Un red of $65 million in the 2011 budget. This is the consequence of the decision taken by Unesco, the United Nations organization for scientific and cultural education, last October 31 to fully accept the Palestinian state among its members. The director-general of the United Nations education agency, Irina Bokova, said today that her institute is running a cash deficit of $65 million and that it will be "very difficult" to fit within this year's budget. “We will push forward the reform process vigorously, we will make every possible savings and we will try to reduce administrative costs,” Bokova announced last night in Paris.
For now the general manager has proposed to suspend programs in progress, a move that will allow UNESCO to save about 30 million dollars. Furthermore, Bokova said she was awaiting further offers from nations that could help, at least in part, fill the hole.
It was the difficult combination of the global financial crisis and the cut of 22% of total funding (for an amount of about 43 million euro). Washington has seen itself somewhat obliged to make this move as it is US legislation itself that prohibits funding for UN agencies that allow full-fledged access to states not recognized as such at an international level.
Irina Bokova also announced plans to launch a emergency fund able to collect "contributions from governments, the private sector, citizens and philanthropists", since in recent weeks "Unesco has received hundreds of letters of support, some of which with donations".
However, these new donors do not include i wealthy Gulf statesfervent supporters of the Palestinians' candidacy.
