Lebanon to restore UN payments ‘immediately’ after losing voting rights in General Assembly

Lebanon to restore UN payments ‘immediately’ after losing voting rights in General Assembly

Lebanon vowed to restore its payments to the UN’s operating budget on Friday after losing its right to vote in the 193-member UN General Assembly, according to the country’s state-owned National News Agency (NNA).

Lebanon is one of six countries to lose its right to vote for not meeting minimum contributions, along with Venezuela, South Sudan, Gabon, Dominica and Equatorial Guinea, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a letter on Thursday.

In response to the suspension, Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the payment process “will take place immediately,” NNA said.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants would like to clarify that all the payment stages of the required amount have been completed,” the ministry said in a statement, according to NNA.

“After the necessary contacts with each of the Lebanese Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, it has been confirmed that the final payment process will take place immediately in a manner that preserves Lebanon’s rights in the United Nations.”

Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, members with arrears that equal or exceed the amount of their contributions for the preceding two full years lose their voting rights. The General Assembly also has the authority to decide “if failure to