Bahamas formally recognizes Palestine as state

The Bahamas Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday that the Cabinet of The Bahamas has decided to formally recognize Palestine as a state.

"The Government of The Bahamas believes that recognition of the State of Palestine strongly demonstrates The Bahamas' commitment to the principles espoused in the Charter of the United Nations and to the right of self-determination of peoples as articulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)," the ministry said in a statement.

The Bahamas supports the legal right of the Palestinian people "to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development," it added.

The number of countries which have recognized Palestine's statehood at the UN level has increased recently, towards granting Palestine full membership at the UN.

Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the UN General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in debates and UN organizations but without a vote.

States are admitted to membership in the UN by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council, according to the UN Charter.

A Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members -- the US, Britain, France, Russia or China -- to pass.