WASHINGTON, June 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The US House of Representatives passed a bill on Friday that would cut the United States' dues to the United Nations if the world body does not undergo tough reforms.

    The bill, introduced by Henry Hyde, a Republican who chairs theHouse International Relations Committee, was passed as 221 lawmakers were in favor of it and 184 were against it.

    However, the bill is unlikely to become law as the White House has said it is against it.

    The bill demands the United Nations engage in a total of 39 reforms. If the US secretary of state would not be able to confirm32 of the 39 reforms by September 2007, and all 39 reforms by the year 2008, the United States would halve its dues to the United Nations.

    The United States is by far the largest financial contributor to the United Nations by paying about 22 percent of the world body's annual general budget of some 2 billion US dollars. Enditem

    Annan: Withholding dues not productive to reform

     UNITED NATIONS, June 17 (Xinhuanet) -- UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday that the US Congress' threat to withhold dues for the United Nations could jeopardize the outcome of the September summit of the world body.

    He issued the warning after the US House of Representatives voted earlier in the day in favor of a bill, under which the Congress would withhold half of the US dues for the United Nations unless it conducts reforms.

    He "does not feel that withholding dues is productive route to achieving reform and indeed that it could jeopardize the outcome of the Sept. summit," said a statement released by a UN spokesman.

    "The secretary-general is deeply committed to UN reform," the statement said. "He is undertaking a number of management reforms and has laid out a broader agenda of institutional reform and renewal that is being actively discussed by member states in the run-up to a 'reform summit' of heads of government in September." Enditem