Gillian Martin Sorensen

Under Secretary General, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General for Public Policy,

Speech at Occidental College, Los Angeles, January 24, 1995

A Time for Understanding

Throughout 1995, the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations will be observed by governments in more than 150 countries. This is a unique opportunity to reflect on 50 years, deepen understanding of what the UN does, and provide a more balanced view of the UN.

Most UN news is about peacekeeping, but the UN is also about human rights, development, disarmament, environment, family planning, humanitarian aid, and much more. For example, the UN has been responsible for the global eradication of small pox, the delivery of two million tons of food per year, aiding more than 30 million refugees, and making safe drinking water available to 1.3 billion people in rural areas, to name a few. Currently there are over 19,000 blue helmets around the world involved in over 12 peacekeeping operations. We monitor 7 arms control treaties, global weather reports, air traffic, Atomic Energy, etc.

The UN is at a transitional moment, and the member states are receptive to change. In the next year, the UN will go through a review to streamline its operations and make it more efficient. Recommendations from the recent conferences on Population and Environment as well as the upcoming conferences on Social Development and Women will be brought together with recommendations from the Commission on Global Governance and other commissions to guide the UN for the next half century.

There are many questions we should look at, such as should human rights monitoring be more effective than just pointing with alarm, but actually taking action to protect human lives? Should the Security Council be enlarged to be more representative.

Resources are Needed

It's inspiring to think what would be possible if there were the will to achieve the goals in the UN Charter. Unfortunately, the UN is given mandates but not the resources to succeed. The total UN budget is less than the combined budgets of the New York city police and fire departments (about $4 billion). It's a statement of priorities that the US allots $300 billion for its defense and only $1 billion for global peacekeeping.

The majority of the public supports the UN and an active United States role in the UN. Although the UN has friends in both political parties, and President Clinton is supportive, the present Congressional leadership seems to turn away from a strong role in support of the UN. The US has financial obligations that are in arrears (one billion dollars over ten years); and Congressional leaders indicate that our arrearages may not be paid. They see the UN as costly, not recognizing that peace is less costly than war, and that drugs, poverty, and disease cross borders and cannot be handled by the US alone. The regular UN dues of the US are $250 million per year. This is more than offset by the fact that the UN and its staff spend $800 million annually in salaries and services in the City of New York.

The UN is near bankruptcy, because the US is not paying its dues. This has made it politically feasible for many other countries to also not pay their dues.

The UN cannot succeed without a strong and active US -- the problems will not go away if we ignore them. As the one remaining superpower, America should not give up its role as a moral standard for the rest of the world. Some Americans say we need to pay attention to problems at home, but it should not be "either-or". The US has the resources, health, intellect, and technical skills to make a difference in the world in global issues. Peacekeeping can work, but must be backed by human and financial resources.

The US assessment of 25% is based on GNP, although our GNP is more than 25% of the world GNP. Japan and German assessments will most likely go up. The UN is looking at the possibility of income that is not dependent on dues and voluntary contributions. One possibility is though a tax on international air travel, air mail, or satellites.

Spread the Word about the UN

The UN 50th Anniversary is not an exercise in cheer leading or nostalgia. If from it comes a more accurate and balanced understanding of the UN reaching out to new constituencies, we will have increased the prospects for peace. I recommend you write the media and your Congressional representatives to show there is a powerful wave of support for the UN.