UN accepts Palestinians’ bid to join 13 int’l bodies

A bid by Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas to join international conventions for supporting Palestinians’ rights against Israel violations has been accepted by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
On Thursday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Ban had verified that the PA’s applications to join 13 international conventions were made “in due and proper form.”
Ban also informed all 193 UN member states of his decision to accept the Palestinian applications, according to the UN official.
The Israeli-PA talks reached a new deadlock when the Tel Aviv regime refused to free the last tranche of 104 Palestinian prisoners in late March according to a deal for the resumption of US-sponsored negotiations.
Regime’s defiance to halt its illegal settlement activities in occupied lands were also another cause of the talks’ failure.
The move prompted acting Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas to respond by signing letters of accession to 15 international conventions on April 1. Thirteen of the letters were deposited at the UN, one in Geneva and one in the Netherlands.
On April 8, Riyad Mansour, the PA ambassador to the UN, said Palestine would officially become a state party to 13 of the 15 conventions on May 2.
Mansour also said that the Palestinian Authority is ready to submit more applications to join UN agencies, conventions and treaties in response to the Israeli regime’s actions.
Meanwhile, the Tel Aviv regime has imposed fresh economic sanctions against the Palestinian Authority following its decision to join the international conventions.
On Thursday, an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tel Aviv would deduct debt payments from tax transfers which the PA routinely receives, and limit its bank deposits in Israel.
Chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, has lashed out at the Israeli regime for the imposition of economic sanctions, saying the move is tantamount to “theft.”
Earlier this week, Mohammed Shtayyeh, an aide to the PA chief, said that the Authority’s letters of accession to the UN agencies would not be withdrawn and that the step is irreversible, stressing that Palestinians were ready to widen their bid.