Key Goals for U.N. Reform

Reform the United Nations
by Nile Gardiner, Ph.D., and Baker Spring
Backgrounder #1700

http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/BG-1700.cfm
There should be six main goals for the United States in reforming the U.N.

1. International Security. The U.N. should be an effective multilateral body for addressing threats to international security, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
2. U.S. National Sovereignty . The U.N. should not limit the ability of the United States to ensure its own security and that of other democratic nation-states. The U.N. Charter should be revised to allow for the use of pre-emptive action against rogue regimes and state sponsors of terrorism.
3. U.S. Funding for the U.N. Funding should be more equitably distributed among U.N. member states. The current system, whereby the U.S. contributes far more than any other permanent member of the Security Council, is unfair. Non-permanent members of the Security Council should also contribute more. A greater level of funding by smaller member nations would give these countries a greater stake in the future of the organization.
4. U.N. Bureaucracy. The U.N. must not become a growing burden on the U.S. taxpayer, and it must provide value for money. The U.N. bureaucracy should be streamlined and made more cost-effective.
5. Human Rights . The U.N. should become a more effective force on the world stage in advancing human rights. The U.N. Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR), currently chaired by Libya, has made a mockery of the U.N.'s supposed commitment to human rights.
6. Ideological Agenda. The U.N. should not be used as a vehicle by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for advancing radical left-wing social agendas. Although the U.S. has rejoined UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), it should make future funding conditional on reform.