Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, has officially withdrawn his candidacy for the presidency of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The decision, announced on Saturday, marks a significant shift in the upcoming leadership race for the world’s primary deliberative body.
Ambassador Mansour, a veteran diplomat who has represented the Palestinian Authority at the UN for over two decades, holds the rank of minister and has previously served as a non-resident ambassador to several Caribbean nations. While Palestine currently holds "Permanent Observer" status—allowing it to participate in General Assembly sessions without full member voting rights—the bid for the presidency was seen as a major move to elevate its international standing.
Diplomatic Friction and Withdrawal
The candidacy faced immediate and intense opposition from Israel. Danny Danon, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, criticized the bid, describing it as an attempt to turn the General Assembly into a "political circus" and a "backdoor" effort to boost the Palestinian delegation’s status. Danon argued that the delegation should focus on internal reforms rather than seeking high-level international offices.
According to reports from Hebrew media outlets, including Yedioth Ahronoth, the withdrawal followed concerted diplomatic pressure from both Israel and the United States.
The Race Ahead
With Mansour’s exit, the race for the presidency of the 81st UNGA session is now narrowed down to two main contenders:
Andreas Kakouris, the representative of Cyprus.
Mohammed Touhid Hossain, the representative of Bangladesh.
The UN General Assembly presidency is a prestigious role that rotates annually among five geographic groups. The president-elect will be responsible for presiding over sessions, suggesting themes for international debate, and managing the assembly's administrative functions.
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