Ban said "millions and millions" of people could be affected if U.N. agencies see their funding cut as a result of the Palestinian bids. He spoke Thursday with the Associated Press on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Cannes. The U.S. and Canada have cut off funding for UNESCO because the Paris-based U.N. cultural agency approved a Palestinian membership bid stripping it of about one-quarter of its total funding. Get the Israel Hayom newsletter sent to your mailbox! The U.N. chief says the Palestinian Authority's foreign minister has indicated that it will apply for membership in the 16 other U.N. specialized agencies. In September Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas handed Ban an official request to become the U.N.'s 194 member state. The U.S. has said it would veto Palestinian admittance if it comes up for a vote at the Security Council - the only body that can approve such a request - but Palestinians may still be able to upgrade the status at U.N. General Assembly to that of an non-member state, like the Vatican, if the request is forwarded to the assembly. Currently the Palestinian Authority has observer entity status.
CANNES, France U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says Palestinian efforts to join other U.N. agencies beyond its cultural arm is "not beneficial for Palestine and not beneficial for anybody."
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