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FAWCO urges U.S. to honor commitments to United Nations and to invest in peace, security, and diplomacy.

The failure of the US to pay past debt and present obligations to the UN and international organizations is seriously jeopardizing the peacekeeping efforts in Darfur as well as other hot spots in the world.  It is also damaging to our reputation around the world. FAWCO has recently joined other organizations to urge Congress to act on this matter in the joint letter printed below.  We encourage you to contact your representatives in Washington to voice your concern.  

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.

As of February 1, 2008, the United States was $2.8 billion behind in its payments to the UN.   U.S. debt to the UN includes $1.2 billion in so-called permanent debt-unpaid bills that remain unaddressed by the Administration's FY 2008 supplemental and FY 2009 regular budget requests.   This permanent debt will increase by another $600 million unless the Congress includes UN funding beyond the amount requested in the Administration's FY 2009 budget.   The rest of our debt results from the regular U.S. practice of paying virtually every international organization a year or more late, by which time new bills have already come in.     

The large and growing U.S. debt to the UN hurts the advancement of U.S. interests at the UN and our reputation around the world.   It hinders our ability to make a positive impact on millions of people the UN's work affects-from furthering human rights around the world to delivering much-needed assistance to populations suffering from conflict or natural disaster.   The accumulation of debt is also contrary to our actions and deeds: shortchanging peacekeeping missions that the U.S. has approved and voted for in the UN Security Council.   Failing to pay our fair share hampers the UN's ability to implement agreed upon reforms, and undermines the U.S. ability to play a constructive role in pushing for additional major reforms of the UN system.   U.S. assessments are not voluntary commitments-they are negotiated and agreed to by the U.S. government, a treaty-bound and privileged member of the United Nations and its Security Council.   As our debt grows, it becomes harder and harder for the UN to manage cash flow and pay its bills.   In short, we are not honoring our commitments. 

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.

We urge you to act now to address the problem and fully pay our UN dues.   The nearly $3 billion that it would take to catch up on U.S. debt to the UN is an investment in peace, security, and diplomacy that pales in comparison with annual U.S. military spending, which now stands at $530 billion.   By repaying our debt at the UN, Congress can send a simple, yet significant, signal to the international community: the U.S. wants to work with the rest of the world to realize our shared goals of peace and prosperity.

 

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.

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