Palestinian Authority seeks accession to UN conventions

(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, on Wednesday hand-delivered the letters of accession to 15 United Nations international instruments and conventions.

The letters were signed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abass one day earlier and delivered to the UN Secretary-General's Cabinet chief, Susan Malcorra.

"We are exercising our legal right as a State to join these instruments," Mansour told reporters. "We are part of humanity. This will allow us to shoulder our responsibility in carrying what is required of us under the provision of these instruments. We are proud of that and we consider the action of our President a step to consolidate and strengthen the pillars of the State of Palestine in the international system."

While the United States and Israel have condemned the move, Ambassador Mansour told reporters that the applications followed Israel's failure to deliver on its promise to release the fourth and last batch of 104 political prisoners jailed before the 1994 Oslo Accords.

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