FAWCO urges U.S. to honor commitments to United Nations and to invest in peace, security, and diplomacy.
April 16, 2008
Re: Restore America's Image
Dear Members of Congress;
Public opinion research clearly demonstrates that Americans are concerned about the U.S. reputation in the world and want to improve our image by working with allies and through international organizations rather than by going it alone. We write to urge you to strengthen America's international standing by honoring our treaty commitments and paying our past debt and present obligations to the United Nations and other international organizations.
The United States cannot bear all the costs or risks of achieving international peace and security. Working through the UN means the U.S. shares the human and financial costs of maintaining international peace and security with 191 other countries. UN peacekeeping currently has over 100,000 peacekeepers deployed to 17 conflicts around the world to maintain stability without risking American lives and for a fraction of the cost of a comparable U.S. force. Failing to honor our commitments to the UN frustrates the ability of peacekeepers to carry out their mandates in often complex environments, such as the newly deployed UN-AU mission to Darfur (UNAMID). It impedes the UN's ability to prepare for potential demands for peace operations in countries like Somalia where peace remains tenuous, and inhibits countries from putting their own troops forward for peacekeeping missions. Finally, through political missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. has asked the UN to play a larger role in coordinating and distributing aid, assisting refugees, and creating political space for national reconciliation. But the UN cannot effectively play this role without sufficient resources to do the job.
Sincerely,
20/20 Vision
Africa Action
African Medical & Research Foundation USA
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American Humanist Association
American Jewish World Service
American Public Health Association
Americans for Democratic Action, Inc. (ADA)
Americans for UNESCO
Americans for UNFPA
Amnesty International
Better World Campaign
CARE
Center for American Progress
Center for Inquiry
Center for War/Peace Studies
Church Women United
Church World Service
Citizens for Global Solutions
Coalition for American Leadership Abroad
Concern America
Council for a Livable World
Democracy Coalition Project
EarthAction
Enough! The project to end genocide and crimes against humanity
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Federation of American Women's Clubs Overseas
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, Inc.
General Federation of Women's Clubs
Genocide Intervention Network
Global Action to Prevent War
Global AIDS Alliance
Global Associates for Health Development, Inc.
Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
Global Witness
Heifer International
Horn of Africa Community Center
International Peace Operations Association
International Rescue Committee
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Lutheran World Relief
Maryknoll Global Concerns
Mercy Corps
NAACP
National Association of Social Workers
National Council of Churches USA
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the U.S.
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Open Society Policy Center
Operation USA
Oxfam America
Oxford Council on Good Governance
Pact
Partnership for a Secure America
Peace Action Education Fund
Physicians for Human Rights
Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington DC Office
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Reconciliation Ministries
Refugees International
RH Reality Check
Save Darfur Coalition
The Advocates for Human Rights
The Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fund for Peace
The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights of the American Jewish Committee
United Church of Christ, Wider Church Ministries
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
United Nations Association of Maryland
United Nations Association of the National Capital Area
United Nations Association of the USA
We, the World
Women of Reform Judaism
Women's Action for New Directions
Women's Commission for Refugee Women & Children
Women's Environment and Development Organization
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S.
World Learning