A total of 107 countries voted. 14 of them voted against and 52 countries abstained.
– With our vote, we confirm that the Palestinian expectations and needs in protecting their national heritage are legitimate. It is important that the international community and the Palestinian Authority together strengthen control over the cultural heritage located in the Palestinian territory and they are threatened by unclear boundaries. A membership in UNESCO is an important step in this respect, says Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
In July 2011, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, had signed an agreement for the upgrading of the Palestinian delegation in Norway to ambassador level. However, voting does not constitute a formal recognition of the State of Palestine from the Norwegian side.
