UN toughening up a bit?

That would be a welcome switch from the usual.

UN employees are expected to issue an unprecedented vote of no confidence in Secretary-General Kofi Annan, union sources say, after he pardoned the body’s top oversight official over a series of allegations.

The UN staff union, in what officials said was the first vote of its kind in the more than 50-year history of the United Nations, was set to approve a resolution withdrawing support for the embattled Annan and senior UN management.

Annan has been in the line of fire over a high-profile series of scandals including controversy about a UN aid programme that investigators say allowed deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to embezzle billions of dollars.

Staffers said the trigger for the no-confidence measure was an announcement this week that Annan had pardoned the UN’s top oversight official, who was facing allegations of favouritism and sexual harassment.

7 Responses to "UN toughening up a bit?"

eric says:

November 21, 2004 at 12:17 am

Well, its excellent news, if only three years or so too late..now America needs to have a real discussion/debate
over whether or not WE need the U.N. at
all, or would rather go it alone/with allies instead.The main problem with the U.N. is that it gives an equal voice to every despotic tyranny in the world:twisted:this is not only not the function of the U.N. origianlly (which was to stop wars) but may , in fact, be detrimental to the stability of a ny peace process in the middle east and elsewhere..as the U.N. apparently now has a penchant for large scale larceny and nepotism.
Jeffery Blanco says:

November 21, 2004 at 1:05 am

Hey Sister Toldjah, surfed in through blogexplosion and thought I would tell you hi…
Jim R says:

November 21, 2004 at 6:57 am

The UN is necessary for common contact and communications between nations in the world, if nothing else.

Communications and a forum for nations to rant(vent)is vital to prevent misunderstandings between nations and to relieve pent-up animosity that can lead to war.

Unfortunately, there seems to be ‘nothing else’ worth honorable mention.
skye says:

November 21, 2004 at 5:54 pm

The UN as a forum for Nations to communicate and release pent up frustrations?

Isn’t that what WWW is all about??
Sister Toldjah says:

November 21, 2004 at 7:03 pm

Eric: We have too much invested in the UN to back out of it – besides, even if we didn’t, other countries depend on it too much in terms of the support they (the countries) give us for worldwide missions.

Jeff: Hi and thanks! Hope you are doing well.

Jim: I liken the UN to what Rush Limbaugh calls the Star Wars movie bar – I’ve never heard a more appropos description of anything in my life! LOL

Skye: Good point!
eric says:

November 25, 2004 at 4:46 pm

Perhaps youre correct, however, the scandals keep coming..this one involves
children as sexual partners for U.N.
personnel http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/..the truth is WE DO need a public forum for nations..but, and this is vital..do we need the U.N. as it now stands?Can we make a better Forum? I’ll
agree with Jim that without the U.N.
certain humanitarian issues go unresolved..otoh, WITH the U.N. they STILL go unresolved.You are correct about investment, we have invested.Our
taxes have paid for quite a bit of the
U.N.s operating funds..imho, we need to coerce the U.N. to clean its act up..
otherwise its taxation on the American people without a proper voice on how that money is spent, correct?
Sister Toldjah says:

November 27, 2004 at 10:21 am

Eric, I’ll make sure to check out the Belmont Club link – scary if true. The UN does need to be held accountable. A “no vote of confidence” for Kofi and co. is promising, but it’s not enough.

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