- PARIS: The Palestinians can raise their flag alongside those of 194 full-fledged nations at UNESCO after signing a document finally giving them a voice within the vast UN system and pride across the Arab world, but their membership is threatening pro-democracy projects.
Last month’s decision by the Paris-based UN education and cultural organization to recognize Palestinians triggered an immediate funding cutoff by the US that will force UNESCO to scale down literacy and development programs in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan or the new nation of South Sudan.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki will be signing the so-called instrument of accession Wednesday in London where UNESCO was created after World War II. The Palestinian flag can then go up at UNESCO, but a date wasn’t immediately known.
