Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2745, Henry J. Hyde United Nations Reform Act of 2005
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2745, HENRY J. HYDE UNITED NATIONS REFORM ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - June 16, 2005)
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
(Ms. MATSUI asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time.
Madam Speaker, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold, commented during his tenure that ``the United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven but save it from hell.'' A keen observation on the fundamental tensions present in such a massive and massively important institution.
The U.N. was built upon the very highest of ideals: support for human rights, peaceful resolution of conflict, and respect for international law and conventions. However, the reality of the U.N.'s composition of 191 member states, often with 191 different national interests, has challenged these high ideals. We all know that.
Many are examining how to meet these challenges and improve the weaknesses of the organization: the Secretary-General's report, the U.N. High Level Advisory Panel, the Volcker Commission Investigation, the Mitchell-Gingrich report. And each of them, in addition to the bill we are debating today, is circling around the same group of reforms. But the central debate here on the House floor is not about what the reforms should be. Madam Speaker, the debate here is how you sell them.
There are 191 individual members of the organization that must agree on the reforms, sometimes unanimously, if we are to make the U.N. an even better organization than it already is. And this is where I diverge from some of my colleagues.
I share the views of the eight former U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations. I do not believe harsh, automatic penalties hold any chance of garnering support among the many nations needed to enact these reforms. I must note that their experience spans each of the five Presidencies, from Jimmy Carter to George W. Bush. We should be heeding their sage advice.
For this reason, I support the Lantos-Shays substitute, which authorizes the Secretary of State to withhold a portion of our U.N. dues at his or her discretion instead of the severe automatic penalties.
We should not advocate a policy of withdrawal from the world community on the one hand and ask for it to engage on the other. But H.R. 2745 would stir up exactly that resentment in its current form, resentment that will kill any hope for change.
In closing, Madam Speaker, the United Nations has a genuine opportunity to reform and, with our leadership, the potential for great success. We must add to this momentum by supporting the Lantos-Shays substitute.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
http://thomas.loc.gov