New York: UNESCO has suspended all its spending programmes until the end of the year after the US withdrew its funding.
Addressing UNESCO diplomats, UNESCO director deneral Irina Bokova said that the agency faces a $65 million funding shortfall and would have to halt all of its activities following a row with Washington over Palestinian membership.
"This deficit corresponds to the sum due from the United States for the year 2011. The United States has a habit of paying their contribution at the end of the year for reasons of their own budget calendar," she said.
Bokova indicated that "we will, therefore, have to take radical measures; I have suspended the entirety of our undertakings. I have suspended the execution of our programmes, during our review process, until the end of the year."
The US withheld its contributions following the admission of Palestine to UNESCO on October 31, leaving it with an immediate shortfall of $65 million to the end of 2011, and a further gap of 22 per cent in its $653 million budget for 2012-2013.
Israel followed suit and withheld its contribution of $1.5 million for 2012-2013.
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