Last week, the UN confirmed that it will send a representative to the Bahrain economic conference sponsored by the US later this month.
The deputy UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Jamie McGoldrick will be representing the organization at the economic workshop in Manama meant to help the Palestinian economy.
This is another blow to the PLO which has been doing everything it can to pressure countries not to attend.
As has been the trend over the past couple of years, the only group of nations that seem to be slavishly following Palestinian demands are the Europeans, who as of yet do not plan to attend.
The PLO's United Nations representative Riyad Mansour downplayed the participation of the UN as being at a "low level."
Taysir Khaled, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, said that it is not too late for the withdrawal of the Arab countries from the conference, as he invoked that they should adhere to the Palestinian national consensus to boycott the Manama workshop.
There are conflicting stories as to Israel's level of participation, with the organizers apparently not anxious to have members of Israel's caretaker government attend. Reports indicate that only a private business delegation from Israel will attend.