The US vs The World

American ambassador seeks to scupper UN's global strategy with 750 amendments after just three weeks in the job

By David Usborne - Independent, UK
26 August 2005

"America's controversial new ambassador to the United Nations is seeking to shred an agreement on strengthening the world body and fighting poverty intended to be the highlight of a 60th anniversary summit next month. In the extraordinary intervention, John Bolton has sought to roll back proposed UN commitments on aid to developing countries, combating global warming and nuclear disarmament.

Mr Bolton has demanded no fewer than 750 amendments to the blueprint restating the ideals of the international body, which was originally drafted by the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan.

The amendments are spelt out in a 32-page US version, first reported by the Washington Post and acquired yesterday by The Independent. The document is littered with deletions and exclusions. Most strikingly, the changes eliminate all specific reference to the so-called Millennium Development Goals, accepted by all countries at the last major UN summit in 2000, including the United States.

The Americans are also seeking virtually to remove all references to the Kyoto treaty and the battle against global warming. They are striking out mention of the disputed International Criminal Court and drawing a red line through any suggestion that the nuclear powers should dismantle their arsenals. Instead, the US is seeking to add emphasis to passages on fighting terrorism and spreading democracy."

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Or read Bolton's actual draft mark-ups here

+ Some beauties include deleting the follwing phrases
+ "Respect for nature"
+ The right of self-determination of peoples "under colonial domination and foreign occupation"
+ Fudamental freedoms for all, "in particular women and children"
+ We "remain concerned however, by the slow and uneven implementation of the internationally agreed development goals..."
+ The committment to "external debt relief..."
+ A "predictable and suficient" increase in aid
+ Any mention of the Millenium Development Goals
+ Any mention of countries giving the agreed to .7% of GDP to aid.
+ Any mention of the Educaiton For All Fast Track Initiative


Then he goes on to add language about the need to strengthen confidence in private markets, protect of property rights, and promotion of a predictable investment climate.


Keep in mind all these things in the previous draft had been negotiated with the US' heavy involvement ALREADY. The document is due in 3 weeks. Now we have substantial weakening of poverty reduction goals, UN reform, WMD disarmament, terrorism (Bolton struck out the calls for a UN definition of terrorism (which we had always mocked the UN for failing to come up with before) and climate change. Makes me sick. This better be the lead story in tomorrow's newspapers.