The US government is working hard to get Congress to restore its UNESCO funding, Washington's ambassador to the UN cultural arm said on Saturday, after its voting rights were suspended over failure to pay up. UNESCO's granting the Palestinians membership two years ago led to the United States stopping its dues and, on Friday, the organisation suspended US voting rights as well as Israel's.
US Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion told delegates at UNESCO's biennial general conference in Paris, after the suspension was announced officially, that Washington was "working tirelessly" to restore funding. Also addressing the conference, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova voiced regret at the loss of the US voting rights, insisting that Washington had a vital role to play in the organisation.