The United States loses its UNESCO voting right

The United States has lost its voting rights at UNESCO after an official said it missed a crucial deadline, two years after halting its dues payments to protest the decision to make Palestine a member.

Under UNESCO rules, the U.S. had until Friday morning to resume funding or submit an explanation for its arrears. Neither happened and the U.S. was losing its vote automatically, according to a UNESCO official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the dispute.

The loss of the vote means the U.S. cannot participate in funding decisions for the agency, which may be best known for its programme to protect the cultures of the world via its Heritage sites, which include the Statue of Liberty and Mali’s Timbuktu.