By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 23, 2002; Page A02

The Bush administration announced yesterday it will withhold $34 million in international family planning funds from the United Nations, saying the organization implicitly condones forced abortions and sterilizations in China.

The move drew praise from abortion opponents and criticism from proponents of family planning, who said it will undermine poor women's health. Conservatives had lobbied the White House for months on the issue, saying the U.N. Population Fund, or UNFPA, violated U.S. law by supporting China's "one-child" policy, which has led to abortions and sterilizations against women's will.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell informed lawmakers yesterday that he will divert the money to child and maternal health programs administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds family planning initiatives in roughly half as many countries as does the U.N.

In his letter to lawmakers, Powell wrote that while Americans remain divided on abortion, "If there is a single principle that unifies Americans with conflicting views on the subject, it is the conviction that no woman should be forced to have an abortion . . . Regardless of the modest size of UNFPA's budget in China or any benefits its programs provide, UNFPA's support of, and involvement in, China's population-planning activities allows the Chinese government to implement more effectively its program of coercive abortion."

U.N. officials denied promoting abortions in China or any other country, noting that abortion rates were falling in the 32 Chinese counties where the U.N. funds programs.

"UNFPA is pro-life," said Thoraya Obaid, the agency's executive director. "The services we promote reduce the incidence of abortion."

A three-member investigative team tapped by the White House to travel to China in May found "no evidence" that UNFPA had knowingly promoted abortions or sterilizations, and recommended that Bush release the $34 million. Some Democrats, including Sen. Barbara Boxer (Calif.), are demanding the White House release the team's report.

The president's decision is sure to prompt a legislative fight this fall, when Congress and the administration will revisit the issue of whether to fund the UNFPA as part of its annual foreign aid bill.

Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-Pa.) said Bush had found a "perfect solution" to the problem. The Senate, however, has set aside $50 million in family planning funds for the U.N. next year, and some House members are determined to reinstate the money.

"This will not be the final word on U.S. funding for UNFPA," said Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.).

Staff writer Colum Lynch contributed to this report.