UN best intentions at crossroads

This week outgoing United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, gave his last address to an American audience. It was purposeful and is significant to those who understand the leadership of the United States and President Harry Truman’s pivotal role in the UN’s creation in 1945 that the location was the Truman Library in Independence, Mo. Though a friend and supporter of the US, Annan has not been shy to criticize the US or the administration when he felt we had strayed from the ideals of equity, honor and advancing human rights committed to in the establishment of the United Nations. The most vivid of these criticisms being two years ago when he labeled the Iraq war “illegal”.

In his address, Annan summarized five lessons that remind us about the need for leadership, as much today as it was six decades ago, to uphold those principles of equity, honor and advancing human rights. These lessons are; responsibility for each other's security, giving everyone the chance to benefit from global prosperity, both security and prosperity depending on human rights and the rule of law, states being accountable to each other in their international conduct, and finally that these things can only be done by working together through a multilateral system and by making the best possible use of the unique instrument bequeathed by Harry Truman and his contemporaries, namely the United Nations.

So as controversial US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, resigns avoiding a tough and likely impossible Senate confirmation and Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea is sworn in as UN Secretary General, making restoring trust in the world body as his first goal, the UN faces many issues. Just a few of the top ones that are or should be of interest to Americans include the crisis in Darfur, urgent need for renewed focus for peace in the Middle East, and the six party talks on N. Korean nuclear issue. Who takes the lead role at the UN from the United States and how our administration and government takes seriously these and other common concerns of the world we share will determine to a great degree the success or failure at the United Nations and everyone’s ability to address these issues.

As far as Annan’s message in Independence, a meaningful farewell is what others say segment of the editorial section summarized and one to which our current administration as well as the American citizens should pay attention. What do you say?