The UN flag. (Credit: AFP/File)
BEIRUT — Lebanon has officially regained its voting rights at the UN General Assembly, which it had lost on Jan. 20 for falling behind on paying its annual contributions to the UN's operating budget, the Foreign Ministry announced Tuesday on Twitter.
The ministry said that Beirut has now settled its UN contributions for 2021-2022.
"I have been informed by the Permanent Delegation of Lebanon to the United Nations in New York that Lebanon has regained its voting rights at the UN officially," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said on Twitter.
This was possible after the delegation "paid the annual contributions due by Lebanon for the years 2022 and 2023 after obtaining transfers to its accounts," the ministry continued.
'Lebanon is practicing its role again'
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then welcomed the fact that "Lebanon is again practicing its normal role and is present in the discussions of the United Nations and its committees."
The contribution due by Lebanon amounted to $1.8 million, according to a statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
A diplomatic source told L'Orient-Le Jour Tuesday that the Foreign Ministry has recently received the funds needed to pay the UN dues, without giving a specific date.
According to this source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, half of the money was provided by Banque du Liban and the other half by a Lebanese diplomatic mission in a Gulf Arab country.
The same source explained that the invoice for the amounts owed by Lebanon to the UN was first sent to the Lebanese diplomatic mission to the UN, which forwarded it to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.
After examination, it was forwarded to the Finance Ministry, which in turn transferred it to the Court of Accounts for approval. It is only after this approval that BDL made the transfer in question, according to the diplomatic source.
The advance made by the Lebanese diplomatic mission in the Gulf took place after authorization from the Finance Ministry, the same source added.
Along with Venezuela, South Sudan, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Dominican Republic, Lebanon was among the six countries to have lost their voting rights at the UN General Assembly on Jan. 20.
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.
