US can't go it alone: Annan
Terms of Military Intervention Should be Determined
Kofi Annan Suggests UN Human Rights Council
US can't go it alone: Annan
David Nason, New York correspondent
23mar05
A DAY after releasing his blueprint for comprehensive UN reform, Kofi Annan has appealed for US backing, saying no country, however powerful, can face the future alone.
The Secretary-General's warning came as he prepared to send a high-level delegation to Washington to meet officials of the Bush administration and UN-sceptical Republican powerbrokers such as Minnesota senator Norm Coleman and house international relations committee chairman Henry Hyde.
The delegation would be led by Mr Annan's chief of staff, Mark Malloch Brown, and Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, who would attempt to persuade the congressional critics - especially those investigating the UN's disastrous handling of the oil-for-food program in Iraq - that the reform agenda is genuine.
Mr Annan indicated he would meet former Republican house speaker Newt Gingrich and former Democrat Senate majority leader George Mitchell, who co-chair a Congress-mandated independent taskforce looking at UN reform options.
The reform agenda includes expanding the Security Council, scrapping the discredited Geneva-based Human Rights Commission and streamlining the organisation's creaky bureaucracy.
In Tokyo yesterday, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia supported Japan's claims for permanent Security Council membership.
"Over recent years, Japan has played an increasingly active role in maintaining peace and stability," Mr Downer said.
While Mr Annan's reform initiatives are much bolder than anticipated, successfully implementing any changes will depend largely on the attitude of the US, which has been highly critical and dismissive of the world body since it failed to back the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Senator Coleman has repeatedly called for Mr Annan's resignation over the oil-for-food disaster, while Mr Hyde is threatening a $US200million ($253million) cut to the annual $US1billion in US funding provided to UN peacekeeping operations.
But at a press conference after he addressed the UN General Assembly on his plans, Mr Annan said many of his proposed reforms would appeal to the US, which needed a strong UN.
"We live in an interconnected world where we face many threats, many challenges -- threats that no one country, however powerful, can face alone," Mr Annan said.
"We need to work together to contain these threats ... an effective and functioning UN is in the interests of the US."
Asked about the continuing US threat to UN funding, Mr Annan said it would create "lots of difficulties" and complicate relations between member states.
"I really hope it would not happen," he said. "We have been down that road and it took many, many years to get it undone."
Early US reaction to Mr Annan's proposals focused on his idea for the Security Council to come up with a new set of rules to govern the authorisation of military force.
Deputy state department spokesman Adam Ereli said the US was sceptical about the "usefulness" of any UN resolution on the use of force.
But Mr Annan's options for Security Council reform drew a quick and enthusiastic response from Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, which have formed a united front to try to get permanent membership.
In a joint statement, the countries said they backed the reform option, which would expand the council's permanent membership from five nations to 11.
© The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12631628%255E2703,00.html
03.22.2005 Tuesday - ISTANBUL 17:39
'Terms of Military Intervention Should be Determined'
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Tuesday 22, 2005
zaman.com
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan released his report consisting of the most comprehensive reforms anticipated to realize new changes in organization's structure.
The most radical suggestion was the forming of a Human Rights Council as powerful as the Security Council instead of the debated UN Human Rights Commission.
The report indicated that instead of a 53 member Geneva based UN Human Rights Commission that faced harsh criticisms due to its function and its current members, the new council's members would be directly chosen by the General Assembly and it would be one of UN's main branches, like the General Assembly and the Security Council, along with the Human Rights Council that should be formed with less members. Hence, a radical solution was also offered for the commission, of which, among its members are many of the states committing most of the world's human rights violations such as Libya, Sudan, Cuba, and Nepal.
For the UN to reach the "One Thousand Year Development Targets" by 2015, all countries should appropriate 0.7 percent of their national income to fight against poverty. Only six countries have reached that target so far. Anticipating $22 billion in relief during 2005, the US appropriated funds were only equal to 0.18 percent of its national income.
According to the report, undertaking military intervention against any country should be based upon certain objective criteria. Such a situation requires a UN Security Council resolution on the issue of "when and how to use military intervention", as it is today; however, this process should be more efficient. The international community have the responsibility to protect those who are murdered due to genocides, ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity. This also requires a collective movement. The Kosovo and Iraq wars should be considered on the issue. In such a case, criteria such as whether or not a military option is proportional with the threat and the "protection of rights" of helpless civilians against tyranny and the pressure implemented by governments should be considered. "Strategic need of force" should be formed for emergency intervention.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20050322&hn=17717
03.22.2005 Tuesday - ISTANBUL 17:43
Kofi Annan Suggests UN Human Rights Council
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Tuesday 22, 2005
zaman.com
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan has published his report consisting of the most comprehensive reforms anticipated to be realized in the UN structure since it was first established.
The most radical suggestion in the report was to form a Human Rights Council as powerful as the Security Council instead of the debated UN Human Rights Commission. Annan also emphasized that undertaking any military intervention against a country should be based on certain objective criteria. The reforms suggestions in the 63 page report aim to increase the UN's international reputation that was harmed during recent years. The report titled "Wider Independence: Development, Security and Human Rights for All" includes recommendations about security, terrorism, human rights, and the fight against poverty, in addition to altering the membership structure of the UN Security Council. Shaken by the "Food for Oil" and the recent sex scandals of the peace forces in the Democratic Congo Republic, the UN aims to rebuild the confidence and prestige that was lost during the Iraq War by undertaking a set of new reforms. Annan also considered the reform suggestions of the Commission of the Wise Men report published in November 2004 in order to restructure the UN and its mission and made new suggestions to make UN more efficient, transparent, and accountable.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=17715
Kofi Annan Suggests UN Human Rights Council
US can't go it alone: Annan
David Nason, New York correspondent
23mar05
A DAY after releasing his blueprint for comprehensive UN reform, Kofi Annan has appealed for US backing, saying no country, however powerful, can face the future alone.
