United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan smiles as he takes questions at a news conference at the United Nations in New York City, June 15, 2006. (Peter Foley/Reuters)
Posted on 06/15/2006 9:11:09 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan predicted on Thursday the United Nations would avert a budget crisis threatened at the end of the month over the slow pace of U.N. reforms and implicitly warned the United States against trying to "pull the plug" on the world body.
"The reform will proceed, and the cap on the budget will be lifted. There will be no crisis as far as I can see this month," Annan told a news conference.
Rich nations, pushed by the United States, imposed a cap on the U.N. budget in December in hopes of increasing pressure on developing nations to approve long-delayed management reforms by June 30.
Wealthy nations, although far outnumbered by poor countries, pay for more than 80 percent of the U.N. budget.
But the move backfired after developing nations revolted last month and voted down the centerpiece of the reform plan and then threatened to simply vote away the budget cap.
U.S. and Japanese officials, while not explicitly saying they would cut their dues payments later this year, have grumbled they could come under domestic pressure to do so.
Some U.S. officials have warned that angry members of Congress could trim Washington's payments as a result of what they see as growing anti-U.S. sentiment among U.N. leaders and developing nations.
U.S.-U.N. tensions flared anew last week after U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown accused the George W. Bush administration of keeping its extensive reliance on the United Nations "a secret in Middle America" because working with the world body was "not perceived to be good politics at home."
'A VERY HARD SELL'
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called the speech an insult to the American people and pressed Annan to repudiate Malloch Brown's remarks. If he didn't, "the victim, I fear, will be the United Nations," Bolton warned.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later telephoned Annan to say she agreed with Bolton's criticisms.
Annan backed his deputy, saying he agreed with the thrust of his remarks -- that the United Nations needed the United States and the United States needed the United Nations.
Bolton also warned the speech would set back the cause of reforms. But he said on Thursday the United States, Japan and the European Union had assured the bloc of developing nations a day earlier they would support lifting the budget cap if a reform package got off the ground.
Annan told reporters he saw no signs Washington was backing away from reforms or that Malloch Brown's remarks had left them "much more difficult" to negotiate.
"For someone to say that 'because you have not reformed to my satisfaction I am going to pull the plug and stop all the activities,' it is going to be a very hard sell for all the member states to swallow and rightly so." Annan added.
The "tensions and poisonous atmosphere" he detected earlier in the year appeared to be dissipating, he said, predicting the 191 U.N. member nations would now "come together in the common interest and strengthen the organization."
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan smiles as he takes questions at a news conference at the United Nations in New York City, June 15, 2006. (Peter Foley/Reuters)
I notice that Reuters failed to mention a very interesting thing that Malloch said in his remarks. He basically said that the US government should not allow it's citizens to criticize the UN so much. Perfect example of the tyranny and elitism that the UN stands for.
Please God, make the UN go away.
Can someone please enlighten me otherwise?
Kofi's smiling mug would look good on a Wanted poster.
What are you going to do, Coffee????
Throw us out?? PLEASE DO!!
Just who is hell does that corrupt, arrogant sonuvabitch think he is?
He is the poster child for the U.N. brought to utter disgrace...
A POX on his sorry ass.
Semper Fi
Many a disaster has been averted using back-channel (non-public) diplomatic communications to inform folks of the consequences of their actions.
It also provides a great "learning" environment.
Agree that the public face on the place and the operations is disgusting.
At least with BB-G, you knew where the corruption was. Annan's of the Clintonian mold, where everything is corrupt.
I'll bet he will write personal cheques to meet the deficiencies.
who knows? he's upset about the conservative capitalists/rich nations.... maybe he will do what makes sense.... solicit the third world nation participants for donations.
weenie!
Oh, let's not pull the plug on the UN. Let's dress it up in a pork chop suit and stake it out for the bears and the coyotes.
I'll enlighten you Mariner, since you obviously don't have a clue about the UN.
The US needs the UN because... ahhh... wll there are a lot of reasons... like... uhhh.... and then there's... errr... well we all know that... hmmmm.
Let me get back to you on that.
UN = Un Necessary
Annan (Kojo?) - Have we forgotten the corruption?
If the Congress does not cut UN funding, we should revolt!
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called the speech an insult to the American people and pressed Annan to repudiate Malloch Brown's remarks. If he didn't, "the victim, I fear, will be the United Nations," Bolton warned.
Ko/fiend needs to realize he is probably one mistake away from losing it all when you have a man like this overseeing the corruption taking place at the UN:
...
Bolton's the kind of guy I would love to see wiping that stupid, smug smile off the face of that scandalous buffoon I will call Ko/fiend.
Pull the plug! Pull the plug! Pull the plug! Pull the plug!
Go ahead, I dare you.
U.N. = The newest crime family to the States!
Or else what?
Like Bolton cares.
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