UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon said here Monday that the decision by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to admit Palestine as a member could have negative impacts for the funding of the UN body.

"As you are already aware by this time, this step could have potential implications for funding provided by some member states, " said Ban. "This is a decision by the member states. But as the secretary-general of the United Nations, I have to draw out to the members of the United Nations system this fact."

Ban's statement came as he answered questions from reporters during a UN press conference to mark the day when the earth's population reached 7 billion on Monday.

Also on Monday, UNESCO voted to admit Palestine as the discussion continues in the UN Security Council about admitting Palestine as a member state of the UN as a whole.

The historic UNESCO vote could cost the UN agency a fifth of its budget as the United States, a close ally of Israel, as the Palestinian admission, under the US law, would trigger a cutoff in US funding which accounted for 22 percent of the agency's financial resources.

The US and Israel have voiced opposition to UNESCO's move. The US announced on Monday that it has stopped its financial contributions to UNESCO in response to their decision to admit Palestine before bilateral negotiations between Israel and Palestine have been completed.

"It is (up to) member states to ensure that the United Nations system as a whole (has) a consistent political and financial support," said Ban. "As such, we will need to work on practical solutions to preserve UNESCO's financial resources."

He declined to comment further, except to say that he supports a resumption of negotiations towards two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The two-state solution, universally accepted and supported by the international community, means a secure Israel to live in peace with an independent Palestinian State.

"My position, again, as secretary-general, is to emphasize the urgency of a negotiated solution of the Middle East peace process, " he said. "That is well known, and everybody supports (that). The two-state solution is long overdue."

UNESCO is the first UN organ to admit Palestine as a member. Palestine won admission with 107 countries' votes in favor, 14 against, and 52 abstaining.