Two hoots for USA
the first two weeks of May 2001, served as a reality check for the more idealist un reformists who envision a truly autonomous un body. In a couple of unexpected moves, that some might say were a result of the us' bullying and inconsiderate actions, two un governing bodies voted the us out of its ranks. On May 3, 2001, the us lost its seat on the un Commission for Human Rights. Three days later, the country announced that it had been replaced in the 13-member International Narcotics Control Board.
The us politicians and officials wasted no time in crying foul. Richard Boucher, an official with the state department and us c ongress member Henry Hyde claimed that the us had been voted out of the commission because of its commitment to human rights. "This reflects both, an anti-semitic plot by all of the other countries on the commission and a power move by Mary Robinson, un high commissioner on human rights, to position herself to eventually succeed Kofi Annan,' said the Washington Post in an editorial.
The way the un public relations office handled the affair has embarrassed many. Chief un spokesperson Fred Eckhard publicly distanced the un from the decisions of its members. He went on to quote secretary-general Kofi Annan who had hoped that the us would not "punish' the un for what was a democratic process. Experts feel that the way the un handled the issue is a sad reminder of the un 's dependence on a rich and powerful country like the us to manage its programmes. This is not to ignore the fact that the us owes us $1.9 billion to the un in delayed payments and the current year's dues. Moreover, the us government did "punish' the un by passing a vote to withhold us $244 million payment to the organisation.