Now, Palestinians aim to join 16 other UN bodies
Source: Agencies |
November 2, 2011, Wednesday
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IT'S not just UNESCO: The Palestinians' top envoy in Geneva said yesterday he believes that joining the United Nations agency for culture, education and science will "open the door" to joining 16 other UN agencies within weeks.
Ibrahim Khraishi, the top Palestinian envoy at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, said that Palestinian diplomats are now planning to capitalize on Monday's landslide vote to allow the Palestinians into UNESCO by preparing papers to join the other UN agencies and a variety of other international organizations.
"Now we are studying when we are going to move for full membership on the other UN agencies," Khraishi said. "It's a target for (us to join) the international organizations and the UN agencies."
He said the UNESCO vote sets a precedent to allowing such broad memberships. "We are working on it, one by one," he said. "Because it's now a precedent that we are a full member in one of the biggest and one of the most important UN agencies, UNESCO. So it will open the door for us now to go further in our efforts to join other UN agencies."
The Obama administration cut off funding to UNESCO after Monday's vote, and United States officials warned of a "cascade" effect at other UN bodies that might follow UNESCO's lead.
The Palestinians have triggered a long-standing congressional ban on US funding to UN bodies that recognize Palestine as a state before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.
The UN agency campaign comes as Palestinian officials are seeking full membership in the UN, but that effort is still under examination and the US has pledged a veto unless there is a peace deal with Israel.
Becoming a UNESCO member could give the Palestinians an advantage in joining the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, whose rules say membership is "equally open" to those already a member of other UN specialized agencies.
Assistant US Secretary of State Esther Brimmer emphasized on Monday that Palestinian membership in the UN WIPO, "could have serious implications for US leadership in this organization," which supports global infrastructure helping American companies to protect their business interests around the world, according to State Department briefing notes.
Ibrahim Khraishi, the top Palestinian envoy at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, said that Palestinian diplomats are now planning to capitalize on Monday's landslide vote to allow the Palestinians into UNESCO by preparing papers to join the other UN agencies and a variety of other international organizations.
"Now we are studying when we are going to move for full membership on the other UN agencies," Khraishi said. "It's a target for (us to join) the international organizations and the UN agencies."
He said the UNESCO vote sets a precedent to allowing such broad memberships. "We are working on it, one by one," he said. "Because it's now a precedent that we are a full member in one of the biggest and one of the most important UN agencies, UNESCO. So it will open the door for us now to go further in our efforts to join other UN agencies."
The Obama administration cut off funding to UNESCO after Monday's vote, and United States officials warned of a "cascade" effect at other UN bodies that might follow UNESCO's lead.
The Palestinians have triggered a long-standing congressional ban on US funding to UN bodies that recognize Palestine as a state before an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is reached.
The UN agency campaign comes as Palestinian officials are seeking full membership in the UN, but that effort is still under examination and the US has pledged a veto unless there is a peace deal with Israel.
Becoming a UNESCO member could give the Palestinians an advantage in joining the UN World Intellectual Property Organization, whose rules say membership is "equally open" to those already a member of other UN specialized agencies.
Assistant US Secretary of State Esther Brimmer emphasized on Monday that Palestinian membership in the UN WIPO, "could have serious implications for US leadership in this organization," which supports global infrastructure helping American companies to protect their business interests around the world, according to State Department briefing notes.
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