Ramallah – 1 November 2011: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) sincerely welcomes the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) vote in favour of full Palestinian membership yesterday. This unprecedented act will open new opportunities for cooperation between UNESCO and numerous Palestinian institutions. 

MADA’s General Director, Mousa Rimawi, commended UNESCO for playing an important role at a global level, particularly in regards to its unwavering support for freedom of expression. 

Rimawi expressed pride for MADA’s partnership and cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Ramallah, which has provided on-going support for the Center’s freedom of expression program since the beginning of the year. He also emphasized the importance of continued support from UNESCO for the Palestinian people and their civil, educational and cultural organizations. 

Rimawi added that while MADA congratulates the Palestinian people and leadership for this historic achievement, the Center hopes that this event will act as catalyst for the widespread promotion of freedom of expression in the occupied Palestinian territories. MADA hopes this move will encourage the international community to exert further pressure on Israeli occupation authorities to end their continuing abuses of media freedoms and denial of access to information and observe international conventions.