Cannes: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says Palestinian efforts to join other United Nations agencies beyond its cultural arm is "not beneficial for Palestine and not beneficial for anybody."
Ban said "millions and millions" of people could be affected if UN agencies see their funding cut as a result of the Palestinian bids. He spoke Thursday with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Cannes.
The United States and Canada have cut off funding for UNESCO because the Paris-based UN cultural agency approved a Palestinian membership bid — stripping it of about one-quarter of its total funding.
The UN chief says the Palestinian Authority`s foreign minister has indicated that it will apply for membership in the 16 other UN specialized agencies.
Bureau Report
