A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
Moderate Voice: "Afghans flocked to the polls to vote in the country's first democratic parliamentary elections in 35 years: "...We did see some procedural irregularities but nothing that I consider systemic and which would have influenced the overall conduct of the election," said Peter Erben, the chief international election officer with the United Nations-assisted Joint Elections Management Board."
TAPPED: "In a press conference shortly following the adoption of the document on UN reform on Tuesday, Kofi Annan tried to put as positive a spin on the outcome as he could. But he was both unable and unwilling to ignore the conspicuous absence of any mention of disarmament and nonproliferation, which he called "a real disgrace."
Outside the Beltway: "Because of the diversity of the member states, there is little chance of achieving consensus on even the most fundamental issues. The underdeveloped states see the U.N. as a giant teat from which to suckle money from the prosperous whereas the West sees it as a mechanism for spreading democracy, law, and order. Reconciling those visions is next to impossible."
Feministing: "Among the MANY newsworthy things going on this week, UN Headquarters in New York is hosting the World Summit, a follow-up to the 2000 Millennium Summit that resulted in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight goals being promoted by the UN, targeting everything from ending world poverty to achieving gender equality and women's empowerment worldwide. While the MDGs have been criticized by many women's rights organizations for not being inclusive enough of women (for example, check out this great article by MADRE), they are a start."
Liberal Avenger: "That's right, it's Bolton time! He's been hard at work at the UN's current meetings, which have produced some less than stellar results."
MBlog: "The headlines say it all - "Poor nations lose in watered-down UN document." If you were wondering what sort of impact John Bolton would have at the UN, look no further. From The Guardian: "Final draft a bland version of Gleneagles promises. No new money for aid and debt relief." What a world we live in. Those that exploit get to argue over the extremity of their usury while those that they exploit must not only struggle to survive, but also politely endure the indignity."
Today's Democracy: "I have made it no secret that I thought the UN has need reform for a while. There is a place for the United Nations. In both "A World Without The UN and Questioning our U.N. Role, organizations like the United Nations, as the primary example, have a role to play. I am not of the opinion that complete abolishment is the right answer nor am I an advocate. Obvious to me, the potential role of the U.N. is enormous. However the UN should be providing military intervention for humanitarian reasons. Humanitarian is the key word."
"The 2005 World Summit, expected to be the largest gathering ever of international leaders, opened at United Nations Headquarters in New York today with a warning from Secretary-General Kofi Annan that "millions of lives and the hopes of billions" rest on fulfilling the pledges contained in the meeting's outcome document." [Read more]
And don't miss the UN Foundation's World Summit page.
"World leaders explore ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war. [Full story]
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
Counterterrorism Blog: "When the world's statesmen gather in New York September 14th to open this session of the General Assembly they will grapple with UN reform. Perhaps they will make some progress toward that end. But, they will fail in strengthening the UN's role in combating terrorism if they fail to lay the necessary common foundation for fighting terrorism that a clear definition would provide."
Democracy Arsenal (David Shorr): "As the main instrument of international cooperation and the world community's only meeting place with universal membership, the United Nations has great potential to marshal collective action on today's challenges from terrorism to poverty reduction to human rights and nuclear non-proliferation. But it can only achieve this potential if the world's leaders pull together."
Bildt Comments: "It's a sunny and nice morning in New York, and leaders are starting to gather for the 60th General Assembly of the United Nations. Over the weekend, talks have been continued in a smaller group to see if it is possible to reach agreement on a document for the summit starting on Wednesday. But the reform process is now down to rather few issues. It will be an important meeting, but I fear we should not expect too much in terms of important results. At the moment, avoiding a break-down is the number one priority."
Captain's Quarters: "James Traub provides a thought-provoking analysis of the systemic problems of the United Nations in today's New York Times, and what might be done to ameliorate them."
Craig Cheslog: "While most Americans are understandably focused on the Katrina disaster, it is worthwhile to take a look at a diplomatic problem being created by UN Ambassador John Bolton. Steve Clemons links to a story in The Guardian: "The British government is mounting a huge diplomatic effort this weekend to prevent the biggest-ever summit of world leaders, designed to tackle poverty and overhaul the United Nations, ending in chaos. The Guardian has learned that Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, has made a personal plea to his American counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, for the US to withdraw opposition to plans for wholesale reform of the UN."
GOP Vixen: "I had heard about this a few weeks ago from one of my sources ... Iranians from all over the United States are merging in New York to protest against the Islamic Republic president Ahmadi Nejad in New York City on Wednesday September 14th 2005."
Informed Comment: "The final text of the Iraqi constitution has still not been worked out, and so the United Nations cannot begin to print it in several million copies so that Iraqi voters can read it before the October 15 referendum. It is going to be very difficult to get the printing and distribution done with only a month to go."
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
Head of UN Probe into Lebanese Ex-premier's Assassination Arrives in Syria
Tax Dodgers 'rob poorer nations'
SOMALIA: UNHCR Head Urges Action Against Human Trafficking
Journey Delivers Epic Message from World's Children to U.N.:
'Send My Friend to School'
Treaty Offers World's Last Chance to Save Great Apes
Photo Album : Global Warning
"President Bush will join U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the opening of a three-day summit September 14 that marks the beginning of the United Nations General Assembly's 60th session.
More than 170 heads of state and government are expected to participate in the plenary session in the vast General Assembly hall and in roundtable discussions, treaty-signings, and other meetings taking place in connection with the event." [Read more]
Selected summary of United Nations related news and events
Annan has taken quick steps in response to Oil-for-Food findings
UN Steps up Aid to US in Wake of Hurricane Katrina
High Stakes in New York - the Point of No Return
Virus Ravaging India's Poor Stirs Call for Counterattack
UN Agencies Team up to Promote Eco-friendly,
Development-oriented Tourism
Eight Ways to Change the World
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
El Canche: "By the time you have finished reading this sentence a child, somewhere in the world, will have died as a direct result of poverty. That frightening fact is just one of many contained in the 2005 Human Development Report , presented to world leaders today by the United Nations Development Program. The timing of the report is crucial as next week the heads of state of 175 countries will gather at the United Nations in NY to discuss the urgent and ambitious Millennium Development Goals."
Silent Nation: "Parts of America as poor as Third World - And now there is a UN report to back it up. Sure to be trounced by the US elites, but the findings ring very true for those that have actually studied the issue in detail."
Agonist: "The Independent - Parts of the United States are as poor as the Third World, according to a shocking United Nations report on global inequality. Claims that the New Orleans floods have laid bare a growing racial and economic divide in the US have, until now, been rejected by the American political establishment as emotional rhetoric. But yesterday's UN report provides statistical proof that for many - well beyond those affected by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the great American Dream is an ongoing nightmare."
Political Animal: "The final report of the commission investigating the UN's Oil For Food program is over a thousand pages long, but Abu Aardvark has condensed it to eight bullets and a few hundred words. If you want to know enough to hold your own in cocktail party chatter, head over and check it out."
Chuck Currie: "World leaders will gather next week in New York City to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. A joint statement will be issued at the event and many of the world's leaders are arguing that the statement should commit most nations to the goal of spending 0.7 percent of their gross national product on aid to developing nations and referencing the UN Millennium Development goals that include halving world poverty by 2015."
Democracy Arsenal: "Two weeks ago a senior US official reassured me that the UN reform talks would reach an agreement in time for next week's summit, but that there would be tough bargaining along the way. "It's going to get ugly," the official warned. And ugly it has gotten."