To me the UN has always represented the next level of evolution of society. From my perspective, it would take perhaps hundreds of years to accomplish it's lofty goal of acheiving an international body that would represent all of mankind and serve as a mediator of all conflicts between countries. Its purpose is to minimize conflict, serve as source of peacekeeping troops and only if necessary, protect the peace as has been necessary and at least reasonably successful in a few African countries in the past decade.
But the Bush Administration sees the UN as a rival in power politics, a body that is dominated by world opinion, not the interests of the US. That would diminish US power and influence worldwide by creating a counterpoise with substantial credibility and influence. In the Bush Administration point of view, if it interferes with getting what they want, it has to go.
The Agonist
America's controversial new ambassador to the United Nations is seeking to shred an agreement on strengthening the world body and fighting poverty intended to be the highlight of a 60th anniversary summit next month. In the extraordinary intervention, John Bolton has sought to roll back proposed UN commitments on aid to developing countries, combating global warming and nuclear disarmament.
Mr Bolton has demanded no fewer than 750 amendments to the blueprint restating the ideals of the international body, which was originally drafted by the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan. The amendments are spelt out in a 32-page US version, first reported by the Washington Post and acquired yesterday by The Independent. The document is littered with deletions and exclusions. Most strikingly, the changes eliminate all specific reference to the so-called Millennium Development Goals, accepted by all countries at the last major UN summit in 2000, including the United States.
To the dismay of many other delegations, the US has even scored out pledges that would have asked nations to "achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance by no later than 2015". All references to the date or the percentage level are gone in the Bolton version.
Passages that look forward to a larger role for the General Assembly are gone. Rejected also is a promise to create a standing military capacity for UN peacekeeping. This show of contempt from Washington and its new envoy comes at a time when Mr Annan has been severely weakened by allegations of widespread corruption, fraud and nepotism. More
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