The United Nations confirmed late Wednesday that Palestinian Authority officials have presented letters for accession to 15 international conventions and treaties. Spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters the documents had been presented to Robert Serry, the U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East peace process. "Once we receive the letters at headquarters, we will be reviewing them to consider the appropriate next steps," the spokesman said. Haq noted that Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas, repeatedly have emphasized that they want to continue negotiations with Israel that resumed last July under U.S. mediation. "We hope that a way can be found to see negotiations through until the scheduled end of the nine-month timeframe set to expire on 29 April. The goal remains to arrive at a substantive basis for negotiations towards a comprehensive peace agreement on all final-status issues," Haq said. According to Haq, the United Nations is in contact with the Palestinians and Israelis to stress the need to manage current developments responsibly and act with restraint. "A constructive approach from all sides is extremely important to preserve the prospects to arrive at a peace agreement and salvage the two-state solution," he said.
