Current Changes...

AT THE UNITED NATIONS

Should the USA pay its bill at the UN?
Or, has the UN finally served its purpose and should be closed down?

Is Jesse Helms and others right?

 

The number one criticism of the United Nations..."It spends too much money, holding too many costly meetings with little (if any) measurable sustainable action that benefits the developing world."

Yet, its number one criticism is in fact its greatest strength. Nobody; no country, no government, no corporation, no university, no professor, no other organization in the world can match the United Nations ability to examine a global problem that impacts us all, and delineate the problem; Laying out all its conditions and dimensions in minute detail. Its eight recent global conferences are magnificent examples of just that!

The UN was never supposed to be an action organization. It is a discussion organization. Never-the-less, it is a critical organization when it takes an active role in peace operations and should be a critical organization in the global social and development efforts.

The current UN management is restricting the flow of information to NGOs, Governments and Ambassadors. In effect, restricting the development process of many countries. It has ceased to be a "transparent" and "open" organization, willing to share its insights and information with the outside world of Civil Society. There exists currently a form of deliberate CENSORSHIP at the United Nations and a growing restriction of the peoples organizations (NGOs) under the current administration of Kofi Annan and his staff. See BLOCKERS at the UN. Not only does the money paid to the UN go to pay for inefficient management and their staffs, but narrow-minded people who want to control information can dictate policy that impacts NGOs, Governments, Ambassador and countries And to think that we pay for that!

"The buck stops here!" - Harry Truman

The United Nations now has a "Black List" and is DISCRIMINATING against at least one NGO who has been dedicated to the UN, and at the UN for ten years (almost every day). That NGO is currently and has been on the "Executive Committee of NGOs at the UN" for years and has made a measurably substantial contribution to the UN. If they will do that to one NGO, they will do that to others.

The current management believes it is better to sell out to the corporations (market forces) and wealthy financial institutions and restrict the peoples organizations who have been their loyal partners for 55 years.

It is now time to close down the UN?

Governments and big business do not stop by at the UN...they fly right over it on their way to talk to their bosses (Heads of State and Heads of Government) in their own countries. With new technology, they can sit in their own offices and deal visually (face-to-face) instantly with governments any place on the earth.

Convergence...globalization, mergers, privatization, Internet, and the loss of the concept of "sovereignty" has rendered the United Nations obsolete, inefficient and maybe even immoral today.

The UN was established at the end of World War II to prevent the scourge of war. Yet there have been more wars fought and more people killed than in both World Wars. And, there are some 35 conflicts currently under way right now. Mostly internal conflicts. But, still a lot of killing...women and children are 85 per cent of the casualties!

The UN does not know what "Sustainable Development" is nor for that matter, neither does anybody else; no government, no university, no professor. And if they think they do...they are surely doing a poor job of it! Therefore, Civil Society needs the information in order to address the global problems and attempt to solve them. If the UN is going to now restrict the flow of information. They are no longer a viable organization! In fact, they are now contributing to the world's problems.

PS: There are many very conscientious people at the UN who are trying (against all odds) to seriously address and find solutions, but are restricted by those who want to use the UN and their cushy jobs to prevent positive contributions to world peace and development.

It is time to invent a new institution for the new millennium that can focus on and deliver action oriented progress towards real global solutions. Surely we have the resources, intelligence and money to solve our problems. We know the difference between right and wrong. Moving towards an International Criminal Court is proof of that.

- posted 10/29/99