UN / SALAM

Addressing the press today, Ambassador Nawaf Salam of Lebanon and President of the Security Council for September said Palestine "fulfils the requirements of statehood" according to the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States of 1933. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:06
• Production Date: 2 September 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• Geographic Subject: LEBANON; MIDDLE EAST
• MAMS Id: U110902c

Description

STORY: UN / SALAM
TRT: 2.06
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 2 SEPTEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

2 SEPTEMBER 2011, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Salam at the dais
3. Wide shot, audience
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations:
“You know Lebanon’s position. We support fully the Palestine in its quest for recognition of statehood in the General Assembly, if it opts for this course of action or if it submits a request for full membership to the Secretary-General, which will be forwarded to the Council.”
5. Med shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations:
“We believe, along with the majority of UN members who already recognise this state that it is a state and that it fulfils the requirements of statehood. The requirements of statehood are known in international law. You just have to look up the Montevideo Convention of 1933.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Nawaf Salam, Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations:
“The UN is not in the business of recognition of states. The recognition of states as you mentioned is a bilateral question between State A and State B. But based on that number of recognitions, the General Assembly may draw certain conclusions and grant Palestine the seat of a state, not an observer one. So that would be a change of the state of an observer from that of an organisation to that of a state.”
9. Wide shot, journalists
10. Wide shot, dais
11. Wide shot, audience

Storyline

Lebanon’s representative at the United Nations (UN) today (2 September) reiterated his Government’s support for Palestine’s “quest for recognition of statehood” in the General Assembly, or “for full membership” through a request to the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council.

Addressing the press, Ambassador Nawaf Salam of Lebanon, which holds the Presidency of the Security Council for September, said that Palestine “fulfils the requirements of statehood” in accordance with the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States of 1933.

The Convention establishes that a state, in order to be recognised as such, must possess a permanent population, a defined territory, a government; and the capacity to enter into relations with the other states.

Salam argued that the UN “is not in the business of recognition of states” which is “a bilateral question between State A and State B.”

He added that based on the number of recognitions, the General Assembly “may draw certain conclusions and grant Palestine the seat of a state.”

Palestine currently holds an observer seat at the General Assembly and is expected to apply for full recognition at the next session of the Assembly beginning later this month.