Today, the members of UNESCO, the UN-agency dedicated to Science, Culture, and Education, have rejected Kosovo’s membership bid. A total of 171 member states participated in the vote, which finished with 92 votes in favor of Kosovo’s membership, 50 votes against, and 29 abstentions. A two thirds majority was required, leaving Kosovo only three votes away from entering UNESCO.

Kosovo will have to wait until at least 2017 to have a new opportunity, when the General Conference of UNESCO will meet again. This body, composed by 195 country members, meets only every two years.

Prior to the vote on the motion to decide Kosovo’s membership, the members of the General Conference had rejected a motion put forward by Serbia, supported by Russia and other countries, to postpone Kosovo’s membership vote. In this voting process, in which 170 members took part, 89 member states voted against Serbia’s proposal, 59 in favor, and 22 abstained.

Kosovo started its lobby campaign for the “yes” vote in January 2015, yet encountered strong opposition and lobbying from neighboring Serbia.

October 21, the Executive Board of UNESCO, composed of 58 members, approved a recommendation to admit Kosovo as a new member, with the support of 44 members, thereby taking the issue forward to a full vote at the General Conference.

Some public voices have already reacted to the results of the vote.

Hashim Thaci, Kosovo’s deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs — and the person with ultimate accountability for the bid — quickly moved to paint a positive picture of the failed application: “Kosovo’s path is unstoppable and we will apply again and we will become members of others organizations as well, including UNESCO,” Thaci wrote on Facebook.

Deputy minister of foreign affairs, Petrit Selimi, who has been on the front line of the diplomatic efforts for the “Kosovo in UNESCO” campaign similarly attempted to take the positives, tweeting that Kosovo had received a majority of the votes from UNESCO members.

UNESCO rejects Kosovo’s membership bid

Reaction as Kosovo falls three votes short of entering UN's cultural agency.

Cristina Marí

UNESCO rejects Kosovo’s membership bid

Reaction as Kosovo falls three votes short of entering UN's cultural agency.

Cristina Marí