Iran, Venezuela, and Sudan lost their voting rights in January due to unpaid UN dues. The dues are unpaid because of US sanctions which prevent these countries from paying the US dollar-denominated debt. Ben Norton talks about it here:
https://youtu.be/cpiF6JYepfI?t=9m58s (starts at 9:58)
In the case of Iran, Occupied Korea paid Iran's dues with frozen assets. Not sure what happened with Sudan.
Are the coutries in black those boycotting or otherwise absent from voting at the UN?
yes i think so
Iran, Venezuela, and Sudan lost their voting rights in January due to unpaid UN dues. The dues are unpaid because of US sanctions which prevent these countries from paying the US dollar-denominated debt. Ben Norton talks about it here:
https://youtu.be/cpiF6JYepfI?t=9m58s (starts at 9:58)
In the case of Iran, Occupied Korea paid Iran's dues with frozen assets. Not sure what happened with Sudan.