Below is an interview conducted by Servizio Informazione Religiosa:

With the opening, this week, of the annual meeting of the General Assembly of the UNO in New York, the Palestinian request to obtain full recognition by the United Nations as "Member State" is now entering its crucial phase. The initiative of the President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Abu Mazen, is the result of the failure of 20 years of the negotiating process, which was abruptly halted last year when Israel refused to extend a moratorium on the construction of settlements on the West Bank. To understand ’if and when’ a possible Palestinian recognition - easier to achieve as ’Observer’ than as ’Member State’, due to the threatened US veto - might satisfy Palestinian aspirations, Daniele Rocchi, on behalf of SIR Europe, has interviewed Andrew Swan, of the General Secretariat of UNPO, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organizations (www.unpo.org), of which, among many others, Kosovo, Iraqi Kurdistan, Southern Azerbaijan, Circassia, Iraqi Turkmen, Tibet and the Aboriginals of Australia form part. The Palestinian National Authority is not a member of UNPO.

What does it mean for the Palestinian people to see their own state recognized by the UN?

"Recognition by the United Nations, even as a non-member State Permanent Observer’ plays an important part in giving people otherwise marginalised or disenfranchised by the internal system a voice during the talks that will affect their security, prosperity, and general well-being. Recognition also places responsibility on leaders and their administrations, and encourages the re-focusing of energies to meet the needs of citizens. Similarly, recognition allows formal access to important institutions that can make real differences to people in their day-to-day lives and in times of crisis".

The recognition and the consequent passage of name from the Palestinian territories to the Palestinian state will mean, really, a radical change of the current reality? The fact is that the Israeli occupation still makes the Palestinian state ’non-sovereign’…

"The passage of name will have much less impact that the real de facto recognition that will be extended to the Palestinian state by other recognised states, both in the region and further afield. The partial recognition of Kosovo has proved sufficient and strong enough to provide the nascent state with its needs and the international sponsors necessary to support its capacity building. Its seems unlikely that any Palestinian state will have the means or need to engage in ’dollar-diplomacy’ if it can win recognition and meaningful support from its neighbours and the international community. The Israeli occupation may de jure prevent a Palestinian state from being sovereign but it will not prevent a Palestinian authority from exercising authority over the territory it administers. The question of extending its authority to these occupied areas may well become the first task of any new state’s representatives but as Kosovo and others have shown it can be a task that extends into the long term, particularly if the state’s sponsors can encourage it to focus on domestic issues and concerns, state-building, and capacity-building".

Such recognition could re-open negotiations or may provoke strong reaction from Israel?

"Recognition may open new investment opportunities for a Palestinian state and expose its representatives to greater involvement in international issues and for a not directly relating to the issues of Palestine, but it is also likely that reactions will be mixed with a hardening stance from Tel Aviv. But strong posturing may also provide the facade behind which engagement on hard issues of security, economic development, and refugees can take place. After realities have sunk in, including the possibility of Israeli elections in 2013 or before, then the political landscape may shift to accommodate these, all of which makes predicting who will be in a position to negotiate, and with whom, very difficult to gauge".

What role the local Churches could play after this recognition?

"If recognition carries with it the international obligations to freedoms of expression, including religious expression, local churches may find some reassurances. Indeed, there may well be an important role for churches to play in the establishment of structures that can promote social harmony, protect multiculturalism and protect civil society such as it exists. The experience of churches from around the world may indeed prove a valuable resource for any new state to draw upon".

What do you think about the vote and the position of EU about this recognition?

"The position of the EU appears split, with many ’Old Europe’ countries expected to support the vote for recognition but we can probably expect to see reservations from a number of countries such as Spain or Greece. Such countries have shown themselves to be wary in cases of self-determination because of the internal questions it raises in terms of their national governance. How it will affect the EU’s position vis-a-vis the Quartet (Russia, Un, EU, Usa) remains to be seen, but tensions appear to be present, albeit kept quietly behind closed door up until this point".