Reforms need of the hour: Annan

The UN Secy-General called for an early expansion of UNSC. Profile

The United Nations must undertake the most sweeping overhaul till date to strengthen collective security, lay down a truly global strategy for development and promote human rights and democracy to meet the emerging challenges, Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.

HT Image

Outlining his vision for adapting the world body to meet emerging challenges in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, he calls for an early expansion of the Security Council.

He also emphasised on the adoption of the Indian sponsored Comprehensive Convention Against Terrorism among other measures.

		Annan's India Visit The talks with Annan likely to focus on UN reform and India's demand for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council   On Tuesday, he is scheduled to meet UN staff and aid groups   Annan will hold talks with Kalam, Manmohan, Sonia and several other political leaders   This is Annan's third visit to India. He came earlier in April 1997 and March 2001   His term ends in December 2006   Countries seeking UNSC seat are India, Brazil, Germany and Japan   Four of the five permanent members of the Security Council assured India of their support. Only US is non-committal   India rejects UNSC permanent membership sans veto power

On expansion of the Security Council, the most closely watched of all reforms, the Secretary-General said the Council be expanded to 24 from its current 15 and provided two formulas for undertaking the exercise.

Neither changes the current status of the veto power enjoyed by the five permanent members. "Member states should make up their minds and reach a decision before the September summit," he said.

The article cites cross-border threats in pressing world leaders to adopt the recommendations when they meet for a summit in September at the UN.

"We cannot just muddle along and make do with incremental responses in an era, when organised crime syndicates seek to smuggle both sex slaves and nuclear materials across borders; when whole societies are being laid waste by AIDS... When terrorists, whose ambitions are very plain, find ready recruits among young men in societies with little hope, even less justice, and narrowly sectarian schools," Annan said.

The Secretary-General said States must adopt a comprehensive convention against terrorism, establish a UN peacebuilding commission and strengthen the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Annan also advocated replacing the "discredited" UN Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council whose members would be elected by directly by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly and pledge to abide by the highest human rights standards.

He backed a call first made by United States President George W Bush for the establishment of a special fund to support countries in establishing or strengthening democracy.

The world "desperately needs a practical strategy to implement the Millennium Declaration" adopted at a UN summit in 2000, he said and called for urgent action to achieve the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals.

Donor countries, he said, must draw up a strategy to meet the target of allocating 0.7 per cent of their national income to official development assistance (ODA).

On reforming the UN's own management procedures, he said he is committed to improving on this front, but adds that "the Secretary-General, as chief administrative officer of the organisation, must be empowered to manage it with autonomy and flexibility, so that he or she can drive through the necessary changes."