UN General Assembly to vote on 'rights and privileges' for Palestine

A UN General Assembly (UNGA) vote on a resolution calling for more "rights and privileges" for Palestine at the United Nations has begun.

Palestine's request for full UN membership was vetoed by the United States last month.

The draft resolution being voted on today will not grant Palestine full membership but will allow it. more rights and privelages within the UN, including the ability to join UN organisations and bodies.

In a speech to the General Assembly, Mohamed Abushahab, the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the UN said that the resolution would have a "profound impact on the Palestinian people."