Following through on a move to increase their international recognition as an independent entity, the Palestinian Authority has formally joined five human rights treaties at the United Nations.

The treaties included bans on torture and racial discrimination, as well as three aimed at promoting rights for women, children, and the disabled. These are just the beginning, however.

The Palestinians will also join an accord on protecting children in combat zones, an optional addendum to the children’s rights treaty, as of next Wednesday, and will also join two other agreements on civil and cultural rights on July 2.

In addition to given them more nominal recognition at the UN, accession into the treaties also gives the Palestinian leadership the option of pressing claims of violation of those treaties at the UN.