St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to the United Nations, Rhonda King, says a clerical error has led to this country’s inability to vote in the United Nations General Assembly.
“It was merely an error,” King told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) as she responded to last weekend’s decision by the General Assembly to suspend this island’s voting rights due to what it said were arrears in paying dues.
“I am unclear about how the error came about, but I do know it was an error,” the envoy said, noting that when the “error” was discovered, her Mission immediately notified the UN, and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nathaniel Williams also “immediately set about” to address the issue.
The UN General Assembly identified St. Vincent and the Grenadines among nine countries that are not allowed to vote because of what it claimed were arrears in paying their dues.
This country was reported to be in arrears of US$2,155 and King said the island had paid US$39, 313, instead of the US$41,557 owed to the UN.
She said the balance will be paid shortly.
