What's New

Resources updated between Monday, February 13, 2006 and Sunday, February 19, 2006

Sunday, February 19, 2006

The anti-democratic forces that control the UN General Assembly are used to getting their way. For decades they have cloaked themselves in the myth of one state-one vote equals international democracy, even though the hallmarks of freedom would be news to their folks at home. That explains this week's letter from the so-called Non-aligned Movement (NAM) complaining the Security Council is encroaching on their alleged turf. It also explains the war of words this week between the "G-77 plus China", (the largest single bloc within the General Assembly – 132 states), and U.S. Representatives Republican Henry Hyde and Democrat Tom Lantos - with the G-77 attempting to insulate the Assembly from Congressional and other scrutiny.

The audacity of the G-77 and the NAM, however, emanates from decades of an American willingness to just keep paying. The UN has long been perceived as a harmless talking-shop. In the absence of serious oversight and American-Western-democratic control over UN output, with minor exceptions American taxpayers have been expected to pay for anti-American activities on the ground that they somehow contribute to the general welfare.

We will soon know if this penchant for self-flagellation, or deep-seated guilt-complex, or the belief that hate-filled reports and resolutions are mere words, is still with us. The "final" draft of the UN Human Rights Council is expected to be released on Tuesday, February 21st and the pressure to adopt it the following week will be enormous. What is on the table, regardless of how the unresolved issues in the penultimate draft are decided, is a catastrophe – from the point of view of the international protection of human rights and the United States. It promises to create a new UN primary human rights body that significantly weakens the hold of democratic societies on its agenda and results.

Congress has very little time left to indicate it cares. Indifference to the creation of a new UN-based, global platform to undercut democracy, freedom and unadulterated universal human rights standards, will have serious consequences.

Anne Bayefsky

The anti-democratic forces that control the UN General Assembly are used to getting their way. For decades they have cloaked themselves in the myth of one state-one vote equals international democracy, even though the hallmarks of freedom would be news to their folks at home. That explains this week's letter from the so-called Non-aligned Movement (NAM) complaining the Security Council is encroaching on their alleged turf. It also explains the war of words this week between the "G-77 plus China", (the largest single bloc within the General Assembly – 132 states), and U.S. Republican Henry Hyde and Democrat Tom Lantos, with the G-77 attempting to insulate the Assembly from Congressional and other scrutiny.

Does Congress really care? Editor's Note

February 17, 2006

February 16, 2006

Karen Koning AbuZayd

The UN is now "hailing" the Palestinians' election of a party dedicated to killing Jews. The "success," however, says United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) chief Karen Koning AbuZayd, should not entail "active participation in local politics." UNRWA is an organization designed specifically to maintain Palestinian refugees as refugees for generations, until the Arab League within the UN deems the issue to be solved. Stripping away the diplomatic niceties, UNRWA is warning its employees: you may have voted into office others who want to kill Jews, but leave it to them. The UNRWA Chief is also saying UNRWA-staffers left UNRWA to run for office as Hamas candidates. Time to track down how many UNRWA staff came out of the closet.

Letter from the Commissioner-General of UNRWA to UNRWA staff regarding the recent Palestinian elections Document

Kofi Annan

With Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the helm, the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People – of the map-without-Israel fame – meets once again. Their aim? To "continue to assist the Palestinian people in their struggle" and to congratulate and "respect the decision of the Palestinian people" on the election of a party with a declared policy of killing Jews. Here is a transcript of the meeting which took place on February 10, 2006 at UN Headquarters.

Transcript of the meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Development

February 15, 2006

Secretary-General Kofi Annan confuses the problem with the solution once again - he worries about the U.S. "escalating" the problem of nuclear weapons in the hands of a UN member state bent on genocide. (AB)

Annan calls for U.S. calm on Iran Article

February 14, 2006

Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan, becoming the apologist for Hamas, calls Vice President Cheney's demands on Hamas "extreme."

CNN Interview with the Secretary-General Development

February 13, 2006