The Secretary-General's warning came as he prepared to send a high-level delegation to Washington to meet officials of the Bush administration and UN-sceptical Republican powerbrokers such as Minnesota senator Norm Coleman and house international relations committee chairman Henry Hyde.
The delegation would be led by Mr Annan's chief of staff, Mark Malloch Brown, and Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette, who would attempt to persuade the congressional critics - especially those investigating the UN's disastrous handling of the oil-for-food program in Iraq - that the reform agenda is genuine.
Mr Annan indicated he would meet former Republican house speaker Newt Gingrich and former Democrat Senate majority leader George Mitchell, who co-chair a Congress-mandated independent taskforce looking at UN reform options.
The reform agenda includes expanding the Security Council, scrapping the discredited Geneva-based Human Rights Commission and streamlining the organisation's creaky bureaucracy.
In Tokyo yesterday, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia supported Japan's claims for permanent Security Council membership.
"Over recent years, Japan has played an increasingly active role in maintaining peace and stability," Mr Downer said.
While Mr Annan's reform initiatives are much bolder than anticipated, successfully implementing any changes will depend largely on the attitude of the US, which has been highly critical and dismissive of the world body since it failed to back the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Senator Coleman has repeatedly called for Mr Annan's resignation over the oil-for-food disaster, while Mr Hyde is threatening a $US200million ($253million) cut to the annual $US1billion in US funding provided to UN peacekeeping operations.
But at a press conference after he addressed the UN General Assembly on his plans, Mr Annan said many of his proposed reforms would appeal to the US, which needed a strong UN.
"We live in an interconnected world where we face many threats, many challenges -- threats that no one country, however powerful, can face alone," Mr Annan said.
"We need to work together to contain these threats ... an effective and functioning UN is in the interests of the US."
Asked about the continuing US threat to UN funding, Mr Annan said it would create "lots of difficulties" and complicate relations between member states.
"I really hope it would not happen," he said. "We have been down that road and it took many, many years to get it undone."
Early US reaction to Mr Annan's proposals focused on his idea for the Security Council to come up with a new set of rules to govern the authorisation of military force.
Deputy state department spokesman Adam Ereli said the US was sceptical about the "usefulness" of any UN resolution on the use of force.
But Mr Annan's options for Security Council reform drew a quick and enthusiastic response from Brazil, Germany, India and Japan, which have formed a united front to try to get permanent membership.
In a joint statement, the countries said they backed the reform option, which would expand the council's permanent membership from five nations to 11.
© The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12631628%255E2703,00.html
03.22.2005 Tuesday - ISTANBUL 17:39
'Terms of Military Intervention Should be Determined'
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Tuesday 22, 2005
zaman.com
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan released his report consisting of the most comprehensive reforms anticipated to realize new changes in organization's structure.
The most radical suggestion was the forming of a Human Rights Council as powerful as the Security Council instead of the debated UN Human Rights Commission.
The report indicated that instead of a 53 member Geneva based UN Human Rights Commission that faced harsh criticisms due to its function and its current members, the new council's members would be directly chosen by the General Assembly and it would be one of UN's main branches, like the General Assembly and the Security Council, along with the Human Rights Council that should be formed with less members. Hence, a radical solution was also offered for the commission, of which, among its members are many of the states committing most of the world's human rights violations such as Libya, Sudan, Cuba, and Nepal.
For the UN to reach the "One Thousand Year Development Targets" by 2015, all countries should appropriate 0.7 percent of their national income to fight against poverty. Only six countries have reached that target so far. Anticipating $22 billion in relief during 2005, the US appropriated funds were only equal to 0.18 percent of its national income.
According to the report, undertaking military intervention against any country should be based upon certain objective criteria. Such a situation requires a UN Security Council resolution on the issue of "when and how to use military intervention", as it is today; however, this process should be more efficient. The international community have the responsibility to protect those who are murdered due to genocides, ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity. This also requires a collective movement. The Kosovo and Iraq wars should be considered on the issue. In such a case, criteria such as whether or not a military option is proportional with the threat and the "protection of rights" of helpless civilians against tyranny and the pressure implemented by governments should be considered. "Strategic need of force" should be formed for emergency intervention.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20050322&hn=17717
03.22.2005 Tuesday - ISTANBUL 17:43
Kofi Annan Suggests UN Human Rights Council
By Anadolu News Agency (aa)
Published: Tuesday 22, 2005
zaman.com
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan has published his report consisting of the most comprehensive reforms anticipated to be realized in the UN structure since it was first established.
The most radical suggestion in the report was to form a Human Rights Council as powerful as the Security Council instead of the debated UN Human Rights Commission. Annan also emphasized that undertaking any military intervention against a country should be based on certain objective criteria. The reforms suggestions in the 63 page report aim to increase the UN's international reputation that was harmed during recent years. The report titled "Wider Independence: Development, Security and Human Rights for All" includes recommendations about security, terrorism, human rights, and the fight against poverty, in addition to altering the membership structure of the UN Security Council. Shaken by the "Food for Oil" and the recent sex scandals of the peace forces in the Democratic Congo Republic, the UN aims to rebuild the confidence and prestige that was lost during the Iraq War by undertaking a set of new reforms. Annan also considered the reform suggestions of the Commission of the Wise Men report published in November 2004 in order to restructure the UN and its mission and made new suggestions to make UN more efficient, transparent, and accountable.
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=17715
posted by JimG at 10:43 AM
1 Comments:
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