U.S. Is Accused of Trying to Isolate U.N. Agency

In advance of a July 15 deadline on funding for international health programs, it appears that US President George W. Bush will continue to withhold monies from the United Nations agency responsible for population control issues. The UN Population Fund has been a target of US conservative religious groups for its supposed support of coerced abortions in China. The Bush administration cut funding for the agency after taking office, and with the US presidential election looming on the political horizon, observers say, the White House seems intent on maintaining its position. Even other groups that work with the UN agency in any capacity, like Unicef, have also been told to keep their distance or risk losing their funding. Federal funding was denied to an April health issues conference due to "statutory duties", said an organizer, although several Democrats in Congress are challenging the White House to explain the legal basis for withholding the money. For its part, the UN agency denies assisting in coerced abortions in China. And although a May 2002 report by the State Department also found no evidence for the abortion claims, the Bush administration withheld $34 million from the Fund last year. – YaleGlobal