Out of the 47 UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) members, 45 voted in favour with only the US voting against the resolution and Ghana abstaining.
Permanent Observer of the state of Palestine to the United Nations Office at Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi stated, "In talking of self determination we are talking about a legal value of great importance...My delegation is ready to cooperate with the delegation of Israel, the occupying force, to submit a draft of self-determination that will be a common text of the Council if the delegation of Israel believes that the Palestinian people are entitled to self-determination."
Pakistan, the sponsor of the text, speaking on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member-states stated that "the realisation of the right to self-determination is an essential condition for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms."
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There are currently four resolutions under Agenda Item 7 -- Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories -- which has been a permanent item since the genesis of the UNHRC.
The four resolutions, directed at Israel, are -- Human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan, Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan and Human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
The voting pattern on three resolutions was the same -- 45 in favour with the US against and Ghana abstaining -- but on the resolution on human rights in the occupied Syrian Golan 29 voted in favour, one against and 17 abstentions.
The US, in an explanation of the vote, said it believes that the only way to solve the conflict between Palestine and Israel to achieve "comprehensive peace" was to create two states since status quo is not sustainable.
It urged the members to vote 'no' for all the resolutions against Israel. All the resolutions, however, were adopted with thumping majority.