United Nations

WASHINGTON -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls the new U.N. Human Rights Council "a great opportunity to make a fresh start." He's right. What a shame, then, that it appears the opportunity is going to waste. Last year, appalled by the ineffectiveness of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights (which human rights abusers had used to shield themselves from scrutiny or sanction), the United States and other nations interested in making the United Nations more effective in promoting human rights successfully led an effort to replace the discredited commission.

As envoys from Germany and the five permanent nations on the U.N. Security Council gathered in Paris yesterday for talks on Iran's nuclear program, an Iranian official renewed threats that his country would retaliate against Israel if the United States took military action against Iran. Tehran said that it is continuing its nuclear enrichment program. U.S. officials say they are pursuing a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, but have said repeatedly that all options, including military ones, are being considered.

UNITED NATIONS -- The United States stood nearly alone yesterday as it voted against the creation of a new U.N. Human Rights Council, saying the reform did not go far enough to exclude abusers. However, U.S. officials did not carry through on a threat to block the new body's funding, and they pledged to work with other nations to make the council "as strong as it can be." Jan Eliasson, president of the General Assembly, called the vote "a historic moment" as 170 member states backed the new council.

WASHINGTON -- Americans have shown little interest in human rights reform at the United Nations. Reports that a new U.N. Human Rights Council will likely soon replace the much-maligned U.N. Human Rights Commission are met with a blank stare. Why should people in the U.S. care? In these days of top 10 lists, perhaps it is useful to boil down all the many reasons for caring about U.N. human rights reform into an easily digestible format. So, without further delay, the top 10 reasons are: 10. Our government has made it our business.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Nearly 20 months after the United Nations arrived to stabilize the hemisphere's poorest country and avert a civil war, there is still no cease-fire in this violent city on the sea. Blasts from tanks and machine guns go on for hours almost every day around Cite Soleil, a steamy slum at the capital's northern edge. No one knows for sure how many civilians have been killed inside. Last week, two Jordanian soldiers were shot to death and one was seriously wounded in skirmishes with local gangs.

UNITED NATIONS -- Officials of the United Nations have decided that they must act within weeks to produce an alternative to its widely discredited Human Rights Commission to maintain hope of redeeming the United Nations' credibility this year. The commission, which is based in Geneva, has been a persistent embarrassment to the United Nations because participation has been open to countries such as Cuba, Sudan and Zimbabwe, current members who are themselves accused of gross rights abuses.

UNITED NATIONS -- The head of the U.N. elections agency acknowledged yesterday that she expected to receive a dismissal notice today and vowed to resist the move, which would come a week before crucial elections her office is overseeing in Iraq. Secretary-General Kofi Annan plans to deliver a dismissal letter to Carina Perelli, head of the United Nations' Electoral Assistance Division, the Associated Press reported and two U.N. officials confirmed. The officials said they could not speak for attribution because the action had yet to occur and involved "legalities."

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Helicopters delivering food and rescuing injured earthquake survivors soon could be grounded because the airlift is running out of money, frustrated U.N. officials warned yesterday. The United Nations has enough cash to keep choppers flying into northern Pakistan's quake zone for one more week, senior relief officials said in a frantic appeal to donors for cash and food. "It is now or never," said Jan Vandemoortele, the U.N.'s earthquake relief coordinator. "We will not have a second chance."

Another terrible disaster has struck Asia, the powerful earthquake that Saturday devastated parts of Pakistan and India. Again, there were immediate promises of aid from around the world - and immediate questions about how to efficiently provide the badly needed relief. These arose as a new report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies sharply criticized the United Nations' management of the record outpouring of aid after the last Asian disaster, the tsunami of last December.

WASHINGTON -- As the United Nations celebrates its 60th anniversary as a symbol of peace and a beacon of hope, we must offer a frank and critical assessment of its failure to deliver on the promise to halt global human rights abuses, improve economic and social development and significantly enhance world security. In all three categories, the United Nations has either ignored its charter mandate or has been so overwhelmed with bureaucracy, ineptitude, corruption and inefficiency that it could not carry out its mission.