Needed Change at the UN?

In the May/June version of Foreign Affairs, current UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan argues that the UN must undergo many changes to meet changing world problems. In "In Larger Freedom": Decision Time at the UN Annan argues that for increased cooperation at between countries using the UN as a vehicle to collectively solve many of the world's problems-from terrorism to poverty to AIDS. The Secretary-General argues that each problem is interconnected, and that states working together can have a far greater impact on solving these problems. Annan's argument differs greatly from many of the neo-cons in the Bush administration, who are for a more unilateral approach in foreign policy. With Bush's recent appointment of John Bolton as UN ambassador it will be interesting to see how the differing ideologies play out.

This article is especially interesting because there will be a UN Summit this coming September, and many of his proposed changes will be discussed. Whether the UN changes to meet all of the world's challenges or only moves to meet US demands to combat terrorism will be an important struggle for the future of the UN and world community.


--Tom Hayes