The Nick of Time

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

As the 60th anniversary proceedings at the United Nations get under way, nothing is so clear as the fact that the left wing is going to try to blame the meltdown of the so-called reform efforts on President Bush and Ambassador Bolton. The truth is that Mr. Bush, in sending Mr. Bolton up to Turtle Bay, acted in the nick of time. The only thing that saved the draft outcome document from being a Waterloo for American diplomacy at the world body was the last minute arrival of Mr. Bolton with his red pen.


For it turns out that the “draft outcome document” U.N. Secretary-General Annan presented to the world body wasn’t the “monumental” document the secretary-general and his camarilla wanted. What Mr. Bolton did was to ensure the United Nations wasn’t allowed to call a process of whitewashing, and even exacerbating, existing problems “reform.” He pushed for real reforms, most of which weren’t accepted. He sent a clear message of what America expects from the world body in the future and got backing from the president.


Mr. Bush told the assembled delegates: “When this great institution’s member states choose notorious abusers of human rights to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Commission, they discredit a noble effort, and undermine the credibility of the whole organization.” Building on vague proposals put forward by Mr. Annan, Mr. Bolton had been pushing for a smaller human rights body, with countries under sanctions, and those being investigated for human rights violations, barred from membership. But repressive states such as China, Cuba, Libya, and Zimbabwe, which have sat on the commission, ensured these reforms were blocked. The “draft outcome document” Mr. Annan presented only calls for future discussion on changes.


As our Benny Avni reported Tuesday, part of the disagreement on proposed reforms was how power was to be shared between the Security Council and the General Assembly. Many in the assembly wanted more power for themselves. Mr. Bolton and others had wanted to leave most power for the council, reasoning that since the assembly is filled with repressive states hostile to democracy, power is safest on the council where democracies, such as America and Britain, have vetoes.


Neither body got more power in the end, but the wisdom of Mr. Bolton’s approach was already evident yesterday when the “draft outcome document” compiled by members of the assembly failed to include a definition of terrorism in its condemnation of terrorism. It was omitted, as it always is in the assembly, because many there appear to believe that blowing up Iraqis or Israelis is justified. Contrast this to the Security Council that yesterday passed a strongly worded resolution proposed by Britain against inciting terrorism.


Another change Mr. Bolton had wanted, as did Mr. Annan, was for control against nuclear proliferation. Rogue states that want to proliferate nuclear weapons – Iran, North Korea, and Co. – and their allies, ensured this never made the final draft. Aside from ensuring the General Assembly was not given a larger role, Mr. Bolton also ensured references to disarmament of nuclear weapons were removed. Championing disarmament is a tactic used by those same rogue states seeking nuclear weapons. They ask why America and other countries should be permitted to have nukes and not them. Either all or none, they argue. Mr. Bolton blocked this attempt because the danger in nuclear weapons is not in the weapons but in who wields them. Democracies use them for their protection; dictatorships use them to threaten others.


America didn’t achieve most of the reforms Mr. Bolton wanted because, as he put it on Tuesday, “This is a negotiation among 191 countries and this is the United Nations as it is, and you know, you judge it as such.” But he was cool and masterly under the pressure. The gathering on the East River dashes hopes for quick reform at the United Nations and strengthens the view that the best hope for an effective world body is a grouping that is limited to democracies.

NY Sun
NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


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