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Harry Tuttle
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of the Hoople Heads
Mar 2003
time: 00:37
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quote:
Leaders Want U.N. to Play a Bigger Role
By NICK WADHAMS, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
World leaders nearing the end of a three-day summit urged the United Nations to play a bigger role on the world stage — in everything from the fight against terrorism to protecting immigrant rights to easing the crunch caused by high oil prices.
After the last speeches on Friday, the 191 U.N. member states will adopt a document that takes a step toward revamping the United Nations to meet the challenges of the 21st century and adds new impetus to the fight against poverty. But bitter disagreements meant most substantive measures had to be left out.
While those disagreements were playing out in the General Assembly chamber, attention was largely focused elsewhere: Iran's president said his country was willing to provide nuclear technology to other Muslim states. Arab-Israeli relations took another positive step. And a U.N. treaty to fight global corruption got its 30th ratification, triggering its entry into force in 90 days.
"This dream has become a reality," said Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime.
Between news conferences by Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and various nongovernmental organizations, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez scolded evangelist Pat Robertson for calling for his assassination and criticized the U.S. government for the Iraq war, which he called illegal.
Chavez suggested moving the United Nations headquarters to Jerusalem because President Bush attacked Saddam Hussein's government without U.N. authorization.
"The proposal has the merit of providing a response to the conflict experienced by Palestine, but it may be difficult to bring about," Chavez said in a speech that earned him the heartiest applause of the 80 leaders to speak so far.
If Chavez' fiery speech showed a disdain for the United States, it also showed his fondness for the United Nations, something many other leaders readily shared.
The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, went further than most when she suggested the United Nations take the lead in easing the effects of high oil prices. She said it should study oil rationing and conservation, as well as consider initiatives to fuel engines with coconut oil and convert cane sugar to ethanol.
China's President Hu Jintao and Russia's President Vladimir Putin made clear they want the United Nations to help coordinate the fight against terrorism.
"The United Nations, as the core of the collective security mechanism, plays an irreplaceable role in international cooperation to ensure global security," Hu said. "Such a role can only be strengthened and must not in any way be weakened."
Those demands highlighted that, while Washington and others want serious reform before the U.N. tackles new challenges, the United Nations' image is still strong in much of the world.
Yet while many leaders extolled the world body, they also dwelt on their diplomats' failure to achieve eight goals to alleviate poverty and illness worldwide.
Leaders stressed repeatedly that more needs to be done toward progress on the Millennium Development Goals, though major differences remained on what to do, and who should pay.
Calls for U.N. Security Council reform also were a constant refrain. The demands came from both counties that want permanent seats on the council — including Brazil and Japan — as well as those that have no aspirations for full-time representation.
"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan would like to emphasize the long-due needed reform of the Council, both in terms of its composition and working methods," Afghan Vice President Ahmad-Zia Massoud said.
And while several leaders made oblique references to the United States by saying no nation should act alone and outside the United Nations, the tone was far more sympathetic than after the Iraq war.
Speaker after speaker in the General Assembly expressed sympathy for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and offered the United States help recovering from the disaster.
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...and after Arroyo and Chavez, Bippo the Clown spoke about how the UN needs to support endangered wiener dogs and slapstick comedy, before the cultural phenomenon is wiped off the face of the Earth.
What a joke. Bureaucracy at its greatest.
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lord of the mark
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FUKCOV - Former United Kingdom Colony of Virginia
Dec 2000
time: 00:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Harry Tuttle
I'm sorry, but I don't care about what two of the most corrupt leaders have to say about anything. Coconut Oil? Moving the UN to Jerusalem? Does this make any sense? |
Why not, Ive heard of plenty of people who've moved from New York to Jerusalem
Maybe Hugo wants to eat here
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelgui...action=/forums/describe
Its kosher, and that may be important to him
Or perhaps there was some confusion and Chavez just wanted the leaders to join him for lunch at one of these fine establishments, a short subway ride away.
