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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Editorial
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Annan deplores US bill to cut UN funds UNITED NATIONS, Saturday (AFP) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Friday criticized a bill passed in the US House of Representatives that would slash US dues to the world body if it fails to meet Congress' demands for change. The secretary general "does not feel that withholding dues is a productive route to achieving reform and indeed that it could jeopardize the outcome of the September summit," said a written statement by Annan's spokesman. World leaders will gather at UN headquarters in New York this September for the UN's 60th general assembly to discuss various UN reforms that Annan has been proposing since March. Annan's reform proposals are "being actively discussed by member states in the run-up to a 'reform summit' of heads of government," said the statement. The statement also said Annan believed US engagement in the reform process was "important." Republican representative Henry Hyde on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow Washington to withhold 50 percent of its UN dues if it is not satisfied with UN performance in specific areas. The bill envisions cuts in some areas, such as the UN public information office, while redirecting funds to create new bodies, such as an independent board to investigate allegations of internal wrongdoing. In 2005, the UN budget was 1.828 billion dollars, of which the US portion
was 438 million dollars, or 22 percent. |
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Editorial | Security | Produced by Lake House |
