Attacks on the UN Continue

September was both a turbulent and an important month at the UN. The US administration's attack against the UN continued, most noticeably by the orchestrated publicity against the Oil For Food Program. In addition, the new ambassador John Bolton's last minute manoeuvres strongly affected the final agreement for the major 60th anniversary summit at the UN. The media coverage of these events was both inadequate and misleading.

The $64 billion Oil For Food Program was extremely complex, one of the largest humanitarian efforts in history. Firstly, and most importantly, did the program accomplish its mission? What has passed unnoticed and unappreciated is that the program was very successful. Enough food was imported to adequately feed all 27 million Iraqis. In addition, as a response to the great concern for the effects of the sanctions on children, malnutrition of children under the age of 5 was sharply reduced, dramatically cutting child mortality rates. The program contributed to a national vaccination plan which reduced childhood disease and eradicated polio.

Who was responsible for overseeing the program? It was the UN Security Council, via a Security Council Sanctions Committee composed of diplomats of 15 nations including the US. This committee monitored all contracts. The policing of smuggling was the task of the US navy. By agreement of the Security Council Committee and Iraq, sanctions were lifted for oil shipments to Turkey and Jordan.

Finally, did the UN raise concerns about the pricing of contracts? It did so, twice, during the year 2000. The outline of roles and responsibility between the UN management and the Security Council Committee were not always clear. Kofi Annan has accepted responsibility for some management shortcomings. Benon Savan, the former director of the Iraqi program is alleged to have illegally gained $147,000 over a 4 year period. Also, undoubtedly, Saddam Hussain siphoned off money in the pricing of the contracts.

Given the role of the national interests of the governments in the Sanctions Committee, the enormous size of the $64 billion program, and its success in mitigating the serious plight of Iraqis, particularly children, one could say the Program was largeky successful. For more details and answers to questions, see (www.oilforfoodfacts/faq.aspx)

60th Anniversary Summit

The next major event was the high level 60th anniversary summit. Diplomats struggled for many months to hammer out an agreement on the Millennium Development Goals, and on reforming the structure of the UN. However in came John Bolton, US. representative, pressuring for major changes in the document. As a result, in conjunction with other countries who had agreed, although reluctantly, with its commitments, the final document was weakened, and became a disappointment to many, for different reasons.

There was no agreement on the composition of the Security Council to make it more representative. Also missing was a restructuring of the discredited Human Rights Commission. US objection to any mention of the duty of nuclear powers to disarm, prevented any agreement on nuclear proliferation - a big disappointment.

What we found most disturbing was the absence of a clear definition of terrorism. Kofi Annan presented a definition, backed by the Western powers, stating that violence and attacks on civilians for political reasons is totally unacceptable. This definition was blocked by Islamic governments' sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

However, there was some good news among the disappointments. There was a reaffirmation, though weakened, of the Millennium Goals on curing disease and halving the incidence of the world's grimmest poverty by 2015. A Peace Commission to help nations emerging from conflict was created. This is new and could be important enough to prevent countries from relapsing into civil war, and the devastating flow of refugees.

Finally, and in our view very important - in spite of the regrettable dilution of the language by the US, the international community acknowledged responsibility to protect civilians from genocide and ethnic cleansing. Under international law a country cannot hide behind sovereignty to commit genocide on its citizens. The 1948 Genocide Convention had already agreed to this. It is nevertheless extremely important to reaffirm this basic moral imperative.

Kofi Annan has often stated that in our increasingly interrelated world critical problems have a habit of crossing national boundaries. Solutions need joint action. The ever growing community of non-governmental organizations is promoting this larger vision. Although many nations have a narrow and short-sighted view of their interest, governments are being pushed to form regional as well as international agreements to solve problems. The times demand it.

Sylvain Ehrenfeld is co-leader of IHEU's 5-member NGO representation to the UN at New York, and Phyllis Ehrenfeld is American Ethical Union's National Service Conference Representative to the UN.

The United Nations is a place, a stage, a forum and a shrine... a place to which powerful people can repair when they are fearful about the course on which their own rhetoric seems to be propelling them. - Conor Cruise O'Brien, Irish Historian