Global Policy Forum

UN Reform Initiatives

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Over the years, there have been numerous initiatives to reform the UN. These range from summits of heads of state, to panels of experts, to the reform efforts by UN Secretary Generals. This page follows and critically analyses the actions of these reform initiatives and monitors subsequent progress.


Millennium Summit and its Follow-Up

In 2000, over 150 Heads of State from around the world met at the UN Millennium Summit to discuss opportunities for strengthening the UN in the new century. World leaders adopted the Millennium Declaration and resolved to meet the "Millennium Development Goals." This page provides key documents, speeches and articles on the Millennium Summit and its follow-up.

High-Level Panels

Secretary Generals have in the past appointed High Level Panels to promote new thinking and to jump-start UN reform action by governments. This page gives background information on these panels and their work.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Reform Agenda - 2007 to 2008

This page looks at Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's reform agenda.

Secretary General Kofi Annan's Reform Agenda - 1997 to 2006

In 1997 and 2002 Secretary General Kofi Annnan announced his plans to reform the United Nations. His reforms brought some modern management into the UN's bureaucracy, but critics charge that the reforms also made the UN more conservative and less democratic, by shaping it to a neoliberal, security-driven US agenda.

Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's Reform Agenda - 1992 to 1996

In 1992 Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali introduced his UN reform ideas which included a reorganization of the Secretariat. Boutros Ghali also made important reform proposals in the areas of peacekeeping and was most thorough in his approach to UN finance.

Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar's Reform Agenda - 1982 to 1991

Secretary General Kurt Waldheim's Reform Agenda - 1972 to 1981

Secretary General U Thant's Reform Agenda - 1961 to 1971

Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld's Reform Agenda - 1953 to 1961

Secretary General Trygve Lie's Reform Agenda - 1946 to 1952

General Assembly Working Groups on Reform

Other Initiatives

This page covers other initiatives to UN Reform including liberal and conservative approaches as well as reform proposals by UN member states.

 


 

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