BEIJING, June 10 -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has criticized the US decision to withhold its contribution to the world body.

    Annan reaffirmed the UN's commitment to push forward internal reform, saying threat to cut dues will only exert more pressure on the UN.

    The House of Representatives' International Relations Committee Wednesday approved legislation to withhold half of the U.S. dues to the United Nations unless the world body overhauls its bureaucracy. It is expected to receive a full House vote next week.

    They asked for a downsizing of the Public Information Office and General Assembly Affairs and Conferences Services which consume a fifth of the UN's regular budget.

    The Committee also called for an independent board to oversee auditing and the ending of some UN programs funded by the dues.

    The U.S. is the largest UN contributor, giving 438 million dollars in 2005. That's 24 percent of the UN's regular annual budget.

    Any withholding of dues would start in October 2007.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)