US stops UNESCO funds over Palestine vote

[aimarraul]

US stops UNESCO funds over Palestine vote November 1, 2011 - 11:29AM
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AFP

The United States says it is stopping financial contributions to UNESCO after the Palestinians were admitted to the organisation as a full member.

The United States also acknowledged that it could lose international influence as it would lose its right to vote in the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation if it makes no payments over the next two years.

"We were to have made a $US60 million ($A57.11 million) payment to UNESCO in November and we will not be making that payment," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Monday.

Advertisement: Story continues below Nuland said the Palestinian admission "triggers longstanding (US) legislative restrictions which will compel the United States to refrain from making contributions to UNESCO."

The United States, Israel's top ally, in the 1990s banned the financing of any UN organisation that accepts Palestine as a full member. The United States provides about 22 per cent of the UNESCO annual budget.

The November payment amounts to a tranche of what US officials say is a total annual US contribution of $US80 million to the UN organisation.

Nuland echoed earlier remarks by the White House which said UNESCO's admission of the Palestinians as a full member was "premature" and undermined international peace efforts and hopes of direct talks on a Palestinian state.

The vote, backed by 107 countries in UNESCO, was a symbolic victory for the Palestinian drive towards full statehood recognition.

But the United States, which has vowed to block a separate Palestinian call for statehood recognition at the UN Security Council, believes the campaign detracts from tough bargaining needed with Israel on the terms of a Palestinian state.

Nuland said the United States is aware its own interests could be undermined by its decision to withhold funding to UNESCO.

"Under UNESCO's constitution, a member state will have no vote in the general conference if it gets more than two years in arrears in its contribution. So our actual arrearage status will begin in January," she said.

"We now need to have consultations with Congress," she said.

"Not paying our dues into these organisations could severely restrict and reduce our ability to influence them, our ability to act within them, and we think this affects US interests," Nuland said.

"So we need to have conversations with Congress about what options might be available to protect our interests," she said, declining to elaborate.

She conceded that one option would be to gain some sort of flexibility where Washington can still fund UNESCO.

Nuland said the United States is also concerned it could lose influence with other UN organisations if the Palestinians are admitted to them as a full member and Washington is automatically forced to withhold funds.

"We are very concerned about it, which is why we didn't want it to happen in the first place and why we're concerned about this move being replicated in other UN agencies," she said.

State Department and other US officials met business leaders on Monday to warn them that Palestinian membership in the World Intellectual Property Organisation could hurt US leadership in the group, the State Department said.

They noted that the organisation helps US firms protect their intellectual property rights worldwide, it said

 

[kawaraj]

what a shameless rogue country!

this is in no line with the spirit of what they called democracy, which they sing from morning till night.

 

[VelocuR]

Not only this whining stop payments from democratic country, it is a sign US no longer to dominate the world and decline rapidly or slowly.

Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq freedoms but not Palestines.....

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

BBC News - US cuts Unesco funds over vote for Palestinian seat

Wow, only 8% were opposed to it. It passed with an overwhelming majority.


Though of course, America alone can stop the entire process with one veto, in the place where it really counts.

 

[IndoUS]

Not only this whining stop payments from democratic country, it is a sign US no longer to dominate the world and decline rapidly or slowly.

Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq freedoms but not Palestines.....

Well all country do things for their own self interest, why would they support something or someone when its against their own agenda. There is no such thing as free in this world the American have better friendship with Israel than the rest of the Middle East countries, its only natural they would support them.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Congress passed a law during the Clinton administration requiring the USA to stop payments to any international organization that grants full member status to a Palestinian entity until there is a UN approved Palestinian nation. The US State Department must follow US law as Congress has established it. It's ironic that Hillary Clinton, as the present Secretary of State, has to enforce a law that her husband chose not to veto as President, when he could have. What goes around comes around. Anyway, let the nations of UNESCO who voted full membership for the Palestinians make up the $$$ that the USA will not now be contributing. We would just have to borrow it from the PRC to make the payment. So, let the PRC pay it directly and get the "credit" for being such a beneficent country. .....

 

[kawaraj]

Well all country do things for their own self interest, why would they support something or someone when its against their own agenda. There is no such thing as free in this world the American have better friendship with Israel than the rest of the Middle East countries, its only natural they would support them.

Do you ever know we human civilization has a social institution called DEMOCRACY? how old are you?

In such a institution, by votes the minority has to respect the result by all means, if you are signed into that society.

---------- Post added at 07:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:30 AM ----------

Congress passed a law during the Clinton administration requiring the USA to stop payments to any international organization that grants full member status to a Palestinian entity until there is a UN approved Palestinian nation. The US State Department must follow US law as Congress has established it. It's ironic that Hillary Clinton, as the present Secretary of State, has to enforce a law that her husband chose not to veto as President, when he could have. What goes around comes around. Anyway, let the nations of UNESCO who voted full membership for the Palestinians make up the $$$ that the USA will not now be contributing. We would just have to borrow it from the PRC to make the payment. So, let the PRC pay it directly and get the "credit" for being such a beneficent country. .....

why not you guys (americans)withdraw from UN? it's a shame talking to you in such a forum. $$$hole.

 

[IndoUS]

Do you ever know we human civilization has a social institution called DEMOCRACY? how old are you?

In such a institution, by votes the minority has to respect the result by all means, if you are signed into that society.

