What's Happening on UN Reform
On June 26th, 2005 the UN celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco. The UN, once hailed as an institution that would bring peace to the world-- now sixty years later even the institution's strongest supporters as well as it's strongest critics agree that it is an institution which needs massive reforms to make it more efficient and effective to meet the new realities of today's world.
For more information about multitude of suggestions for UN reform, review the following documents:
"A More Secure World - Our Shared Responsibility - The High Level Panel - On Threats, Challenges and Changes to the UN" - http://www.un.org/secureworld This is the final report of the high level panel of experts of appointed by Kofi Annan to study the UN and make suggestions on how to make it more efficient and effective.
"In Larger Freedom" - http://www.un.org/largerfreedom - The Secretary General's report on UN reform to be presented to heads of state and govenments meeting at the General Assembly in NY in Sept 2005.
"The first draft of the Report of the President of the General Assembly of the UN." http://www.reformtheun.org This is a report of suggestions coming from member nations. NGO's and other civil society partners will have some input into the final draft before it is presented to leaders in Sept 2005.
Gingrich-Mitchell Report - http://www.usip.org/un/report/index.html - In 2004, Representative Frank Wolf (Rep. VA) asked the Institute for Peace to form a Team on UN Reform to come up with recommendations. The bi-partisn team was led by former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Majority Leader George Mitchell. The recommendations were released June 15, 2005.
The US UN Reform Act - http://www.globalsolutions.org - This is a bill passed by the House of Representatives (by yet not by the Senate) which ties the payment of UN dues to UN reform.
NGO's from the UN have reviewed the Secretary General's recommendations for reform of the UN and made comments on the reforms. For these comments consult: www.un-ngls.org/sg-report-NGOs-comment.htm