US, Israel lose UNESCO voting right in dispute

Result of the US automatically losing voting rights at UNESCO, after missing deadline to repay debt to the world's cultural agency

American influence in culture, science and education around the world took a high-profile blow today after the US automatically lost voting rights at UNESCO, after missing a crucial deadline to repay its debt to the world's cultural agency.

 

The US hasn't paid its dues to the Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in protest over the decision by world governments to make Palestine a UNESCO member in 2011.

 

Israel suspended its dues at the same time and also lost voting rights today.

 

Under UNESCO rules, the US had until today morning to resume funding or explain itself, or it automatically loses its vote.

 

A UNESCO official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the issue, said nothing was received from either US or Israel.

 

The suspension of US contributions, which account for $ 80 million a year, 22 % of UNESCO's overall budget brought the agency to the brink of a financial crisis and forced it to cut or scale back American-led initiatives such as Holocaust education and tsunami research over the past two years.

 

It has worried many in Washington that the US is on track to becoming a toothless UNESCO member with a weakened voice in international programs fighting extremism through education, and promoting gender equality and press freedoms.

 

Some fear that a weaker US presence will lead to growing anti-Israeli sentiment within UNESCO, where Arab-led criticism of Israel for territorial reasons has long been an issue.

 

"We won't be able to have the same clout," said Phyllis Magrab, the Washington-based US National Commissioner for UNESCO.

 

The UNESCO tension has prompted new criticism of US laws that force an automatic funding cutoff for any UN agency with Palestine as a member.

 

The official list of countries that lose their votes was expected to be read aloud on Saturday before the entire UNESCO general conference.

 

Israel's ambassador to UNESCO, Nimrod Barkan, told The Associated Press that his country supported the Unites States' decision, "objecting to the politicisation of UNESCO, or any international organisation, with the accession of a non-existing country like Palestine."

 

UNESCO may be best known for its program to protect the cultures of the world via its Heritage sites, which include the Statue of Liberty and Mali's Timbuktu.