Fix The UN? Go Right Ahead ....
"The United Nations is dysfunctional. the United Nations is ineffective. The United Nations is often corrupt. The United Nations often falls short of what it should be." Allan Rock, Canada's UN ambassador 2004 to 2006
"I think there's far too many envoys running around. And I think there has been a little too much shooting from the hip from some of these UN envoys. Some of these UN guys have been responding to various particular interest groups and they haven't really put it in proper context by talking about Canada's overall role and what it does." Lloyd Axworthy, Canadian pro-UN former foreign minister
The current Conservative-led government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is demonstrating through its actions and statements that it feels it has little reason to respect the United Nations in its current form, nor any of its offshoots. Both the United Nations and its various arms have become tools of member countries with an axe to grind.
There are obvious cliques within the United Nations of countries finding common cause, the result of which appears to have a purpose to isolate and critique one single country more than any others, defaming it with a reputation of human rights abuses, where in effect many of those aiming those accusations against the State of Israel represent human-rights-abusing-regimes of the first order.
Lately, Canada has been placed in the compromised position of the deer in the headlights. Part of that may have resulted because officials, politicians and the current government attitude is in support of Israel against its detractors. In recognition of the fairness of supporting a regime that is embattled on all sides, and which represents the sole true democracy in a region where democracy is for the most part, absent.
Canada has withdrawn its voluntary financial support from UNESCO in response to that body's reception to the Palestinian Authority's seeking membership legitimacy there in the absence of bargaining for peace with Israel and reaching nationhood recognition within the United Nations through legitimate means.
Canada's unwavering support for Israel has indubitably caused it to lose the revolving seat on the UN Security Council in 2010.
For its part, the UN has issued criticisms of Canada's rights record. UN food security rapporteur Olivier De Schutter came to Canada to 'study' the country's actions on food security, rather than approach the seriousness of the situation of food scarcity and availability in countries of the world where these issues are a real life-and-death problem. Canada handsomely funds food aid to underdeveloped countries.
The UN committee on torture faulted Canada for the violation of the charter rights of Omar Khadr, who followed his father's instructions to gain experience in Afghanistan's terror-training camps, and who in an attack killed a U.S. medic, while other American medics saved his life, treating wounds that he sustained in that attack. As the UN committee on torture would have it, Khadr should be compensated for the "violation of his charter rights".
And when UN human rights chief Navi Pillay turned her vinegar tongue on the Province of Quebec's anti-protest law, characterizing it as a dreadful instance of social abuse, likening it to Syria, Eritrea and North Korea, she must have derived huge satisfaction at the thought that she was humiliating Canada, giving it pay-back for its lack of respect for the United Nations.
Canada could lead a charge of corruption and uselessness against the United Nations, demanding as a member-country in good standing giving it $800-million in yearly support, that it begin to reform itself so that it does truly represent an international forum for human rights and support of member countries devolving into responsible nations.
The hypocritical bigotry displayed by the United Nations, its minions and its offshoots represent an insult to those whose vision of a higher world order through co-operation and mutual respect gave it breath. It is not too much to ask that we should aim higher, be capable of producing a much finer result than currently prevails.
In its present form the United Nations is an abject failure.
Labels: Canada, Heritage, Human Relations, Human Rights, Traditions, United Nations, Viewpoint
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, July 03, 2012
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