The United Nations General Assembly will hold an emergency meeting on the status of Jerusalem.

The 193-member United Nations General Assembly will hold a special emergency session on the status of Jerusalem on December 21.

The meeting was convened at the request of Arab and Muslim countries. Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour said the UN General Assembly will vote on a draft resolution demanding the withdrawal of President Donald Trump's declaration recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This draft resolution was previously vetoed by the US at the UN Security Council.

Jerusalem Holy Land. Photo: Reuters

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the vetoed draft resolution was aimed at protecting US sovereignty and its role in the Middle East peace process.

Ms. Haley also criticized the draft resolution as an insult to Washington and a disgrace to the members of the Security Council. The other 14 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution drafted by Egypt. Mr. Riyad Mansour hoped that although this vote is not binding, it will be politically meaningful.

Under a 1950 resolution, a special emergency meeting would be convened for the UN General Assembly to consider a matter with a view to making appropriate recommendations to members for collective measures in the event the Security Council fails to act.

Only 10 such meetings have been held, the last of which was held in 2009 on occupied East Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories. The December 21 meeting will follow the 2009 meeting./.

According to VOV