Grenada pays its arrears to the United Nations

by Linda Straker 

• Second time that Grenada has failed to pay its UN dues
• The Permanent Mission of Grenada to the UN dispatched a cheque to the UN Secretariat on 5 February 2018
• First voting opportunity of 2018 is in June

The Grenada Government said on Tuesday, 13 February 2018 that it has paid its arrears to the United Nations and expects to see that reflected in the UN’s Information Systems.

A statement on the UN General Assembly website said that as of 29 January 2018 Grenada was one of 8 Member States that do not have a vote in the 72nd session of the General Assembly. Other Caricom members on the list are Dominica and Suriname while the others are: Central African Republic; Equatorial Guinea; Libya; Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) and Yemen.

Under Article 19 of the Charter, a member state in arrears in the payment of its dues in an amount that equals or exceeds the contributions due for 2 preceding years can lose its vote in the General Assembly.

However, a news release issued through the Government Information Service (GIS) said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures the nation that on 5 February 2018, the Permanent Mission of Grenada to the UN dispatched a cheque to the United Nations Secretariat for processing of Grenada’s dues for 2018. In that respect, the Ministry expects to see this reflected soon in the UN’s information system.

“In real terms, Grenada has not been prevented from exercising its voting rights in the community of nations because the first voting opportunity of 2018 is in June when Grenada votes in support of candidates (member states) for non-permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council,” said the release.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs assures the nation that Grenada continues to maintain a high level of credibility and respect at the United Nations and in the wider international community,” the release continued.

This is the second time that Grenada has failed to pay its UN dues. On 11 October 2012, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 67/2 by which it decided that some states shall not be permitted to vote. They were St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada and the Dominican Republic.

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