SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS UNITED STATES ENGAGEMENT IN UN REFORM VERY IMPORTANT,

BUT DOES NOT FEEL DUES WITHHOLDING WOULD BE PRODUCTIVE

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

Today's vote was one step in the United States legislative process.

The Secretary-General is deeply committed to United Nations reform.  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.

He believes that United States engagement and leadership in this process is very important, but 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.

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