Letter: To Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations

Letter: To Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations

Dear Secretary General Ban Ki-moon:

As the Co-Chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation, we are concerned about proposals to merge the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs (DDA) into the Department for Political Affairs, or that DDA be downgraded to a "special office" to be lead by an Assistant Secretary General or a Special Representative of the Secretary General rather than an Under Secretary General.

In our judgment, this proposal threatens to weaken the Department for Disarmament Affairs. It is our firm conviction this Department should be strengthened, not weakened. Established in its present form in 1998 to meet post-cold war challenges, DDA plays a crucial role in accomplishing the United Nation's peace and development goals. DDA's work to eliminate weapons of mass destruction and reduce illicit arms trafficking furthers these goals.

It seems to us that downgrading DDA runs counter to the UN's stated commitment to reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction and other dangerous arms. We urge you to reconsider proposals to implement such a plan, and would appreciate learning more about your thoughts on this important matter.

We look forward to work with you and your colleagues in coming years and wish you much success in your most prestigious new job.

Sincerely,
________________________ ________________________
Edward J. Markey Christopher Shays
Co-Chair, House Bipartisan Co-Chair, House Bipartisan
Taskforce on Nonproliferation Taskforce on Nonproliferation

http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2559&Itemid=141