May 12, 2014 – Palestine has ratified 14 UN conventions in the past month and has become a state party to the Geneva Conventions regulating the conduct of armed conflict.

According to a search of the UN Treaty database, Palestine submitted its ratification paperwork on April 2 for the 14 conventions listed below and letters from Ban Ki-moon, in his role as depository, show that most conventions went into effect on May 2 while others go into effect on July 2.

■ Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women

■ International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

■ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

■ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

■ International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

■ United Nations Convention Against Torture

■ United Nations Convention Against Corruption

■ UN Genocide Convention

■ Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid

■ Convention on the Rights of the Child

■ Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict

■ Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

■ Vienna Convention on Consular Relations

■ Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations

Palestine also ratified the Geneva Conventions and associated protocols on April 2, according to the ICRC database.

– Denis Fitzgerald
On Twitter @denisfitz

Ban Ki-Moon’s Letter on Palestine ratifying the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations