CAPE TOWN, Nov 3 (AFP) - A pledge of 50 million dollars from US tycoon Ted Turner's United Nations Foundation will go towards some 45 UN projects, most of them in the world's poorest countries, it was announced here Wednesday.

"Almost 50 percent of that (will go) to projects in sub-Saharan Africa," foundation president Timothy Wirth told a press conference.

The nine-member board of the foundation, set up in 1997 to administer a one billion dollar grant by Turner, made the allocations after a meeting here this week.

Turner told the press conference that Africa had received most of the 200 million dollars so far allocated by the foundation because "we think this is the area of greatest need."

The board includes Graca Machel, wife of South African former president Nelson Mandela, and Brazil's first lady Ruth Cardoso.

A breakdown and the exact number of the beneficiaries was not yet available, but Wirth said most the projects focused on children's health, including polio eradication and anti-smoking programmes.

Environmental management and issues of women's health and reproduction are other priorities for the foundation.

Programmes in Madagascar, Jordan and east Africa dealing with HIV/AIDS, and one to promote the sustainable use of rainforests in central Africa would also receive money, Wirth said.

In South Africa, the Cape Peninsular National Park -- which encompasses reserves in Cape Town, including the famous Table Mountain -- will receive a 45,000 dollar grant.

Gender and leadership projects at the University of Cape Town will also benefit, said Wirth, a former US senator.

The foundation allocates 100 million dollars a year to support UN projects, mainly in Africa, Asia and Central and South America.

Turner -- vice-chairman of the Time Warner Inc., the world's leading media company -- said he was a "great believer" in the work of the United Nations.

"The UN is absolutely necessary for peace and security and to deal with problems of the (environment). ... Without the UN we wouldn't have much future," he said.

It "pained" him that his country, the United States, was refusing to pay its dues to the United Nations, he said.

The world body estimates that the United States owes about 1.7 billion dollars, while Washington puts the number closer to one billion.

The US Congress is due decide this month whether it will pay its dues.

The Cape Town meeting of the board was its first gathering outside of the United States.

Members met Mandela on Tuesday and will tour a South African game reserve before visiting Mozambique, Machel's home country, for two days.

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