UN Suspends Voting Rights of Two Countries Due to Unpaid Dues

Iran and the Central African Republic have been stripped of their voting rights in the UN General Assembly due to non-payment of regular budget contributions for two consecutive years, TASS reports.

In addition to Iran and the CAR, the same rule will also apply to the Comoros, Somalia, and São Tomé and Príncipe. However, the UN Secretary-General noted that the last three nations will retain their voting rights until the end of the 75th session.

The amounts for regular budget payments are determined based on the average GDP of the respective country over the past 10 years, taking into account per capita income and external debt. The General Assembly may allow a UN member state to participate in voting if it accepts that the delay in payments was due to circumstances beyond its control. Once the debt is cleared, the country automatically regains its voting rights.

Iran's debt to the organization's budget amounts to $16,251,298, while that of the CAR is $29,395.