Washington, September 3 (RHC)-- The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump says that it will not pay more than $60 million in dues it owes to the World Health Organization (WHO) and will use the money instead to pay down other contributions to the United Nations.

The announcement came just a day after the White House announced the U.S. would not participate in a WHO-run project to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.  The decision to withhold roughly $62 million in outstanding 2020 dues to the WHO is part of Trump's decision to withdraw from the organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his allegations that the agency has been improperly influenced by China.

The funding decisions follow Trump's announcement in July that he was withdrawing the US from the WHO effective July 2021 and instructing his administration to wind down funding and cooperation with the agency.   At the time of the announcement, the US had already paid about $52 million of its assessed 2020 dues of $120 million.

During the one-year wind-down, the officials said the U.S. would continue to participate in select WHO technical and policy meetings that have a direct bearing on US health, commercial and national security interests. "We will consider those on a case-by-case basis," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations Nerissa Cook told the Associated Press.