US envoy to UNESCO David Killion, center, reacts as delegates vote on Palestinian membership, during a session of UNESCO's 36th General Conference, in Paris, Monday Oct. 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

(CNSNews.com) – The United States was re-elected to the Executive Board of the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday, two days after agency’s admission of “Palestine” forced the Obama administration reluctantly to cut off funding in compliance with U.S. laws.

The U.S. obtained 146 votes out of a possible 186 from UNESCO’s General Conference for a seat on the board for the the 2011-2015 period.

It was the lowest score of the six countries elected onto the board from the Western group (the others were Austria, Britain, France, Italy and Spain) and was also lower than the votes obtained by Cuba (159) and Russia (162).

Other countries elected onto the board for the various regional groups were:

Arab: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates

Latin America: Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico

Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia

Asia: Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Thailand

Africa: Angola, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria

Most regional groups had clean slates – the same number of candidates as seats vacant – but there were contests in two groups:  Benin, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea and Togo failed to win seats in the Africa group; Jordan and Libya were defeated in the Arab group.

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