Japan withholds its annual dues to UNESCO

AP

Japan has withheld its annual UNESCO dues, saying it wants to make sure the UN body properly functions to foster trust among member nations.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, asked by a reporter, confirmed that Japan withheld dues of nearly 4 billion yen ($40 million) for this year. He refused to say if that was to protest UNESCO’s listing last year of Chinese Rape of Nanking documents as a memory of the world.
Kishida said the decision is based on “comprehensive” observations. Japan disputes China’s historical views on the 1937 massacre and has criticized the UNESCO decision.
A Foreign Ministry official later said that Japan is watching to see if UNESCO is living up to its founding purpose of promoting peace among member nations through education, and will consider
the timing of its payment while examining whether the U.N. body is operating appropriately.
There is no deadline for a member nation to pay its annual contribution. Non-payment could lead to a member nation losing its voting right at the body’s general meeting, he said.
Japan provides 9.7 percent of UNESCO budget, the body’s second-largest donor after the U.S. at 22 percent. Washington has suspended its dues since 2011 when Palestine began participating in UNESCO.
UNESCO would not comment Friday on Japan’s decision. Kishida’s comments came as Israel suspended cooperation with the agency over a draft resolution minimizing Jewish ties to Temple Mount and the Western Wall.