Monthly Archives: May 2005
UN Human Rights Office Calls for Strengthened Role
“With human rights observance being one of the central goals of the United Nations, Human Rights High Commissioner Louise Arbour today outlined a strategic vision for the future and called for tools to increase her office’s global leadership and its engagement with individual countries.
“Our objective must be to help bridge the gap between the lofty rhetoric of human rights in the halls of the United Nations and its sobering realities on the ground,” Ms. Arbour says in a report to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who transmitted it to the General Assembly.” Read more…
News Roundup #17
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
Annan urges donors to bolster expanded African Union efforts in Darfur
Child Trafficking is the Subject of the Latest VOA News Series
France, Germany, Spain call for autonomous UN environment agency
New Program Aims to Reduce Alarming Destruction of Global Forests by Ten Percent Annually
Oil for Food Facts
If you haven’t checked out the Oil-for-Food Facts site recently, there’s lots of new material posted, including a link to this Philadelphia Daily News letter:
Letters | What Rosett left out
WHILE disparaging the U.N., Secretary-General Kofi Annan and reform efforts initiated by him, Claudia Rosett (op-ed, May 3, “Just some more stale Kofi”) focuses primarily on corruption in the Oil-for-Food relief program.
From 1996 until 2003, the Oil-for-Food Program let the Iraqi government sell oil to pay for food, infrastructure, medicine and humanitarian goods. It addressed the humanitarian impact of the sanctions on the Hussein regime while maintaining the sanctions to keep Saddam from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. It was successful in both respects.
Despite U.S. allegations, weapons of mass destruction were not found in Iraq; the caloric intake of Iraqis increased 83 percent during that period; malnutrition rates in 2002 in the central and southern part of the country were half those in 1996 among children under 5; in the three northern governorates, chronic malnutrition decreased 56 percent. The program also contributed to vaccination campaigns that helped reduce child mortality and eradicated polio.
Ms. Rosett fails to point out that most of the money pocketed by Saddam through illegal oil sales came through smuggling outside the framework of the program. Nor does she acknowledge that the U.N. raised concerns about potential wrongdoing on multiple occasions. Also missing is the fact that the U.S. was aware of the corruption taking place by Security Council members China, Russia and France, and to a lesser extent by U.S. companies, and chose to look the other way.
Nor is selective silence unique to this program. In the last few days, the White House has declined to comment as an uprising against the repressive government of President Karimov of Uzbekistan turned fatal as government forces fired on its citizens, killing at least 500.
Similarly, it is withholding support to the people of Kazakhstan against the corrupt regime of President Nazarbayev. The U.S. has military alliances with both of these countries.
Norma VanDyke, President
United Nations Association
Greater Philadelphia Chapter
Blog Roundup #17
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS: “Voinovich’s continued offensive against Bolton will rankle the base, especially in light of fellow Ohioan Mike DeWine’s participation in the confirmation agreement. Now with all of the shenanigans going on in the Senate, the last thing the GOP caucus needs is another “maverick” showing up the leadership and the White House.”
LOADED MOUTH: “As I’ve reported before, the UN World Food Program (WFP) is runing extremely low on funds, and for the people of Darfur, this is the worst possible time for a WFP budget crisis because Sudan’s rainy season starts in a month, which will make the transportation of rations nearly impossible. But even I’m surprised at how far in the hole WFP is. There’s still time to donate. Hint hint.”
WASHINGTON NOTE: “Doug Jehl captured the rarity of a Senator like Voinovich breaking not only once with his party — but essentially THREE TIMES — given his “Dear Colleagues” letter on Bolton.”
News Roundup #16
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
Sudan food operation faces funding disaster
Troops end peacekeeping mission in Cyprus
UNICEF and Procter & Gamble Join Forces
Sri Lanka rebels recruiting fewer child soldiers
Wrapping up world meeting, UN health body acts on cancer, immunization
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The SC; HRC; DPRK; South Sudan
The SC: The Security Council today held its last consultations under the Council Presidency of ROK. Tomorrow, Russia will take over the rotating Presidency of the Security Council for March under Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
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The SG; Mali; Middle East; Palestine
The SG: At the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria today, the SG emphasized the role of youth in ensuring a “prosperous, equitable and peaceful future.”
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The SG; DRC; HRC; Palestinian Prisoner
The SG: In Ethiopia over the weekend, the SG is now in the United Arab Emirates. Today he met with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, where the two discussed developments in the region, including Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan, and in the Middle East Peace Process.
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