Global Research Public Lecture, Montreal, December 1, 2009
Some times the New York Times does the right thing. This morning the Editorial (December 1, 2009) condemned the Swiss referendum vote to prohibit the construction of minarets on Mosques throughout the country. And on the Op. Ed. Page Bob Herbert quoted Eisenhower “ I hate war, as only a soldier who has lived it can, as one who has seen its brutality, it futility, its stupidity.” He added, and “:every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.”
And especially thank you Professor Chossudovsky for this opportunity to speak in Montreal. And to listen, and to learn from audience reaction and comments.
As you may have guessed – this is not intended to be a ‘feel good’ review of the UN. We are here to think, and consider something different, something better. Something representative, something respectful of international law: committed to equality of nations and people. An organization that really believes in a single standard of behaviour and treatment for all... and not double standards as of now.
The New York Times Editorial of 21 November suggested that readers should not be too critical of President Obama’s recent visit to China... as he still trying to restore America’s moral authority! My first thought was: Restore what moral authority?
My second was: that the restoration concept – should absolutely apply to the United Nations! And in particular to the Security Council responsible for global Peace and Security. It is to that Council we should look for secular moral authority, global leadership, respect for international law and for management of global peaceful co-existence. But we don’t - do we?
Before diving into the business of restoration - let’s look at how the UN is viewed today:
First – there is the UN of people’s unrealistic expectations – how we want the UN to be: to act: to represent us caring people! - a UN to bring good will, and wellbeing to people-kind everywhere.
We want it to be the UN of the Preamble - “We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war... to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small... to establish... justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law... to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom... and for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security...
I believe most of us want a UN set apart and distinct from the ugly politics of the G-8, the EU, NATO, US/UK and the wars illegally pursued by UN Member States such as in the Congo, Chechnya, Gaza, Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan... as we meet tonight.
Ugly politics have undermined the Preamble – in fact, they have neglected the entire word and spirit of the UN Charter!
Sadly this perfect UN does not exist. Nor does its moral authority.
The Second perception is: the UN of the ‘Masters of the Universe’! The five veto powers and permanent members of the Security Council – the so called victors of the Second World War. The old boys club of 1945. The five States that have corrupted the UN Charter. And corrupted the work of the UN. Applying double-standards, and disregard for law - they have made the organisation primarily serve their best interests rather than serve its mandate.
I refer to the five most dangerous Member States that together manufacture and sell some 85% of military arms, including nuclear weapons, and so called weapons of mass destruction. This is the UN of the arms dealers - the most disreputable and yet profitable business on earth.
And tragically and quite bizarrely – these arms dealers are the same Member States that the UN Charter entrusts with maintaining Peace and Security around the world! I trust you see the disconnect? The incompatibility? - the mind boggling reality of nuclear powers and weapons salesmen being responsible for peaceful co-existence?! It’s madness!
Perception number three: Is the UN of the Secretariat, the Secretary-General - the servant of the member states. The Secretary-General is the administrative leader of the UN family of Agencies, Programmes and organizations. This is the so-called UN System that takes instructions from the member states – the share holders – some from the permanent five and some from the 191 member states of the General Assembly who subsist under the shadow of the Permanent Five. Politically driven orders come directly - such as my personal experience in Iraq when I headed up[ the UN Humanitarian Programme - or via Member State boards, councils, assemblies, committees etc.
I can argue this is proper – the stake holders have rights! What it does however is remind us that despite the words of the Preamble to the Charter... “We the peoples” - the UN is an organization of States, NOT people. Real people actually have limited input. Sometimes via NGOs affiliated in a variety of ways. The bottom line however - is the State – your State and my State. And mostly States think not with heart or mind, or guided by any moral standard (except for Canada of course!)... but with the sensitivity only of self-interest, power, and ambition. This-self interest reaches a high art form when it comes to the five veto powers of the Security Council. And self-interest is not endorsed in the UN Charter!
As Bill Clinton and Madame Albright liked to say – the United Nations is there to further the best interests – of
US foreign policy. However, to be fair, other States undoubtedly see it much the same way, but are more discrete! And lack ambitions and military capacity for global empire! Full StorySource:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=16399
