Posted on 11/22/2005 7:28:18 PM PST by Ooh-Ah
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States threatened on Tuesday to delay the two-year United Nations budget unless reforms are approved by the end of the year, a move that could cause havoc for U.N. operations.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his staff have acknowledged they might not have all management and other reform proposals until February, after the December 31 budget deadline.
Although a U.N summit document calls on Annan to provide "recommendations to the General Assembly for decision" during the first quarter of 2006, Bolton said this was too late.
"I don't think we should be in a position of losing the momentum for reform because of the budget process," he told reporters. "The reform should drive the budget process and not the other way around."
Bolton said, the U.N. General Assembly, in charge of the budget, could consider a three or four-month interim budget by December 31, instead of approving the full two-year budget.
"I've proposed this three- to four-month interim budget as one possible mechanism to accommodate our desire to get the reforms fully implemented in the longer-term budget," he said.
Annan has estimated some $3.6 billion for the 2006-2007 regular administrative budget, a slight increase over 2004-2005. This excludes peacekeeping, which in 2005 alone amounted to $3.6 billion.
Annan told reporters on Monday that member states need to approve a two-year budget by the end of this year so they knew what they had to pay and his staff could plan properly.
"And if you do not do that ... you may create a serious financial crisis for the organisation," he cautioned.
Annan said the General Assembly could pass a supplementary budget to cover some of the reform proposals, many of which grew out of the scandal-tainted $46 billion oil-for-food humanitarian program for Iraq.
But Bolton said this would not put enough pressure on the assembly to adopt the reforms being pushed by the United States, which pays 22 percent of the budget.
"Business as usual has gotten us to the state where we need a revolution in reform and business as usual isn't going to accomplish that revolution," Bolton said.
The European Union, whose 25 members collectively pay about 40 percent of the budget, does not want a showdown next month and prefers to get as many measures passed as possible and then build flexibility into the budget for next year.
The United States has only one vote in the General Assembly
but budgets are usually adopted by a consensus procedure, which means Washington could block the budget as well as withhold its own dues.
Bolton, his blunt remarks, also questioned the usefulness of the United Nations to the American public as the main global problem solver.
"Americans are a very practical people and they don't view the U.N. through theological lenses," he said. "They look at it as a competitor in the marketplace for global problem-solving and if it's successful at solving problems they'll be inclined to use it."
Many of the reforms approved at the September U.N. summit are still bogged down among the General Assembly's 191 members. They include a peacebuilding commission and a new body to replace the discredited U.N. Human Rights Commission.
Among Annan's management proposals, key to the United States, are the creation of an ethics office, an oversight body, enhanced auditing and investigation and independent external evaluations.
"...the creation of an ethics office..."
Not surprising Anan wants to create an ethics office, because it would run by *his* ethics (or lack thereof).
The UN is a worthless collection of crybabies. Its funding should come from the HHS infant daycare budget, and like spoiled brats, all they do is cause trouble.
Better still, its funding should cease altogether. Let them take their "romper room" somewhere else.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
Excellent! And as soon as he's done there, he can jump on a train to Albany and get to work on that other corrupt, incompetent, anti-American political body- the New York State Legislature.
Good. Its about time their lack of action cost them something.
Where I work we have these voluntary projects that are supposed to help build morale in the office. It turns into a lot of talk and little action. I liken it to a case of the carrot or the stick.
You can only ask nicely so many times. People do things for one of two reasons. They want to or they have to. If the UN wanted to reform for some monetary or power gain, it would have long ago (the carrot). If we are to force it to reform we have to convince it that not reforming is much, much worse (the stick).
Hitting them in the pocketbook is a great place to start. At my office I offered free food at the end every voluntary meeting. The UN is far past that and needs to be rapped across the nose with a newspaper.
I wonder if Kojo Annan paid the money back that he stole from the Oil for Food program? :^)
John Bolton ROCKS!!
Democrats cut and run, Marines don't.
I like that one. And Bolton.
That will bring tears.
Exactly what in the hell did the U.N. accomplish that was worth $3.6 BILLION ($3,600,000,000) + another $3.6 BILLION for PEACE KEEPING?
I'm not aware of ANY successful "Peace Keeping"...
I am aware the U.N. "Peace Keepers" have been raping, pillaging and raising havoc, while Islamanazis are killing Non-Muslims all over the world...
Time to pull the plug on the corrupt, inept thugocracy of the U.N.
Semper Fi
The U.N. was the first step on the road to create a one-world communist government;and for that alone it needs to be disbanded.
Yea, Bolton should ease off and handle this more diplomatically.
He should do it the Annan way and embezzle and extort the money out of the UN.
ROTFLMAO !! I can't breathe : )
"I am aware the U.N. "Peace Keepers" have been raping, pillaging and raising havoc, "
To be fair, they only rape the youngest....10/15 year olds
so we need to reward them with billions..........what am I saying??????
CLOSE THE U N !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"They look at it as a competitor in the marketplace for global problem-solving and if it's successful at solving problems they'll be inclined to use it."
Nice.
Worse than that, it serves as a tool for the spread of global Socialism (Marxism, collectivism).
The UN bereaucracy is loaded with Marxists. It's practically a requirement for job consideration...
The boondoggle for fixing and expanding their offices must be brought into control.
Saw Donald Trump testify before congress committee, and he made it clear any competent contractor could do the job for a fraction of the UN's budget.
I been looking for that image! :)
And I was just waiting for the hammer to drop by Mr. Bolton!!! Looks like he is the man to make America proud!
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