Palestine admission to UNESCO/US contribution – SecGen media remarks (excerpts)

REMARKS TO MEDIA ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL 
New York, 1 November 2011

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Q:  The US announced yesterday that it would stop a $60 million dollars payment to UNESCO.  Are you concerned about similar reverberations throughout the UN system, that the US might de-fund other UN agencies? 

SG:  Yesterday, I expressed my position.  As Secretary-General of the United Nations naturally you may understand that I am concerned about the viable financial situation of all the United Nations agencies and programmes, including UNESCO.  I expect that practical measures will be taken by Member States.  It is [up to] Member States to ensure that all the United Nations agencies receive political and financial support from the Member States.  I have been discussing this matter with the Director General of UNESCO and also other key Member States, [on] how the UN can ensure viable financial and political support from the Member States.  We will continue to discuss this matter. 

Q:  Will the United Nations itself compensate for the loss that is going to be suffered by the United States cutting off the funds?  Can the United Nations as a whole help UNESCO with this loss that it is going to incur with the United States stopping the funding? 

SG:  I do not have much to add to what I have said today and yesterday. Since it happened yesterday, even though we knew that it might happen that way, but still this is something which happened yesterday. I need to discuss this matter with the Member States.