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ANOTHER ATTACK ON THE UN

Yet more trashing of the UN’s human rights commission:

“We have reached a point at which the commission’s declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole and where piecemeal reforms will not be enough.

“The commission’s ability to perform its tasks has been overtaken by new needs and undermined by the politicization of its sessions and the selectivity of its work.

“The new human rights council must be a society of the committed. It must be more accountable and more representative.”

The speaker? Kofi Annan.

Posted by Tim B. on 04/07/2005 at 08:36 AM
  1. If link doesn’t work, copy and paste:

    http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050407/ap_on_re_us/un_annan_rights_1

    Posted by Tim B. on 2005 04 07 at 09:39 AM • permalink

  2. “We have reached a point at which the commission’s declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole and where piecemeal reforms will not be enough.

    No. We reached that point many years, perhaps decades, ago.  Actually the United Nations as a whole had reached the point where their corruption and fecklessness lost all credibility and respect.  I would place that date sometime in the 1970’s, possibly as far back as the 1960’s.

    Those would support the UN and would continue using it to resolve all major problems in this world should be held accountable for the terrible results it is responsible for.

    Posted by wronwright on 2005 04 07 at 10:58 AM • permalink

  3. “We have reached a point at which the Secretary General’s declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole. His offers of reform are calculated to save his job and reputation.

    “The Secretary General’s ability to perform his tasks has been overtaken by new needs and undermined by his own politicization and the odor of corruption.

    “The new Secretary General must be committed. He must be more accountable and more representative.”

    Posted by Arty on 2005 04 07 at 11:12 AM • permalink

  4. “We have reached a point at which the commission’s declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole and where piecemeal reforms will not be enough.

    Thank you Mr Obviousman!

    Not that it will disguise the fact that you’re the worst offender…

    Posted by Spiny Norman on 2005 04 07 at 01:06 PM • permalink

  5. Time for a Koffi break…

    Posted by Rob Read on 2005 04 07 at 01:11 PM • permalink

  6. Fire Annan.  Dump the UN.

    Posted by RebeccaH on 2005 04 07 at 02:14 PM • permalink

  7. You want to know something really scary?

    Koffi Annan is almost certainly the best Secretary-General the UN has ever had.

    And if that isn’t a sad indictment of the whole UN system, I don’t know what is.

    In his favour: I can’t imagine any other Sec-Gen having the guts to state the obvious like this, despite plenty of cause before now. And it won’t buy him any friends, the knives are out because of Foodscam, Rwanda and other screwups on his watch.

    Before we get rid of him, let’s ponder on who his replacement should be.

    “Bolton” has a nice ring to it, but ain’t gonna happen. In fact, we’d better hurry up with the trial, or Saddam may get the job.

    Posted by Zoe Brain on 2005 04 07 at 08:55 PM • permalink

  8. Koffi Annan is almost certainly the best Secretary-General the UN has ever had.

    True.  Even more reason to burn the place to the ground.

    Posted by murph on 2005 04 07 at 08:57 PM • permalink

  9. The speaker? Kofi Annan.

    Man I am so tired of criticism of the UN by uninformed amateurs…

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 04 07 at 09:52 PM • permalink

  10. We have reached a point at which the commission’s declining credibility has cast a shadow on the reputation of the United Nations system as a whole and where piecemeal reforms will not be enough.—Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

    I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!—Captain Louie Renault.

    Posted by Darth VAda on 2005 04 07 at 10:34 PM • permalink

  11. It seems the US is not going to dump the UN. In fact the Senate just voted to pay the dues.

    damn.

    I guess they think that when your opponent is doing such a bang up job of hurting himself..you don’t interfere.

    Posted by terryelee on 2005 04 07 at 10:55 PM • permalink

  12. Terryelee — Hey, ya cut two billion here, two billion there, pretty soon yer talkin’ about real money…

    Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 04 07 at 10:58 PM • permalink

  13. “The new human rights council must be a society of the committed. It must be more accountable and more representative.”

    Er, no, surely it must be less representative. Less representative of tinpot thugocracies.

    “You need a license to own a dog, you need a license to drive a car. You even need a license to catch a fish. But any butt reaming a**hole can sit on the UN human rights commission.”

    Posted by fidens on 2005 04 08 at 01:27 AM • permalink

  14. The commission’s ability to perform its tasks has been overtaken by new needs..
    No, same old needs - identify correctly where human rights are being seriously abused. Hard to do when you are hostage to so many of the miscreants.
    ...and undermined by the politicization of its sessions and the selectivity of its work.
    No, not undermined: totally trashed by these factors, which are out of control.

    Posted by blogstrop on 2005 04 08 at 07:36 AM • permalink

  15. reform won’t work - you don’t send a rotting corpse to hospital

    who needs a WHO that concentrates on executive heart disease rather than starving, disease-ridden kids

    who needs a food programme that sends rice to North Korea so Kim Il Lunatic can spend his cash on nukes

    who needs the UNHCR to stand around while people die, raping 12 year olds to pass the time

    who needs peacekeepers who can’t keep the peace

    scrap this coalition of the corrupt & start again with a coalition of democracies who come together only when there’s a real job to be done

    Posted by KK on 2005 04 08 at 09:24 AM • permalink

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