Former US Ambassador John Bolton Says UN Must Change

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, and speakers from the Heritage Foundation and the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM) launched a new book today which calls the current UN system “broken”.

The book, “ConUNdrum: The Limits of the United Nations and the Search for Alternatives,” underscores that billions of US tax dollars are invested in the UN yearly and produce little effect. The authors, including Bolton, offer new ideas to make the UN system viable including switching from the current mandatory assessment of dues to a system where monies would generate on a voluntary basis.

“In its current state, the UN system is broken,” said Austin Ruse, President of C-FAM.

The Ambassador of Fiji, who hosted the event, said “For those of us who come from small populations, it is quite frightening when you listen to some of the debates in the General assembly. There has been a great loss of family values.”

John Bolton said there must be a closer examination of the Mitchell-Gingrich report of 2005, a bi-partisan effort which attempts to illustrate the “right” approach to UN reform including a revamp of the Human Rights Council, peacekeeping efforts, and a simplification of UN funding and financing of programs.

Bolton also emphasized there is still no clear agreement on how the Security Council should be reformed. Many skeptics believe the five members (US, UK, France,  Russia and China) hold too much power and want to increase membership to African and Middle Eastern nations.

“To change the membership to reflect increased numbers  like ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council), well, then I don’t see any possibility for change at all. The Security Council was originally set up post WWII and the powers were given to the victors,” added Bolton.

Bolton outlined the Goldstone report of the Human Rights Council, criticizing Israel of human rights abuses in Gaza, has “undercut” peace efforts in the region.

He also said the Obama Administration is making a big mistake in “halting the UN reform effort.”

Little was mentioned of the restrictions imposed by the Bush Administration to investigate US human rights abuses in Guantanamo and Iraq and the elimination of massive amounts of funding to developing countries which administered family planning programs through the WHO and UNICEF, and on induced abortions if the woman/girl was raped or too young to deliver a healthy baby.