Africa-Press – Kenya. The UN on Monday dismissed claims that its General Assembly high-level week would be moved from New York to Geneva, following a US decision to bar Palestinian officials from entry.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described the reports as “misinformation” and said in a news conference that there was “no such vote in the General Assembly” to move the high-level event to another location.
“I’m not aware of any preparations being made to move the General Assembly high-level session out of New York,” he added.
Dujarric asserted that “reports on fake news sites” claiming the General Assembly had voted to move the session were “wrong.”
Asked about a possible reaction to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas being barred from attending a conference on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Dujarric said: “As far as we know, there’s no change in the host country’s position.”
“We were very clear on expressing our concern about that decision, which we feel goes against the host country treaty,” he said, adding that he would not “speculate what may or may not happen.”
“What we would like is for any diplomat delegations, journalists, people who have business in front of the UN to be granted access to the territory of the US, so they can enter the UN premises as outlined in the host country,” he said.
On July 31, the State Department imposed sanctions on the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority, denying their members US visas.
The move came after France, the UK, Canada and Australia announced plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming General Assembly, joining 147 countries that have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.
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