Cong. Mario Diaz-Balart Strongly Endorses UN Reform

Cong. Mario Diaz-Balart Strongly Endorses UN Reform

Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) today voted for legislation that would apply pressure on the United Nations to make meaningful reforms. The House passed the Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005 (H.R. 2745) by a vote of 221 to 184.

"No one can deny that the United Nations is in serious need of massive reform," Diaz-Balart said. "UN peacekeepers are raping kids in the Congo, blatant human rights abusers are sitting on and chairing the UN Human Rights Council and the Secretary-General is a crook beyond Enron proportions.

"Many of the UN's honorable goals, such as feeding the hungry and fighting AIDS globally, are getting lost in the filth of corruption, inefficient and ineffective bureaucracy, support for Castro, frothing anti-Israel and anti-Americanism, and its overall ineptitude regarding situations in Congo, Sudan, and Haiti, among others," Diaz-Balart continued. "The UN's current structure cannot continue. It needs to become more efficient, transparent, and accountable."

The legislation would require the UN to reform by:

* Mandating spending cuts in specific programs
* Redirecting funds to priority areas
* Withholding 50 percent of U.S. assessed dues if certifications are not made in key areas
* Withholding U.S. support for new peacekeeping missions until certifications are made that reforms have been enacted

"I applaud Chairman Hyde for developing this just and timely legislation. The U.S. provides 22 percent of the UN's funding. If the UN is unwilling to make necessary changes, then that funding needs to be cut," Diaz-Balart concluded. "With the world fighting the war on terror, we can no longer stick our heads in the sand and hope the UN gets better."

http://www.house.gov/mariodiaz-balart/news/2005news/061705_unreform.htm