The UN has received letters from the Palestinian Authority seeking to become a party to 15 key UN treaties and protocols, a move that has endangered the US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The documents have been presented to UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry.“Once we receive the letters at Headquarters, we will be reviewing them to consider the appropriate next steps,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said.
Palestinian Authority Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said at the request of his Government, he had delivered copies of the 15 letters to the Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet, Susana Malcorra. The Palestinian Authority expected the documents would be subsequently transmitted to the UN Office for legal Affairs.
“Palestine is exercising its legal right as a State to join those instruments and live up to its international responsibility,” said Mansour, recalling the November 2012 General Assembly vote according Palestine the status of non-member observer State at the UN.