join the organization, while 14 countries – including the U.S., Israel, and Canada – voted against it. Another 52 countries abstained, clearing the way for Palestine to be able to register historic sites in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for UNESCO recognition and protection. The vote's result will likely mean that the United States will pull millions in funding from UNESCO, owing to a U.S. law passed in 1990 that mandates that the country must pull funding from any UN organization that affords full-member status to Palestine. The territory's bid for membership in the general assembly is currently being reviewed by the Security Council, where the U.S. is expected to veto the scheme.