Monitoring Policy Making at the United Nations |
| ||||||||||||
Other Initiatives
Also See GPF's Pages on:
UN Reform Initiatives
UN Urged to Create Separate Agency for Women (April 18, 2006)
Activists call on the UN to create a separate stand-alone agency for women issues to rectify the “gender shortcomings” of the UN. Gender issues are dispersed through several smaller UN bodies and some advocate it should be represented more powerfully at UN headquarters, in specific countries and peacekeeping operations. A proposal before the High Level Panel on UN System-Wide Coherence recommends combining current departments and bodies, such as UNIFEM, and creating a new women’s agency “with a broad mandate on gender equality.” (Inter Press Service)Developed Countries Press for Big Changes in UN structure (March 28, 2006)
The new high level panel on system wide coherence will report how the UN and its agencies should operate in the future. Rich nations are pressing for the closure and merging of several UN agencies, fund and programmes to avoid “too many cooks” and overlap of work. “Non-papers” submitted by Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK, argue that the UN’s social and economic work can be organized in three main “pillars” dealing with development, humanitarian assistance and the environment. But, critics fear this streamlining of UN bodies could also result in a too narrow approach to development work, perhaps one that abides by the interests of the rich rather than the needs of the poor. (South North Development Monitor)A New UN (July 8, 2005)
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, a coalition of former foreign ministers proposes a UN reform package focused on human rights, security, democracy and development. Concerned about the lack of cooperation among member states, the former officials call on the G8 countries to support their (rather conservative) plan, continuing the trend of sidelining poor countries in this crucial reform process.The Reform of the United Nations (February 4, 2005)
Drawing on the experiences of the European Union, this One World Trust paper makes three major proposals to reform the United Nations. It suggests an expanded role for the Secretary General, recommends extending the veto to regional representatives, and it details the possible establishment of a “UN Parliamentary Assembly” to sit alongside the General Assembly. The proposal stresses that UN reform should be gradual – “it must not seek to go too far too fast.”Annan to Improve UN Accountability (January 31, 2005)
This Associated Press article reports that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan intends to overhaul the selection process for the UN’s principle positions to make it “more transparent and inclusive.” Annan’s new chief of staff Mark Malloch Brown is quoted as saying that he finds it “galling to see how many senior appointments are stitched up by governments in back corridors.” The article does not mention that Malloch Brown’s own selection resulted from back room political maneuvering by the US and Britain, and that touted “reforms” may be steps to tighten Washington’s grip on the world body.An Alliance of Democracies (January 27, 2005)
Commandeering the issue of UN reform, this conservative editorial argues that the “old, exhausted” United Nations should be cast aside in favor of a new intergovernmental organization based on the ideas of "freedom, free trade and the development of free and open societies worldwide." The author envisages that this “alliance of democracies” will be built on the principle of "democratic discrimination," employ a policy of retaliation against states suspected of harboring terrorists, and cancel debt of “newly-free” states. (Washington Times)And When the Great Wave Fell Back, the UN Stood Revealed, Notably Useless (January 3, 2005)
This very conservative Times of London opinion piece calls the UN “philosophically redundant, structurally irrelevant and bureaucratically ossified.” In its place, the author believes the Group of Eight most industrialized nations (G8) could gradually expand membership to other states and “take on the mantle of world leadership.” The article goes so far as to suggest that Ottawa, Canada would make a “diplomatically astute” location for a G8 secretariat.UN Reform Pushed by Martin at APEC (November 21, 2004)
At the APEC summit Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin made a passionate plea for UN reform and sought support for his concept of a new L-20, a group of “existing and emerging economic powers” that would, ironically, conduct its business outside of the United Nations. Martin also promoted the idea of humanitarian intervention, or "responsibility to protect," a concept that appears benign but may offer a humanitarian cover for great power intervention. (London Free Press)UN Wants $97 Mln for Security After Iraq Blast (October 12, 2004)
In a speech to the General Assembly, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan proposed a new directorate for the organization, responsible for the security of over 100,000 staff and 300,000 dependents in more than 150 locations worldwide. The new security arrangements could lead to the UN’s return to Iraq after it pulled out its staff following a deadly attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003. They represent a first step in the direction of a new “threat and risk analysis” strategy. (Reuters)Upstairs, Downstairs: The Twain Should Meet, UN Says (August 22, 2000)
The UN is introducing modern ways of Human Resources management, says Michael Littlejohns from the Earth Times News Service. This is part of the ongoing effort to shed the world organization of its stuffy, bureaucratic image.Countries Must Fall in Line to Promote Annan's Vision (June 17, 1999)
In this opinion piece from the South Africa Business Day, the author urges member states to support the UN and advocates broad UN reform measures, such as reshuffling the Security Council.European Union Proposal on Reform (January 1997)
Report in the Irish Times on EU initiative on UN reform.United States Proposal on UN Reform Iissued (April 24, 1996)
A substantial statement of the US position on UN change. See also a text sent to governments in August 1995 and first posted to the web on February 20, 1996 stating an earlier US position on UN reform.
More Information on UN Reform
More Information on Reform Initiatives
