The United Nations. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement Saturday claiming media reports "unfairly" held the ministry responsible for Lebanon's failure to pay its contributions to the United Nations, thus "depriving it of the right to vote."
UN Secretary-General Antonió Guterres released a statement Thursday stating that Venezuela, South Sudan and Lebanon are behind on their contributions to the UN's operating budget. Consequently, they are among six countries — out of a total of 193 member nations — who have lost their General Assembly voting rights.
Lebanon's UN contributions for 2021-2022 amount to $1,835,303.
The ministry stated that, for several months, it has been following up on “the issue of ... unpaid contributions to date by Lebanon to several international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, which affects Lebanon's right to vote.”
The statement said the ministry had held several meetings with the concerned official authorities to assist in transferring the necessary funds to the Lebanese missions abroad.
"[Caretaker Foreign] Minister [Abdallah] Bou Habib had previously received promises to solve the issue of transferring the necessary funds as soon as possible,” the ministry added.
The statement concluded by stating that “the ministry continues to stress the necessity of immediate handling of this file due to its importance and Lebanon's role in international and regional institutions.”
"After contacts with the head of government and the Minister of Finance, it turned out that the final payment will be made immediately, which will preserve Lebanon's rights at the UN," the ministry said Friday, without giving a specific date for the final payments.
This is not the first time that Lebanon has failed to pay its international dues. In 2002, 2003, 2019 and 2020, the country did not pay its annual UN contribution.