H.R. 2745, The Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act

H.R. 2745, THE HENRY J. HYDE UNITED NATIONS REFORM ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 15, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2005

Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong opposition to H.R. 2745, the Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005.

The United Nations is a critical multilateral organization that provides a vital and necessary forum for the U.S. to advance our Nation's foreign policy priorities as well as to improve and strengthen development, security and human rights around the globe. As an original founder and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. has an opportunity to shape the direction of future reforms and continue our important role of pursuing multilateral solution to the world's most challenging problems. Or, as this legislation appears intent upon achieving, the U.S. can withdraw support from the United Nations and watch from the sidelines as the world body withers, leaving our Nation isolated and at risk. The latter approach, I believe, would be a dangerous and foolish mistake.

For sixty years, the organizations and programs operating under the umbrella of the United Nations have been working to improve health, food security and human rights around the world; combating terrorism, narcotics trafficking and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; encouraging and empowering the protection of rights for women, workers, ethnic and religious minorities and persons with disabilities; and enhancing the security and upholding peace in areas devastated by conflict. The feeding, sheltering, and protection of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide, many of whom might not be alive today without such help, has also be a vital United Nations function. The sum of this work carried out by the United Nations, this very difficult work, has been a monumental achievement, much of it funded by the generosity of the American tax payer, that has improved the lives of billions of people and made our world safer, healthier, more peaceful and more just.

This legislation before the House, H.R. 2745, is deeply flawed. It would mandate drastic cuts to the U.S. funding obligation to the United Nations, unless the U.S. Secretary of State can certify compliance with 39 far-reaching, and detailed, reforms. Unfortunately, many of these reforms apply to related agencies that are out of the management authority of the United Nations Secretariat. In addition, this bill would put ongoing peacekeeping missions, and U.S. involvement in future missions integral to our national security, in jeopardy.

Reforms are needed at the United Nations. The debate on the floor clearly reflects that Democrats and Republicans agree on this fact. However, the U.S. has an opportunity, and I would say a responsibility, to play a positive and constructive role in reforming the United Nations, in a way that promotes greater transparency, more effective decision making, greater emphasis on oversight of the bureaucracy and a clear standard of accountability among member states for their conduct with relations to human rights.

The Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act fails to provide the resources, the time, and the flexibility to allow reform to be carried out correctly, as needed to sustain this great organization. This legislation blatantly puts politics before peace keeping and threatens to undermine the important leadership of the U.S. in the eyes of the international community.

The State Department strongly objects to key provisions of this bill including the key principle of linking of U.S. dues to United Nations reforms. Rather than starve the United Nations by unilaterally cutting support, I support the rational and reasonable alternative legislation, the bipartisan Lantos-Shays alternative to H.R. 2745, that would eliminate the mandate for funding cuts and empower the Secretary of State to withhold funds if suggested reforms are not met. This substitute appropriate encourages the U.S. to work with other nations to achieve real and lasting United Nations reform.

http://thomas.loc.gov