Democracy is a great thing, but in the end nations will do what is in their self interest, why would someone go against their on values and support something that doesn't fit with their laws and values. And if you are talking about respecting the results of the election then why doesn't Pakistan support the membership of India in UNSC for permanent membership, the reason is simple, India doesn't fit into the values of pakistan or its friends even thought India has high support in the UN.
It is all about doing what a country thinks is best for their interest, they have look after themselves first.

 

[TruthSeeker]

why not you guys (americans)withdraw from UN?

IF Americans were EVER allowed to vote (democratically) to withdraw from the UN, and kick it the h3ll off Manhattan Island, it would happen in 6 nanoseconds.......

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Anyway, let the nations of UNESCO who voted full membership for the Palestinians make up the $$$ that the USA will not now be contributing. We would just have to borrow it from the PRC to make the payment. So, let the PRC pay it directly and get the "credit" for being such a beneficent country. .....

That's an interesting method of skipping interest payments.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Back to Unesco's Future

(What the U.S. gets for its money at the U.N.)

The Palestinian Authority (PA) yesterday took its statehood road show to the Paris-based U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and shock, surprise, it found a receptive audience. Unesco became the first United Nations agency to accept the PA as a full member.

The vote, adopted by 107 to 14 with 52 abstentions, carries unfortunate consequences for the U.S., the U.N. and the Palestinians. What it won't do is hasten the day that Palestine becomes a state.

Dressed as a symbolic fillip to Palestinian aspirations, yesterday's vote is in fact a rebuke to America's efforts to engage with the U.N. Ronald Reagan pulled the U.S. out of Unesco in 1984 after it became a byword for corruption and anti-Americanism.

The Bush Administration rejoined in 2003, having pushed through an overhaul of Unesco's budgeting and personnel procedures. New, ostensibly competent management was put in charge. The agency's focus on adult illiteracy and primary education in the developing world fit into U.S. priorities in a post-9/11 world—or at least that was the official justification.

But politically Unesco has never changed. Six years ago, over staunch American objections, it adopted a legally binding "convention" on cultural diversity that gives countries like France cover to close their borders to Hollywood imports or California wines. The U.S. made clear ahead of yesterday's vote that either the PA would get a seat or the U.S. will be pressed to disengage and defund Unesco. The Obama Administration should follow through and immediately cancel the U.S. check.

Under American law passed in the 1990s, the U.S. can't fund any U.N.-affiliated body that accepts a Palestinian member. This legislation is clearly worded and offers President Obama no waiver to get around the prohibition. The U.S. provides $80 million a year to Unesco, or 22% of its budget. Unesco's decision means that the PA can now automatically join three other agencies, so American support for those outfits is also in jeopardy.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made a fateful decision this year to grandstand in U.N. halls. In September, the PA applied to the Security Council for full U.N. membership. The Palestinians know the U.S. will block any Security Council bid, yet they continue to devote their diplomatic energy to winning the nine votes needed to force Washington to wield a veto. On latest count, they're one short. Failing that, the PA will try to get the General Assembly to grant it U.N. "observer status."

Mr. Abbas has thus ensured that Israel won't have any faith in the PA as a negotiating partner anytime soon, and he has expressly tried to embarrass the U.S. Yet Mr. Abbas needs both Israel and the U.S. to gain independence. Readers can draw their own conclusions about what all of this says about Mr. Abbas's willingness to do the hard work necessary to bring about a durable peace with Israel, which is the only way to achieve a Palestinian state.

None of this will shake the Obama Administration's conviction that the U.N. is the forum to solve all of the world's problems, but it should show Americans what they're getting for their money at Turtle Bay.

Review & Outlook: Back to Unesco's Future - WSJ.com

 

[kawaraj]

Democracy is a great thing, but in the end nations will do what is in their self interest, why would someone go against their on values and support something that doesn't fit with their laws and values. And if you are talking about respecting the results of the election then why doesn't Pakistan support the membership of India in UNSC for permanent membership, the reason is simple, India doesn't fit into the values of pakistan or its friends even thought India has high support in the UN.
It is all about doing what a country thinks is best for their interest, they have look after themselves first.

We don't support you as a permanent member of UNSC is simple, clear and aboveboard.

You deserve not., nothing about value or anything close to it.

 

[IndoUS]

We don't support you as a permanent member of UNSC is simple, clear and aboveboard.

You deserve not., nothing about value or anything close to it.

Exactly the same reason the US doesn't support Palestine. Why would they support a country that has nothing to give in return to them, they will only support a country which can help them strategically, and Israel is doing that right now.

 

[Abii]

It's getting harder to support the Americans (talking to you Indians) lol

haha effing hypocrites
gotta love these people. They're so dumb. They go around advocating democracy and freedom but they do **** like this. Even funnier than their "we're willing to negotiate with the taliban" from a few days ago. America is pulling an ahmadinejad haha

---------- Post added at 08:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 PM ----------

Exactly the same reason the US doesn't support Palestine. Why would they support a country that has nothing to give in return to them, they will only support a country which can help them strategically, and Israel is doing that right now.

nobody gives a **** about them supporting Pali land
they're trying to force other countries to oppose pali land.
mind your own damn business USA

 

[kawaraj]

Exactly the same reason the US doesn't support Palestine. Why would they support a country that has nothing to give in return to them, they will only support a country which can help them strategically, and Israel is doing that right now.

how many nations will benefit from this vote, or a small nation like Palestine? yet more than 100 nations vote Yea.

We don't live in this planet for the reason of USEFUL or not, we also live for humanity and moral.

You guys really need to learn the basics of being a human being.