Only change can make U.N. useful, relevant again 
By Newt Gingrich and George Mitchell

June 21, 2005

Sixty years ago this month, after four years of world war and genocide, the United States signed the United Nations charter. The United States was determined to lead the world in creating an institution that would act to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights.
Today, genocide continues in Sudan, more than 10 years after the world failed to act in Rwanda. The world faces threats and challenges that include terrorism, poverty and weapons of mass destruction. As in 1945, the question before U.S. policymakers is how to join individual interests into cooperative actions.
It was in this spirit last November that Congress authorized a bipartisan, 12-member task force, which we co-chaired, to help the U.N. realize more fully the purposes of its charter. Last week, we released a consensus report on U.N. reform in the firm belief that an effective U.N. is in the United States' interest.
The U.N. was created to advocate and deliver peace, security and development. Without change, however, it will fall short of achieving the laudable goals of its charter:
•A reformed U.N. can be an effective partner in fighting terror and halting weapons proliferation. A key test, however, will be whether the U.N. General Assembly can reach agreement on a comprehensive definition of terrorism.
•Because sovereignty resides in the people of a country, the first duty of a government is to protect those living within its jurisdiction from genocide, mass killing and human rights violations. The U.S. government should call on the U.N. to affirm this responsibility. In certain instances, a government's abnegation of its responsibilities to its own people is so severe that the collective responsibility of nations to take action cannot be denied. In the event the Security Council fails to act in such cases, its failure must not be used as an excuse by concerned members to avoid protective measures.
•The 53-member U.N. Human Rights Commission has become so discredited that countries with appalling human rights records — Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe, Libya and Cuba among others — have held seats there. The result has been a failure to hold accountable those nations with abysmal human rights records. The task force concludes that the commission should be replaced by a new Human Rights Council, a body ideally consisting of democracies committed to upholding and promoting human rights.
•The United States, which funds 22% of the U.N.'s regular budget, has a duty to promote accountability, transparency and integrity. The unfolding oil-for-food scandal is testimony to the importance of long overdue managerial reform. Management systems common throughout the world in both public and private institutions are often lacking at the U.N. The task force concludes that U.N. internal reform should include the creation of a chief operating officer to provide strong operational management; the establishment of an independent oversight board; sunset provisions for programs mandated by the General Assembly; and the identification of operational programs that should be funded by voluntary contributions.
Reform at the U.N. is necessary and feasible, but only with sustained U.S. leadership in cooperation with the growing ranks of the world's democracies. Together, this coalition of democracies must argue for the adoption of these reforms to implement the highest standards of integrity. To be successful, this effort will also require the U.S. executive and legislative branches to be involved in a bipartisan way so that there is a unified U.S. position toward reform.
Without change, the U.N. will remain an uncertain instrument, both for its 191 member governments and for those who look to it for salvation.
Just as the United States took the lead after World War II in forging the consensus that led to the creation of the U.N., the United States can and must help lead the U.N. toward greater relevance and capability in this new era.
Former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich and former Democratic Senate majority leader George Mitchell co-chaired the Task Force on the United Nations.