UNESCO halts voting rights of US and Israel
Print Edition
UNESCO has suspended the voting rights of the United States and Israel, two years after both countries stopped paying dues to the UN’s cultural arm in protest over its granting full membership to the Palestinians.
The US decision to cancel its funding in October 2011 was blamed on US laws that prohibit funding to any UN agency that implies recognition of the Palestinians’ demands for their own state.
Israel also pulled its funding, objecting to what it called unilateral moves by the Palestinians to gain recognition of statehood.
Both countries missed a deadline yesterday to provide an official reason for non-payment and a plan to pay back missed dues. That automatically suspended their voting rights.
Asked for his reaction, the US Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion said Washington considers UNESCO a “critical partner in creating a better future.”
“We intend to continue our engagement with UNESCO in every possible way,” Killion said.
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, is responsible for designating World Heritage sites, promoting global education and supporting press freedom, among other tasks.
The withdrawal of US funding — which totaled about US$240 million, or some 22 percent of UNESCO’s budget — has plunged it into a funding crisis and forced it to cut programs.
UNESCO made no comment on the matter. The list of countries whose voting rights are suspended will be unveiled at a meeting today, after which Director-General Irina Bokova is set to issue a statement.
The US loss of voting rights comes as Washington tries to keep peace talks between Israel and Palestinians afloat.
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