Bahrain Mirror: Bahrain, among a list of 15 countries, has lost its right to vote inside the United Nations after failing to pay annual contribution to the United Nations budget imposed on member states.

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon informed on Monday (January 18, 2016) the General Assembly that there are 25 countries including Bahrain that have lost the right to vote in the United Nations for not paying the annual membership fees imposed on all 193 member states.

Ban Ki-moon's letter published on Friday (January 22, 2016) included other countries such as Iran which was subjected to international sanctions because of its nuclear activity, before lifting them last Saturday. But the UN spokesman Daniel Thomas said that Iran "has just paid" its contribution which means it can now vote.

The General Assembly granted five poor countries suffering from wars and internal struggles, the right to vote during the current session lasting until September; "Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome-Principe, Somalia and Yemen".

The other countries that did not pay their fees are " Venezuela USD 3 million, Dominican Republic USD 2.1 million, Saint Vincent and Grenadines USD 2.155 million, and Burundi USD 1.36 million", in addition to "Bahrain, Libya, Mali, Marshall Islands and Vanuatu".

Arabic Issue