Palestine poison pill paralyses UNESCO

Ms Bokova revealed some pills that UNESCO employees and conference junkies have already swallowed including: Suspending the printing and distribution of her own Ivory Notes ($793 per Note); increasing the hours required for business class travel from 8 hours to 9 hours; reducing regular program travel budgets by 20 per cent across the board; and reducing daily subsistence allowances to program meetings and conference participants by 25 per cent.

In the meantime one possible solution to all of UNESCO’s financial woes - that would cost it $100,000 to pursue - is apparently still not in contemplation. That possible solution involves UNESCO seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine the legality of UNESCO’s decision to admit Palestine as a member state.

The 107 countries that voted for Palestine’s admission should be urging such action be taken. A reversal of that decision would end UNESCO’s current parlous position by immediately restoring the lost American funding and allow UNESCO to resume all its global programs. Seeking this outcome should surely be the priority of each such member state and in its best national interest since the populations and economies of many of these countries will become the first victims of UNESCO’s growing financial crisis.

The 87 countries that did not affirmatively vote for Palestine’s admission - but urged a more cautious approach - should certainly support testing the legality of Palestine’s admission to UNESCO at the ICJ. 

Only states can become a member of either the U.N. or UNESCO.  The U.N. vetting committee did not accept that Palestine qualified to be admitted as a state but UNESCO’s Executive Board apparently did. My attempt to find out why has fallen on deaf ears at UNESCO headquarters. The ICJ would certainly not tolerate this wall of silence. There is a further legal issue requiring the ICJ to interpret and reconcile inconsistencies between different clauses of the Constitution regulating the vote required to admit new member states.

UNESCO’s large Public Information Division and its well staffed and resourced Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs don’t even want to discuss these issues. Will all their jobs still be there after the Executive Board meets on 27 February?

While UNESCO refuses to take the prescribed ICJ antidote that could aid its complete recovery, this poisoned pill will continue to claim many more victims, including permanent UNESCO employees as its effect is continued to be felt by scores of millions of people around the world.