May 21, 1998 The Spokesman Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press - UNITED NATIONS _ Emphasizing women's issues, the president of the foundation created to dole out Ted Turner's $1 billion gift to the United Nations announced Wednesday that nearly $8 million would be channeled through a family planning agency under attack by conservatives in the U.S. Congress. Of the $22 million allocated Wednesday, nearly $8 million will go to U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) programs. Conservative legislators have barred U.S. money from being used -- even indirectly -- to support groups that perform or actively promote abortion in foreign countries. Wednesday's allocation was the first from the United Nations Foundation set up by Turner, a billionaire cable television pioneer. The foundation plans to give out $100 million each year for the next 10 years. Turner, who owns the Cable News Network does not decide how to spend the money. Foundation President Timothy Wirth, a former U.S. senator and under-secretary of state, told reporters the population fund was a natural agency to target. Women's groups have said they have been sidetracked by the United Nations, and an alliance of U.N.-affiliated women's organizations recently demanded half of the Turner money. In Wednesday's allocation, 42 percent was allocated to women's programs. The largest single gift -- $3 million -- went to a UNFPA program to increase access to reproductive health literature in Bolivia. Another UNFPA program, aimed at improving reproductive health care in the Philippines, was given $2.1 million. U.N.-affiliated women's groups are focusing on combating violence against women this year, and the foundation allocated $950,000 to reducing such violence in Latin America. Selling the United Nations to the U.S. public also will be a priority, Wirth said. Funds for those activities have not been allocated. Wirth said he hoped to set up ``response mechanisms'' to baseless accusations about the United Nations. Other allocations were made to programs to disarm child soldiers in Sierra Leone, help victims of land mines and support research on climate change. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
