"Secretary-General Kofi Annan has announced the creation of a fund to promote democratric institutions and practices around the world - an idea first proposed by the United States.
The United Nations said Tuesday that since many members have offered to contribute, Annan wanted to set up the fund this summer so interested countries could make donations by September. That's when Annan has invited world leaders to a summit to tackle U.N. reform and agree on measures to meet U.N. development goals, including cutting extreme poverty by half by 2015." [More]
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentaryAgonist: "LAT - The United Nations World Food Program said it has suspended aid shipments to Somalia after gunmen hijacked a vessel it chartered and demanded a $500,000 ransom."
Democracy Arsenal: "The Bush administration's options for advancing the nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations are now dwindling, and one that officials are now considering is the recess appointment. Bolton's own supposed reluctance to accept a recess appointment may reflect a recognition that interim status would compromise effectiveness. The latest word is that the Senate Republican leadership is realizing this truth as well, and may now try to fold the Bolton nomination into some sort of broader reform pitch. Meanwhile, reform negotiations at the UN are proceeding apace. While its leadership has often been lacking, the U.S. delegation is taking a mostly reasonable line and making progress toward key reforms of the UN's Commission on Human Rights, its peace-building capabilities, and its approach to terrorism. An ill-conceived recess appointment should not be allowed to jeopardize this."
Juan Cole: "Carl Nyberg, a former UN peacekeeper in Cambodia, writes: "I'm skeptical of putting much hope into a UN solution for Iraq's security problems. I was a UN peacekeeper in Cambodia, but don't want to lean too heavily on my personal experience. What I learned from my experience is that it is almost impossible for one person to capture the full story of something as complex as a UN peacekeeping mission."
"The devastating tsunami that struck Asia last year has left several countries that were already vulnerable to AIDS at even greater risk of the deadly disease, United Nations officials said on Monday.
One in four new infections occurs in Asia, home to more than half the world's people, and 1,500 in the region die from the disease each day. Another 12 million could be infected over the next five years if prevention programmes are not stepped up." [Full Story]
"One in three Africans suffers from malnutrition and a total of 852 million people in the world suffer from hunger, the United Nations says in a new report.
The World Food Program (WFP) report highlighted the plight of starving Africans and said that the financial contributions necessary for alleviating the continent's hunger problems were lacking." [More]
On a related note, Live 8 has kicked off. Read what bloggers are saying about it.
"The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) with the support of three UN agencies - WFP, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNICEF - has launched a Charity Project entitled "Athletics for a Better World - The IAAF Stars' Donation Fund". The initiative aims to encourage top athletes to increase awareness of and raise funds for humanitarian initiatives." Read more at the WFP website
"The negative impacts of the illicit drug trade touch every society in the world. This year's World Drug Report estimates that 200 million people, or 5% of the global population age 15-64, have consumed illicit drugs at least once in the last 12 months. The drug trade is pernicious and large. UNODC estimates its retail value at US$ 321bn. It impacts almost every level of human security from individual health, to safety and social welfare. Its consequences are especially devastating for countries with limited resources available to fight against it.
The World Drug Report 2005 provides one of the most comprehensive overviews of illicit drug trends at the international level."
From President Bush's speech at Fort Bragg, N.C. 6/28/05:
"In January 2005, more than 8 million Iraqi men and women voted in elections that were free and fair and took place on time.... In the past year, the international community has stepped forward with vital assistance. Some 30 nations have troops in Iraq, and many others are contributing nonmilitary assistance. The United Nations is in Iraq to help Iraqis write a constitution and conduct their next elections."