PA minister: No further U.N. agency bids

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, left, hands a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon requesting Palestinian statehood, during the 66th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York on Sept. 22. Photo by REUTERS/Eric Thayer

The Palestinian Authority foreign minister denied plans to seek statehood status in 16 United Nations-affiliated groups.

Riyad al-Malki denied on Thursday denied a claim earlier this week by a Palestinian diplomat in Geneva that the Palestinian Authority would attempt to replicate its success at UNESCO, the U.N. agency dealing with science and culture, and would instead focus on its attempt to achieve statehood recognition through the U.N. Security Council.

The UNESCO vote led the United States and Israel to cut funding to UNESCO, and prompted concerns that the United States would similarly have to cut off other agencies, like the World Health organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency, should the Palestinians continue to press their case at U.N.-affiliated bodies.

The Obama administration has pledged to veto any statehood bid through the Security Council.