Jerusalem II Pizza
1424 Avenue M
New York , NY
Phone: (718) 645-4753
Cuisine: Pizza
Supervision: ARK
Jerusalem II Pizza
1312 Avenue J
Brooklyn , NY , 11230-3606
Phone: 718-338-8156
Cuisine: Pizza and Italian
Supervision: Vaad HaKashrus of Midwood
Jerusalem Pita
212 E. 45th Street
New York , NY , 10017-3311
Phone: (212) 922-0009
Supervision: Rabbi Avroam Fishelis
Updated: 12/10/00
Jerusalem Steak House - Brooklyn
533 Kings Highway
New York , NY
Phone: (718) 336-5115
Cuisine: Steak House
Supervision: Kehilah Kashruth, Glatt Kosher
Updated: 12/10/00
Jerusalem Steak House II
1319 Avenue J
New York , NY
Phone: (718) 258-8899
Supervision: Kehilas of Kashrus and Vaad Haraboim of Flatbush
Last edited by lord of the mark on 17-09-2005 at 00:04
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Tingkai
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To find the Northwest Passage
Aug 2001
time: 13:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Harry Tuttle
I'm sorry, but I don't care about what two of the most corrupt leaders have to say about anything. |
Sorry, what did George W. say?
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C0ckney
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Big Up The Macedonian Massive
Apr 2000
time: 05:37
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there's a lot that makes the UN a joke at the moment. the massive corruption, at the highest levels and the inability to get much of anything done for starters...
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Spiffor
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CPA - Evil Clone brigade
Nov 2001
time: 06:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Urban Ranger
That's the way it is set up. Unless some rich countries wish to give UN a lot more $$$ so it can maintain its own armed force. |
It's not only about money, but it's really about power. The UN isn't a separate country having a right to recruit people. It depends on the troops provided by the member states, which means that the dependency is not only economical, but political as well.
The world's countries have very different ideas about world peace. This is why the UN can only extremely rarely gather international troops in an effective fashion.
For a UN military to work effectively, the world should have a near-consensus about world peace issues. The Iraq war has shown quite clearly that it is not the case.
quote:
Of course not. But the UN is not set up to be a global police AFAIK, but an international forum. |
Well, originally, the UN was supposed to have an enforcement ability, in order not to be the joke that was the Society of Nations. Unfortunately, this idea was completely lost to the power games played by the great powers and the former colonial powers.
quote:
You mean Iraq?  Now the Norwegians are leaving, too. |
The UN never gave any mandate to the Yanks for the Iraq war (the one under GWB at least). However, it gave mandate to Australia in East Timor, and it gave mandate ot France in Ivory Coast. East Timor was a stunning success, and the mission in Ivory Coast is being effective (read: they aren't slaughtering each other despite the pressure)
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Well, duh, that's because it's a forum. Have you found a forum that isn't much of hot air?  |
Well, it's a forum that has so many agencies that it could get things done. I'm not entirely against hot air in the UN (every place where people speak as equals is bound to have some hot air anyway). But I'd like the processes to focus a bit less about talks, and a bit more about doing what is to be done. The UN has shown that it can do things when it wants (Again, East Timor really is a poster child). If the process was streamlines, the "do" part of the UN would be much more significant.
quote:
You forgot that the UN has a number of other organisations such as FAO and WHO that do some real work. |
I didn't. I support the UN, and I know that it does have things that do a patient work (heck, I'm currently working on the obscure topic of Women's rights in Bulgaria, and the UN has been useful there as well). However, these organisations most often lack a clear political impetus, something that could happen more often if the UN didn't function in such a byzantine fashion.
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Brachy-Pride
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Chavez is the greatest Statesman of our times, Bush wishes he were half the man Chavez is.
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Richelieu
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Gatineau
Dec 2001
time: 00:37
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You're not even getting a DL dance. That's got to hurt.
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All times are GMT. The time now is 05:37.
Apolyton Time is 00:37. |
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16-09-2005 18:35
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