United Nations

:This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of "UN" or "Un", see UN (disambiguation)

Criticism and Controversies

See also:

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• China and the United Nations
• Israel and the United Nations
• Soviet Union and the United Nations
• United States and the United Nations

Reforming the UN

In recent years there have been many calls for "reform" of the United Nations. There is, however, little clarity, let alone consensus, about what "reform" might mean in practice. Some want the UN to play a greater or more effective role in world affairs, others want its role confined to humanitarian work or otherwise reduced use. In 2004 and 2005, allegations of mismanagement and corruption regarding the Oil-for-Food Programme for Iraq under Saddam Hussein led to renewed calls for reform.

Related Topics:
Oil-for-Food Programme - Saddam Hussein

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An official reform programme was initiated by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan shortly after starting his first term on January 1, 1997. Popular demands include changing the permanent membership of the Security Council (which currently reflects the power relations of 1945); making the bureaucracy more transparent, accountable and efficient; making the UN more democratic; and imposing an international tariff on arms manufacturers worldwide.

Related Topics:
United Nations Secretary-General - Kofi Annan - January 1 - 1997 - Security Council

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On June 17, 2005, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill to slash funds to the UN in half by 2008 if it does not meet with certain criteria laid out in the legislation. This represents the culmination of years of complaints about anti-America and anti-Israel bias in the United Nations. The United States of America is estimated to contribute about 22% of the UN's yearly budget, making this bill potentially devastating to the UN. The Bush administration and several former US ambassadors to the UN have warned that this may only strengthen anti-America sentiment around the world and would only serve to hurt current UN reform movements. As of June 17, the bill still has yet to be passed by a Congress which seems to be split on the issue, and thus whether or not it will take effect is unknown.

Related Topics:
June 17 - 2005 - United States House of Representatives

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Some voices have called presidentialism for the UN Secretary General election (this is, direct election of the Secretary General by all the people in the world, instead of by the Governments).

Related Topics:
Presidentialism - Election

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Failure to act (or succeed) in security issues

In general, the UN has shown a reluctance to act upon its resolutions, or prevent nations ignoring its resolutions, making it appear weak and evoking comparisons to the League of Nations. This was highlighted in 2003 by controversy surrounding the United States-led invasion of Iraq which conducted in the face of strong disapproval by a majority of members; by Iraq's converse direct defiance of UN weapons and humanitarian resolutions; and by Israel's decade-long defiance of resolutions calling for the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. These and similar failures stem from the UN's intergovernmental nature - in many respects it is an association of member states, and not an organisation in its own right.

Related Topics:
League of Nations - 2003

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• Failure to act during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when current Secretary General Kofi Annan oversaw peacekeeping forces there.
• Failure by MONUC (UNSC Resolution 1291) to effectively intervene during the Second Congo War, which claimed nearly five million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 1998-2002 (with fighting reportedly continuing), and in carrying out and distributing humanitarian relief.
• Failure to intervene during 1995 killings in Srebrenica, despite the fact that the UN designated it a "Safe Haven" for refugees and assigned 600 Dutch peacekeepers to protect it.
• Failure to successfully deliver food to starving citizens of Somalia; the food was usually seized by local warlords instead of reaching those who needed it. A US/UN attempt to apprehend the warlords seizing these shipments resulted in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.
• Failure to prevent the invasion of allied forces led by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hypocrisy in committee membership

Inclusion on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights of nations, such as Sudan, Cuba and Libya, which demonstrably have abysmal records on human rights, and also Libya's chairmanship of this Commission, has been an issue. These countries, however, argue that Western countries, with their history of colonialist aggression and brutality, have no right to argue about membership of the Commission.

Related Topics:
United Nations Commission on Human Rights - Sudan - Cuba - Libya

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Oil for food scandal

The Oil-for-Food Programme established by the United Nations in 1996 and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs of ordinary Iraqi citizens who were affected by international economic sanctions, without allowing the Iraqi government to rebuild its military in the wake of the first Gulf War. It was discontinued in 2003 amidst allegations of widespread abuse and corruption; the former director, Benon Sevan of Cyprus, was first suspended, and then resigned from the United Nations as an interim progress reporthttp://www.iic-offp.org/documents/Third%20Interim%20Report.pdf of a UN-sponsored investigatory panel led by Paul Volcker concluded that Sevan had accepted bribes from the former Iraqi regime and recommended that his UN immunity be lifted, to allow for a criminal investigation.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4131602.stm

Related Topics:
United Nations - 1996 - 2003 - Iraq - Oil - Food - Medicine - Economic sanctions - Iraqi government - Gulf War - Benon Sevan - Cyprus - Paul Volcker

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Under UN auspices, over US$65 billion worth of Iraqi oil was sold on the world market. Officially, about US$46 billion used for humanitarian needs, with additional revenue paying Gulf War reparations through a Compensation Fund, supporting UN administrative and operational costs for the program (2.2 per cent), and paying costs for the weapons inspection program (0.8 per cent).

Related Topics:
Iraqi - Humanitarian - Gulf War - Reparations - Weapons inspection

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Also implicated in the scandal is United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whose son Kojo Annan is alleged to have illegally procured UN oil-for-food contracts on behalf of a Swiss company, Coctecna.

Related Topics:
United Nations Secretary-General - Kofi Annan - Kojo Annan

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