IFSW US member organization National Association of Social Workers has together with a number of other US Non-Governmental Organizations sent the following letter to US Secretary of State (Minister of Foreign Affairs) Condoleeza Rice in support of reform in the United Nations:
We would like to express our continued support for the package of management reforms proposed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in March and endorsed by the United States. We continue to believe that a more streamlined, efficient and accountable United Nations is vital to the U.S. national interest.
We are therefore concerned with the recent decision by the “G-77” to oppose the SecretaryGeneral’s efforts to overhaul the UN. We are also concerned, however, that the U.S. response to this action may have harmful and potentially irreparable effects on our shared goal of improving the United Nations and, ultimately, on our national security.
As you are aware, an impending crisis looms in June, when the United Nations’ spending authority runs out. Because approval of a budget is tied to the completion of reforms which now will be more difficult to accomplish, it is imperative that the United States develop and clearly articulate its priorities for management reform and lay out a strategy for achieving them.
Mistrust at the United Nations is at an all time high. A concrete and specific listing of U.S. reform priorities could do much to help convince other nations that we aim to improve, not undercut, the UN. If we rely only on ultimatums and U.S.-imposed timelines ? tactics that have failed to yield results so far ? we risk exacerbating tensions and undermining the chances of reform. And strategies that threaten to disrupt or delay continued funding for the UN will further isolate the U.S. and undermine the UN’s ability to carry out ongoing, critical activities, such as peacekeeping, nuclear inspections, support for democratic processes in the Middle East, and humanitarian relief missions ? at a time when the U.S. is calling for the UN and other nations to do more to confront the difficult challenges in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and Darfur.
At this critical juncture in the reform process, we urge you to fully engage in dialogue with your counterparts abroad, and ask that you instruct Ambassador Bolton, our other diplomats at the UN, and those in capitals around the globe to use persistent diplomacy and direct negotiation to convince other nations, particularly those of the G-77, that a modernized and revitalized UN will be a more effective tool to address the concerns of all nations, not just the wealthy few.
As noted at the beginning of this letter, we in the NGO community support your efforts to achieve substantial and lasting reform at the UN. Representatives of the organizations below would like to arrange a meeting with Administration officials to discuss how we can help marshal the resources and encourage and facilitate specific strategies and tactics to help ensure the successful adoption of these important reforms.
Speaker Gingrich recently said, “the challenge to us now is to accelerate and increase the pressure, to reach out to other countries and make (reform) a multilateral effort, and to do everything we can to ensure that the UN continues to move toward greater accountability, greater transparency, and greater effectiveness.” He said this was a cause worth spending a great deal of time and effort on.
We agree. Effective U.S. leadership in this reform effort requires sufficient resources, reasonable timeframes, and deliberate diplomacy. We encourage you to use the United States’ full diplomatic force to promote this cause, but fear that the continued reliance on unilateral approaches will undermine this opportunity and will have devastating consequences for the future effectiveness of the United Nations and to U.S. interests.
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